The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-22
THE Inning HORROR.
DESCRIPTION OF THE MINE.
Details Of the Gazing In-Destructlon Of
the Houses and Burial Of Their In
mates-Recovery of Some of the
Bodies = The Inquest = The
Cause of the Horror

Cause of the Horror
STOCKTON, Dec. 81, 1889.
The Alleghanies are in mourning. The hearts OF
the people are rlled with gloom and apprehension,
and, II In sympathy with the sorrows OF
the agoniZed relatives and friends Of the
fortunate beings swept from time into eternity By
the terrible catastrophe OF Saturday. nature has
covered the verdure OF the hills with snowy pail,
and the trees droop beneath the weight OF their
mournfu attire. Houses built on the mountain top
are proverDially secure, but here this elevated
spot 100 feet above The level OF the the highest
point in Pennsylvania, human beings are trembling
with apprehension, not knowing the moment when
the earth shall culver beneath their feet and hurl
them into the depths below and here sixty, perhaps
hundred, feet above the place where these habita-
lions once stood seven persons. full OF life and
health q moment before their call, still lie buried
amid wreck ana ruin, beyond hope and
lost forever The mountain is their tomb, and
the colo wintry wind that whistles along
its brow is their only requiem. The people come
and 90 to and from the scene OF the calamity In
great numbers and intense excitement prevails. The
yawnng chasm still spreading still craving for VIC
TINS Is the object OF most attraction for the bodies
of the three unfortunates recovered on Sunday are
hid from view In boxes awaiting burial; but those
WHO venture near TIE uAuRcIOus ku pm are kUOTdnl
OF the risk they run. Crackling noises are heard
rom time to tiIne and the earth slips down
from the yaw9ing sides witt. with laundering
TINS Ii mixed with personal apprehension; Tor.
OWING to the want OF proper surveys OF the mines
that tap the mountains here on every hand, one
knows when or where the next creak may be heard,
and the next plot OF ground sink and disappear with
all above IT, the ne. gnborhood OF the disaster Is
fairly panic stricken; for those best qualified to
Judge unnestangy declare that sooner or later the
whole town OF Hazeton must go down. For the
nf uIarp inn nff q not
now able to indicate who win be charged with the
responsibility but before the close Of my letter hope
to be able to present such facts al Will enable the
public to form correct view Of the state Of affairs
which rendered this terrible disaster possible. The
acknowledged fact that the entire neighoorhood Of
Stockton, as well as the town ITSELF Ii undermined,
and In many places very near the surface, and that
greater calamity may occur at any moment, call
for q more elaborate account or the origin, extent
and characteristics Of the accident OF Saturday
morning than has yet appeared therefore pro.
pose-having just completed careful examination
or the mine as far as could go-to furnish you
with the result OF my Investigations. With this
purpose In view, however, must commence at the
beginning even at the risk or being considered
tedious.
HISTORY OF rHE NINE.
The mine in which the accident occurred had
working capacity oI two thousand tons per day. aud
owned by Misses Lnderman Skeer. Previous
to the organization Of this firm f. A. Packer, the
same who failed for million and haI III New
York about two years ago. was proprietor OF IT. ana
the first shaft was opened and the first operations
commenced IN 1t by w. 7. Carter an English miner
OF great experience, who was also principal pro.
prietor OF the mine The name by which the place
was known the mining dss Trss was me hasI
some fifteen years ago, his workmen had ceased
to work that part OF the nine immediately
found that Is, layer Of rock presented itself and
cut OF the vein OF COAL 1t appears that they did not
know how many feet near the surface they nad gov,
but there Is abundant evidence to prove that they
considered the ground above perfectly secure II Is
usual for miners when the vein mas been followed up
to "faultp to abandon that particular portion
OF it, and In retIeating TO rob the mine" or
in other words. to remove the pillar of coal
which during the working propped the subrerranean
edlhce. II Carter's men did this II would not have
been considered unusual or improper, even though
surface should fall Immediately after they had
secured their retreat from the mine; but seems to
me- although attaches Of the present owners Of the
place loudly assert the contrary that Carter never
ordered the removal Of the pillars or II he did, that
his order was not obeyed. Packer may or may not
did not disturb the pillars IN the place where the
accident OF Saturday occurred u evident for TWO
OF sd ~. sna
actually at work In the gallery nearest the surface
few hours before the falling In OF the topping there
Is now no doubt At the official investigatiOn-lf
ever there is one-there will be many opposing ele-
ments and possibly much hard swearing; but am
inclined to think that there Will be very little differ
ence between this report OF the accident and its
causes in the recital OF material facts and that OF
THR scESR OF THE DISASTER.
Miners generally retire to sleep early and rise be-
tween ave and Six in winter. The little community
i,
sleep on Saturday morning last at halipast four
O'Clock. The scattering town OF HaZelton, or small
English ana Germans-and frame houses occupied
by the miners proper was as silent as the grave. The
sky was clear and the aspect OF the scene peaccful
light gllmmered here and there on the mountain
side where working men were preparing early for
the labors Of the day, but more brilliantly shone the
calm Christmas moon cleaning over the mountain
top and Illuminating the deep valleys ana bringing
out into bold relief the huge oOulders Of rock
which stood sentinel Ike the tall pines frs and hem
1aceu afrno I'D fhpppa fhaf rnp nuh
the town . hundred yards from the depot OF the
Lenigh Valley Railroad and brought INTO clear view
the parallel lines OF the railroad running east aud
from Wetherby to Hazeton One-half hour more OF
Silence, and the doors OF the wooden houses facing
the street would be alive with men, women and
children lamps would CLEAN III place OF the then
descended moon and the hardy miners would have
descended to their daily labor In the bowels oil the
earth.
THE CATASTROPHE.
But while natures night linnt sui fingered on
the mountains brow and dashed streaks OF
rocks the quiet village was disturbed by the
loud walling OF dog. The brute dld not
ios was Sa' near no u apparent danger stimulated
him to bark, but he made the echoes ring with his
persistent barking. Mr.. Veteran was awakened by
was no prospect OF his quieung down put on his
clothes and went out to the building where the ami
NAL was. He then cav the cause OF the alarm.
house near by stood leaning forward, and BY the pn
certain hight 1t seemed to be railing. LOUD crash.
Ing was heard and the earth beneath o,I HIM
the moon sunk behind the opposite hll
and the scene was shrouded In impenera-
Die gloom. veteran instantly compreheuded
the situation and rushed to MS house. He was
nearly too late. Ills daughter, young girl OF seven
teen years OF age being also aroused by the creakng
Of the timbers OF the frame building and the per-
sistent bowling OF the faithful dog rushed out IN
ALARM clad only in her night clothes and she did
the earth opened before her and she precipl-
tated into the abyss. Happily, however, at this
moment the inhabitants oil several other houses
we're aroused by the shaking or the earth
In frOO ma
earth and were rushing about in terror. One,
more cool than the others, John Hoskings, saw her
fall and desperately attempted rescue at the peril
Of his own life. others speedily joined, and the
unconscious girl was fnaliy dragged out from the
jaws Of death by the stalwart arms OF the assembled
miners almost dead with cold and crushed by the
falling tmbers In the meantime the houses inne-