Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-14
Particulars of the AVOndale
Disaster.
The Dead Miners Found In
Heaps.
Attempts Of the Doomed Men TO
Save their Lives.
The Scenes In the RecesSes or
the Mines.
The Funeral at ScrantOn-A Day
of Sorrow.

J, Correspondence of the New York Times
Q SCRANTON, Pa, Sept. 8-The terribI
s calamity at Avondale was proved to tn
, most doubling at the dawn Of mornine
, when the eastern gangway was pene
: trated ], 200 feet from the bottom Of III,
shaft, and the explorers came to BARR
cade that had been securely placed acros.
the gangway. Tearing this down, hor.
rible sight was encountered. NE lamt
shone on heap of dead. A pile of hu.
man beings choked the passage as though
they had fallen together in the last
agony. Even Hughes, the inside SUPER
intendent, lay but little apart from the
mass. He had been resting on his hands
and there was look of placid content
upon his rigid features. This was true.
too, of nearly all in the great heap.
Some few had abrasions of the skin, as
though they had been injured in falling
down, and some had an expression OF
Mortified supplication, as though their
last of earth had been an agonzed pros
test against their fate. These were ex-
ceptions. The vast majority looked like
men who were rather sleeping than
dead, or like men who accepted the in
evitable with dignifed resignation; but
none had died until they had exhausted
all means Of saving life.
WHAT PROBABLY OCCURRED IN THE NINE.
| As had been promised, it was found
that at the first alarm of danger these
brave men had not been appalled,, but
taught by instinct and experience, and
knowing the horrible fact that there was
no means of egress from the mine except
by the shaft, then choked with fire, they
fed to the farthest parts of the mine
They had not fled in panic, but had gone
back in order and with full knowledge
that their lives might depend upon their
actions, for they had but closed all the
alright doors behind them, and thus
kept the fresh air already in the mine
and the foul air out. When they had
retreated behind the last door, and found
poisonous vapors still following them,
they had then hastily thrown up the
barricade and filled the interstices with
clothing, which they had stripped from
their persons.
THE WORK OF REMOVAL.
When this mass ofSead had been
carefully examined it was Neadsfo con-
tain sixty-three persons, .and,without ex~
plOring the mine to discover the spots
where the others met their fate, the
work of removing them to the surface
was begun. The air in the mine was
still very bad, and the horrible heap was
necessarily very slowly diminished. The
raising apparatus had been DESTROYED by
fire, and an improyised platform and rope
| and tackle was a poor substitute The
actual raising Of each corpse from the
bottom of the shaft to the tunnel con-
sumed eight minutes, and the horse in
winding the rope upon the drum travelled
something over mile. Only one body
could be brought up at once, and with
the time occupied in getting it to the
bottom of the shaft and bringing it out
through the tunnel, it can be readily
understood that the work is not to be
completed in q day, or even two.
AT THE MOUTH OF THE MINE.
The scenes outside the shaft were
scarcely what were anticipated. The
crowd was as great as on the previous
days, and hardly more in keeping with
| the scene. As each corpse was brought
out upon a stretcher, and covered with
coarse canvas cloth, it was placed uns
der tree, and the cloth removed. Mr..
Phillips, the outside superintendent of
the mine, then stepped up to identify
the dead. The coroners jury viewed
the body, and it was carried to the temp
Orary dead house. The name and
residence Of the deceased was then an
nounced to the surrounding crowd by
Jas. George. Very rarely did violent
outbreak Of feeling follow. The friends
Of the dead came forward, claimed the
body. and it was removed. In some cases
a wall of woman's anguish was heard,
in others low cry Of woe rippled through
the crowd, but generally the dead were
received without audible sorrow and
hurried away with decent ceremony. In
every case a coffin was on hand, provided
by the Delaware, Lackawanna and
Western Company, and it was decent,
being of polished wood and mounted in
imitation silver.
| PREPARATIONS FOR INTERMENT.
In consequence of the slowness with
which the bodies are removed, the idea
of a great public funeral of all together
has been abandoned. The bodies are de
livered to friends for immediate inter-
ment; most Of these, however, will occur
on the 9th and 10th, and Mayor Hall, Of
Scranton, has requested general sus"
pension OF business On those days. Sam
uel Sloan, president Of the company own
ing the mine, has also telegraphed orders
for general suspension of work and free
trains on these days. The flags on all
depots and buildings generally are now
displayed at half-mast.
| THE CoRoNER's INQUEST
| Justice Wadhams, of Plymouth, acting
coroner, has issued notices to the Min
er's Union and the railroad company
owning the mines that testimony as to
the calamity will be taken on Saturday,
at ten O'Clock A. NJ, at Plymouth, and re.
questing both to be present with evidence
as to the cause of the disaster. 1t is in
tended to make the investigation thor
ough and searching. and to put the blanc
of the disaster where it belongs. The
inquest will occupy several days, and
the testimony will touch the whole ques-
ton of mining.
sADDDER PHASE.
Later explorations of the mine have
developed sadder phase OF the tragedy
Many Of the chambers have been en-
, tered and miners found in them dead,
the breast of the mine showing they
r had been stricken down by poisonous
gas in a moment, and without warning
while they were at work. Roadmen
: roofmen, doormen and others were found
{ dead in different gangways, showing
3 that the destruction had been swift and
t sudden.
BITTER FEELING OF THE MINERS.
The spirit eyinced by miners to-day
. has been bitter in the extreme, and no
assuaged by the offers Of assistance anC
sympathy flowing in from every side
:. Asa Packer has telegraphed that he Of
A fers 81 to the bereaved Gov. Gear,
-. $1,000. The railroad company make al
|. exe-tions possible, and the wishes of tn
d miners in every respect are consulted
n but thew remain obdurate. The NOR
l. reasonable are ready to listen to reason
le but they are in the minority. Many ar
Is refractory and vicious. Trouble is ar
re pretended, and has been avoided onl
re by consummate tact.
THE CROWDS OF VISITORS.
:" During the day, the crowds that vi