Mower County transcript., 1869-09-16
TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE.

TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE.
Fire I'm a Coal shaft-Two Hundred
miners supposed to have been suno.
cated-Loss OF Property 100000
Groat Excitement.
PLYMOUTH, Pa, Sept CA fire broke
out this morning in tho fluo and bottom of
Steuben shaft owned by the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western Company in this
place, and in short time tho whole break
or and out-buildings were in flames and
the hofsting apparatus, the only avenue Of
escape forthe miners, destroyed. All efforts
to stay tho flames were unavailing, and the
whole structure fell, filling up the shaft
Over two hundred men are in the shaft,
and have no communication with the out
side. The only way of getting air into tho
shaft was through the main opening, and
that was filled with burning timbers and
debris Of tho flames. 1t is feared that the
whole number have been suffocated by
smoke or persisted for want Of air.
The fire departments of Scranton, Wilkes.
barre and Kingston are playing streams
down the shaft for tho purpose Of quenoh-
ing the fire there, so that tho rubbish can
wv
ascertained. 1t will probably take till to-
morrow morning before tidings can be re-
ceived from them. The scene is heartrcnd-
ing Families are congregatcd in great
numbers, Tho miners from all parts of the
country are there at work, and the mer-
chants, and in fact the whole population of
the town, have turned out to assist The
loss by the fire will amount TO about $780,
600, partly covered by insurance. All the
physicians of the city have been summoned
to attend when the condition of the men is
ascertaincd. The affair has cast gloom
upon the whole community, and business
is almost entirely suspended. The miners
only resumed work to-day, after suspen-
sion of about three months. Among the
men in the mines is MIR. Hughes, the su-
perintendent.
PLYMOUTH, Pa, Sept. G-G:1O r. M.-Af-
ter the rubbish from the bottom of the
shaft was cleared away, two miners de.
scended in bucket, and sent word up to
send down pick and shovel to clear the
doors with. The bucket was brought up
and two men started down with the TOOLS
As they started the men at the bottom re-
quested them to hurry. On their reaching
the bottom both men were found dead No
hopes are entertained for the men in the
shaft. All are supposed to have perished.
The black damp is very bad here.
SCRANTON, Pa, Sept. G.-There is great
excitement here in consequence of the
burning Of a coal-breaker at Avondale mine,
Plymouth, about 20 miles south of this
city. There are POI men and boys in the
mine, and the shaft, which is the only
means of escape, is choked by forty feet of
burning coal and rubbish. Ventilation is
totally stopped, and there are great fears
that some if not all, will be sufocated.
SCRANTON, Pa, Sept. 6-6:1O p. m.-The
latest information from the Avondale mine
states that the shaft was cleared and two
men went down and penetrated sixty or
seventy yards to q closed gang-way door,
which they could not force open. They
found three dead mules outside the door,
and sulphurous fumes were pouring out
through the door. No signs of life were
discovered, and it is feared that all are dead.
SCRANTON. Sept. G.-The fire began at ten
o'clock this forenoon. All experts agree
ventilating furnace to the woodwork at the
bottom Of the shaft, which is 327 feet be-
low the surface. The flames then rushed
with great violence up the shaft, and broke
out in the engine-room at the top.f Tbs
engineer barely escaped with his life. The
buildings covering the mouth of the shaft
were 100 feet high and 200 feet long, all oi
wood and dry as tinder. They were almost
instantly :enveloped in flames, and it was
! impossible to reach the mouth of the shat,
| to help the men below,
dispatches just received from Avondale
say that Thomas w. Williams, Of Plymouth
and David Jones, of Grand Tunnell, who
Went down to make further investigations
were spffocated to death. On a second at
tempt Williams dead body was brought on
by David II Davis and benjamin Jones
Thomas Williams went down and dragged
David Zones some distance to Tie foot O
the shaft, when he was Compelled to come
! up. John w and Isaac Thomas then wen
down and brought up the body; All who
attempted to &c. S9wn are now out alive
except Williams and Jones. No further at
tempt will be made togo down until sIiaf
Iengineis rugged. ',.'fs,..} '", '@tr:
The loss by, the burning: of the Avondale
mine works is from eighty thousand to one
hundred thousand dollars, not counting
the loss by 1.-The stoppage of mining opera
tpns. A, -a
THE mine lid been involved in strike
for over three months; but resumed work
last Thursday, and was producing four hun
lidred and fifty tons of coal per day. The
works were built in 1867, and it will take
four'to six months to rebuild them.
1t will take until five o'clock tomorrow
morning to get the small engine to work tc
| drive tho fan at the mouth Of tho shaft and
force tho mir through the. canvass hose: All
who have been down say it is very hot and
loud calls have failed to- elicit Mn answer
The only hope for 202 men in the mine il
| that the must have shut themselves in re-
mote part Of the workings and entirely away
from the draft. ''" '.'
Several hundred men with tools were
! taken from here this evening, with the idet
of driving gang-way from Q neighborine
mine into the .Ayondale. works, but as il
must be solid rock!!cutting, this means
would probably not relieve the imprisoned
men in time. The distance to be cut il
! variously estimated at from twenty to SIXTY
feet, and the time required two. Or three
days. It has: been proved that the ven
tilating. furnace at Avondale would some
! day fire the shaft, ,as it was very dry one
The danger to, life is very great in 6
/ mine which has but one means Of entrance
and it is thought that Avondale is but one
Of the many, mines in the same condition
It is to be Hoped that the next Legislature
will not, as so many, previous ones have
done, refuse to pass stringent law for the
protection of miners and the inspection o
mines. ,,.>...r 49,. +.
| LATER.
SCRANTON, Pa, Sept. 7-3 p. MP to
| this hour no bodies have been recovered
the foul air being so great as to prevent
any person remaining in the shaft for more
than 20minutes at a time. AL are without
| doubt lost.