The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-09-09
FR1GHTFUL OCCURRENCE.

Ell al IlezAVOnCldleE ullne, IIyIHOulH,
about twenty miles south of this city.
There are two hundred men and boys
in the mine, and the shaft, which is
their only means of escape, is choked
by forty feet of burning coal and rub
bish. Ventilation is totally stopped,
and there are great fears that some II
not all, will be suffocated.
FURTHER PARTICULARS
A fire broke out this morning in
fiue and bottom and Steuben shaft,
owned by the Delaware, Lackawanna,
and Western Railroad Company, in
this place, and in a short time the
whole beaker and outbuildings were
in flames, and the hosting apparatus,
the only avenue of escape for the mi
ners, was destroyed. All efforts to
stav the flames were unavailable, and
the whole structure fell, filling up the
shaft Over two hundred men are in
the shaft, and have no communication
out, with no chance for air, as the on
ly way for getting air into the shaft
was through the main opening, and
that was filled with the burning tim
bers and debris of the flames. 1t is
feared that the whole number have
been suffocated by smoke, OF perlshed
for want of air. ad- Ia Asisa
The fire departments of Scranton,
Wilkesbarre and Kingston are playing
streams down the shaft, for the pur-
pose of quenching the fire there, so
that the rubbish can be cleared out
and the condition of the men ascer-
tanned. 1t will probably take till to-
morrow morning before tidings can
be received from them.
The scene is heart-rending. Fami-
lies are congregated in great numbers
miners from all parts of the country
are there at work, and merchants, and,
in fact, the whole population of the
town have turned out to assist.
The loss by fire will amount to
about $780, 1000, partly covered by in
surance. u.H Ill lTH5i- fif1ea-f.. 5.. u
All physicians of the vicinity have
been summoned to attend when the
condition of the men have been ascer-
tained.
The affair has cast a gloom upon the
whole community, and business is al
most entirely suspended. The miners
only resumed work to-day after a sus-
pension of about three months
Among the men in the mines is Mr..
Hughes, the Superintendent. H
vi SCRANTON, PENN, September 6-l0
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 aclosed gaDgway door, which
they could not force open. They found
three dead mules outside the door,
or n. mi, inC
out through the door. No signs of
life were discovered, and it is feared
all are dead,tG 1tlfi ~ ffr--fet .ir:.-t..f#
II The fire began at ten O'Clock this
morning. 4All reports agree that it
must have communicated from the
ventillating furnace to the woodwork
at the bottom of the shaft, which is
three hundred and twenty-seyen feet
below the surface. The flames then
rushed with great violence up the
shaft, and broke out in the engine
room at the top. The engineer barely
escaped with his life. The buildings
Towering the mantle of the shaft were
one hundred feet high and two hun
dred feet long, all of wood, and dry
as tinder. They were almost instant
ly enveloped in flames, and it was i'm
possible to- reach, the mantle of the
lfshaftf to help the men below i4Ht}--
Eily Dispatches justreceiTed from Avon
dale say that Thomas. w. Williams,
of Plymouth, and David Jones, of
Grand Tunnel, who went down to
make further investigations were suf-
foeated to death. zo0h a second at
tempt Williams dead rbody. was
brought out by David II. Davis and
Renjamin, Jones. .. Thomas Williams
went down and dragged David Jones
some distance to the foot ofithe shaft,
when he was compelled to come up,
John w. and Isaac Thomas then went
down and brought up the body. All
who attempted to go down are now
out alive, except Williams and Jones.
No further attempt will . be made to
go down until small engine is rugged.
~ It will take until, five A. M. to-mor-
row to gets small engine at work to
drive falfat the mouth Of the shaft,
and force air in through a canvas. hose.
Ii,n Alllwho have been down say it is
very hot. and loud calls have failed to
elicit an answer. ~ s4a4s: -sIa,t
% The, only hope for the POP. men in
the mine is that they have shut them
selves in remote part of the works
entirely away from the draft. Sever
al hundred men, with tools, were Ia
ken from here this evening with the
idea of driding gangWay.! from
neighboring mine into the Avondale
workings, but, asoitI must be a solid
rock cutting, this means would proba-
bly, not, relieve, the imprisoned men
in time. 3 The distance to be cut is va
| Tsinuc1x foA of mt To
sixty feet, and the time required two
or three days. slzils4jga1 ali .iij5
1t has been feared that the Yentila-
ting furnace at AHondale would some
day fire the shaft, as it was very dry
mine. The danger of life is very
great in a mine which has but one
means, of entranee.and exit. It is to
be, hoped the next Legislature willnot
as SO many previous ones have done,
refuse to,make a stringent law for the
protection ofminers, and the inspec-
ton of mines. -ig8otua 4bj9iis 8eo-
PLYMoTTH, September 6-1O p. M.
After the rubbish FROM the bottom of
the shaft was cleared away, two men
descended in a bucket, and sent word
up to. send dewnfa pick and shovel to
clear the doors within The bucket was
brought up, and two men started down
with the TOOLS AS! they started the
men at the bottom requested them to
hurry, and on their reaching the bot
tom both were found dead. No hopes
are entertained for the men in the
shaft, and all are. supposed to have
perished. The black damp is very
bad here. 55lid I'HH g'f'ia,i7H
| 5<iL! EI.E iII.E77 IT n q 2tt'' 2
b The Republican National Conven-
ton that nominated, Grant for Presi-
dent emphatically declared that the
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