The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-09-11

fos escaping terrible fate. Truly may IL be said
Half dozen Irishmen were among the victims; all
the rest about one hundred. were Welsh ana of the
| Same nationality were most Of those who perlled
their lives In the rescue Of the dead bodies. Only
| two native Americans were found.
Tuesday morning rumor prevailed that two gen.
tlemen from Philadelphia, visitors to the mining dis
tricts, went down the shaft and were never after
wards seen. This, Of course, could receive neither
confirmation nor denial until the pit was cleared,
and that 1t Is the report is found to have had
| no foundation. 1t was q sad commentary on the
| preJudlces that warp the miners minds against
those who placed In any position over them that
the body Of Evan Hughes, 'the inside boss" though
found frs was compelled in difference to these I'M
holy preudices to be left IN the pit until twenty
other bodies were removed, though at each removal
II was necessary to brush against dead body Of
Hughes who was found sitting on pile Of coal in
one Of the nam passages. Had Hughes been brought
mp first. dead, dsdgured and blackened he was,
the miners would nave murmured against this grim
partality so there he had to stay actual impedi
ment to the progress Of the exploring gGngs until
twenty others were removed.
HOW LONG THE IMPRISONED MINERS LIVED.
A great many opinions have been given on the
probable length Of time which the imprisoned men
lived after the fire In the shaft broke out ct nine
O'Clock Monday morning. Yesterday some people
believed the question was entirely set at rest by the
finding OF several dinner and water cans full from
which fact 1t was inferred death resulted before
twelve O'Clock, noon, the time when the men are
accustomed to take their dinner This theory is
plausible enough; but then it Is by no means hard
to believe that when the miners discovered the
dreadful nature Of their situation all thou gh Of din
ner and dinner caas fed from their minds; and had
hov 1--we for fv four borro 10
able to think the same indifference to food would
have continued. Anybody who has been amid the
dangers OF battle field will readily recognize this
feeling.
TIE WORK DONE IN THE RESCUE.
To stranger looking at the vast amount OF debris
srewe1 around the and aware Of the fact that
another vast amount fell down the shaft depth
greater than from the top Of the tracered pinnacle OF
Trinity church to the sidewalk beneath and choked
up the only means Of ingress and egress to height
Of forty feet from the bottom, it seems marvellous
how the rescuing party ever got to work in so brief
a time. Then again the machinery was all destroyed
the flames burned with the dercest violence in the
shaft and below 1t, and for hundred yards outside
the mine on the slope descending to the railroad
track most intense slow ire made the atmosphere
intoerable iol vide circuit Of space There we're &c
fire engines On the ground, machinery to replace
what was destroyed and none Of the convenences
at hand to meet the eXiGencies OF the occasion
Almost everything had to be brought from Scran-
ton, distance Of tweEty-three miles, The fire IN
the Shaft was finally put out but the slow burning
anthracite that flowed down the hillside In o fiery
stream, like lava, still kept up Its white heat and
uniting with the blistering sunrays made the work
Of excavation ut only for gang OF salamanders.
beam Of timber was laid across the partly dIsman-
tied walls Of the engine house, couple
~ mob traoo vvopo Had no
mountain to support this beam, drum
was rugged up a rope put around 1t and run over
pulley attached to the beam just mentioned, horse
was procured to drive the drum, and bucket being
attached to the rope the shaft the next question
remained, who was the man to venture down that
black ana steamng mouth, with ali the anticipated
horrors to be met with belowa
THE HERoIsN OF THE RESCUE.
The crowd around the shaft was tremendously
excited at this time. The bravest fell back ap-
palled at the prospect Of venturing alone in bucket
down into the gloom Of that awful ruin, not unlike
living picture OF he'll ITSELF The beams Of timber
in the partition the centre OF the shaft still
smoked from the recent fire. Whoever should ven-
ture 10 90 down took his life in his hands; for all
the sulphurous gases had been let loose by the
Stunning fire, and one breath Of such was sure
ssphy xation. ssr -.,..+ fr q
Mr.. Charles vartne, of the Grand Tunnel coiery,
was the first man who ventured down the mine.
He stepped forth to the sacrifice looking the
beau ideal OF hero, with well cut. res0-
lutte face, athletic build, ana clear blue eye
OF unwaverng steadiness. II was here the her0ism
was shown to which no mere words Of praise and
admiration can do adequate justice. vartue was
the first to go down the shaft; but others heroic
followed and penetrated In darkness and amid rush.
ing clouds OF sulphur into gangways and chambers
where death In frghtful shapes had visited The
courage Of the battle field has nothing IN 1t nober or
self sacrificing than the conduct Of these brave
men, who conceivng that in some remote chamber
OF the mine their fellow men were waiting and pant
ing for deiverance struggled through the foul air,
the awful gloom and oppressive stiffness to rescue
them or perish In the attempt.
MIDNIGHT AT THE NINE.
Wednesday night, when the last body, the 1osth,
was tax en- from the pit and the work OF examination
was rapid and ceaseless, the from after dark
till dawn was terribly picturesque On the hill
where the mining shops stood Is an Immensely high
ana ponderols wall of mountain rock intended, no
doubt to support roadway to the mines and keep
the soil OF the mountain from giving way. Along
the parapet OF this wall row of human figures sat-
partly women, but mostly men. Another wall,
twenty feet lower than this and removed further out,
was occupied In the same way. Next TO this, still
coming down the hillside, interviewed the road to
the tunnel. thickly thronged with men waiting for
the appearance Of the bodies. Lower still came a
third WALL like the others level with the roadway 1t
supported and this also laid under contribution.
Looking up from the railroad track the spectators
above appeared like the audience in the galleries OF
a theatre rising in tiers above the other, while
the great central object Of attraction was the mouth
OF the tunnel IN the face OF the hill. When night
came the long ridge of burning eoal which showed
no flames by day, burst out In glorious brilliancy
and Illuminated with a strange purple light the
scenery of the plains beneath and of the mountain
top above. Every few minutes curling flames Of
bright purple blue assembled from the long steady
ridge of fire, and made o very beautiful sight,
Darkness most profound reigned over all the Wyo.