New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-07
TERRIBLE CALAMITY.
FIRE IN COAL MINE AT PLYMOUTH, Pa.
OVER TWO HUNDRED MINERS ENToMBED-THEiR
- sUFF0CATION PROBABLE.

oUfFOCATION PROBABLE.
PLYMOUTH, Pa, Sept. GA fire broke out
this morning in the fue the bottom OF the steuben
shaft owned by the Delaware Lackawanna and Western
Railroad Company In this place. and short time the
whole breaker and outbuhdngs were in flames and the
hosting apparatus the only avenue of escape for the
MINERS destroyed All efforts TO stay the flames
unsuccessful and the structure fell, partly filling
up the shaft. Over two hundred men in
the mine, with all enlaon shut Of as the only to
get the shaft was through the main opening and
that Is filed with burning timbers and other debris 1t
feared that tho whole number have been sufooated by
the smoke persisted for want Of air. The Fire Depart
ments Of seranton Wilkesbarre and Kingston are on
hand and playing streams down the shaft for the pr
pose Of quenchng the fire there the rubbish can BIO
cleared out and the condition Of the men ascertaned IL
will probably take till tomorrow morning before any
tidngs can be received from them The scene at the
shaft Is heartrending The families Of the miners are
congregated there In great numbers. Miners from all
parts Of the country there 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
100000 partly covered by insurance. ALI the physicians
ofthe vicinity have been summoned to attend when the
condition OF the ascertaned. The affair has cast
gloom upon the whole community, and business is
almost entirely suspended. The mines only resumed
work to-day after suspension Of about three months
Among the in the mines is Mr. Hughes the Super
ntendent
FURTHER PARTICULARS-THE SHAFT CLEARED,
But NO SIGNS OF LIFE DIsCOvERED-TwO
MEN sUFFOCATED WHILE ENDEAVORlNG TO
EXPLORE THE MINE.
SCRANTON, Pa, Sept. 8.-The fire began at 10
o'clock this morning. AL experts agree 1t must have
communicated from the venating furnace TO the wood
work the bottom of the shaft which is s27 feet below
the surface. The flames then rushed with great
violence up tho shaft, and broke out IN
the engneroom at the top The engineer barely
capped with his life The buildings covering the mouth
OF the shaft wire 100 feet high and 400 feet long, ell Of
wood and dry as Under They almost instantly
veoped In flames and 1t was impossible TO reach the
mouth Of the shaft TO help the men below. AHA In the
morning relief train started from this city for the
scene with superintendent sors in charge and steam
fire engine on board When the train arrived
the buildings burned TO the ground, and
the mouth shaft choked 40 feet deep with burning
tmbers coal fallen from the pockets &c. fire engine
from Kingston and from Wilkesbarre were on the
ground, but water and the location difficult.
being high up on very steep hillside. The work OF
Quencng the fire and cleaning the shaft consumed some
hours. and in the meanwhile thousands Of people
gathered from the surrounding country The families OF
the men in the pit present, and their
cries heartrendng in the extreme. At $50 o'clock
dog and lamp sent down In basket, TO test the
air. and brought back-he dog alive and the lamp
burning. In five minutes immediate preparations were
made descend the shaft, and at 6s. O'Clock
down in bucket and in seven minutes returned aud
reported difficulty in breathing but distractions half
way down that he could not pass At $50 O'Clock two
sent down with tools. They removed the OBJ
strucons and reached the bottom Of the shaft and
turned IT'S O'Clock They reported that they had pen
etrated gangway sixty seventy yards, finding three
mules aud Preaching cosed door, az which they
battered Justify that their blows were heard above
ground got response and discovered signs Of e
Clouds OF suphurous were pouring out through the
door, yet they could breathe without much difficulty.
The clouds Of suphurous gases mentioned as pouring
through the gangway door, TO which the first men down
had penetrated must have filed that part Of the mine
around the foot OF the shaft not all Of for dispatches
just received from Avondale say that Thomas W. Will
liams Of Plymouth. and David Jones OF Grand Tunnel
who went down to make further Investigations.
suffocated On q second attempt, WIllams's dead
body brought out by David II. DAVIS and Benjamin
Jones' Thomas Williams went down and dragged David
Jones distance to the foot or the shaft when he
was compelled to come up. John W. and Isaac Thomas
then went down and brought up the body. AL who
attempted to go down now out, alive except
Williams and Jones. No further attempt VIII
be made to 20 down until small engine is rugged
TO drive the mouth Of the shaft and force air
in through a hose. This will take until o'clock
a. H. All who have been down say 1t is very hot and
loud calls have failed 70 elicit IN answer The onlp hope
for the In the mine that they may have shut
themselves In . remote part OF the workings entirely
away from the draft Several hundred with tools
were token from this evening with tho idea OF driving
o gangway from O neighboring mine into the Ayondae
workings but 10 must be solid rock cutting, this
means would probably not relieve the imprisoned men
In time The distance to be cut varously estimated at
from 20 to 90 feet and the time required two or three
days
II has been feared that the ventatng ct Avon
dale would some day fire the shaft, very dry
mine The danger life is very great in mine which
has but one means OF entrance and exit 1t thought
that Ayondale is but OF many mines In the same
condition.
The loss by the burning Of the Ayondale Mine Works
today Is from $4,000 to 100000 not counting tho loss by
the soppage Of mining This mine had been involved in
strike for three months, but resumed work last
Thursday and producing t6o tuns OF coal per day
The works were built 1851 and 1t will take four to six
months to rebuild them.
Plymouth the scene OF the catastrophe
is situated the right bank OF the Susquehsnna Lu
rerne County three or four miles below wikesbarre
DEATH OF A RELATIVE OF WASHINGTON.
CINCINNATI, Sept. 6.-Mrs. Catherine Wash |
ngton died Delhi township Saturday morning. aged
years II 10 claimed that she relative OF President
washington She born and married on the Washing
ton estate, In Culpepper County, Va.