Evening star., 1869-09-09
THE TERRIBLE MINING CALAMITY.
The Scene of the Great DfsasteP.


At o'clock last night the work of bringing
tne bodies OF dead 10 the surface at the Avon
dale mine was succeeding steadily. Sixty
bodies had then been raised. The funerals will
occur to-day. All the stores are closed, and the
trains bringing passen gers tree 70 the funeral.
meetings are beiug held in the adjacent towns
snSs snS villages to relieyeeuaerers: The following
new York Board of Brokers, S5.00; Asa Packer,
<2,SOO; Governor 9eary, $500.
The Avondale mine has been worked for two
years. Three months ago the mIners struck
Tney resumed work on Thursday last. The
mine Is entered by q shaft on the hillside. This
Is the only entrance. Wooden buildings, lOp
leet high and goo feet long, covered the mouth
OF the shaft The mine was filled with narrow
passages, from four to ten feet high, which
occasionally opened into immense pockets or
caves. A railroad track was laid on the bot.
TOM OF each OF these passages. The cars were
nlled with coal three. quarters Of a mile from
the shaft by the miners at work. The coal cars
Were then run through the various wooden.
then run upon a platform. which was raised
70 the top OF the shaft, the same as common
eIevator or a vertical railway. When the cars
reached the earth's surface they were run out
oalldings and dumped.
As there was but one main shaft to the Avon.
dale mine, its ventilation was difficult. 1t had
not been worked for some time. and mu ch fonI
air had collected in the damp places Besides
the bad air generated by the men and horses.
am by the burning of lamps and gun powder
I'D oni lnnammable gases issue from creviees in the
coal. These gases mIngle with the foul air of
tne mine, and will explode on the approach of
lighted candle This gas is the fire-damp SO
much dreaded by the miners. To breathe il
tnirty second is sure death. The fire.damp is
composed of carburetted hydrogen, and the
choke damp Of carbonic. When blasting for
coal 1t will frequently issue in Jets called
blowers. At times, when the cavicies are
broken in the coal by picks or crowbars, these
blowers will burst out, creating a singing noise
by the force OF the current. The great danger
Is from opening pent-up reservoirs holding
under great pressure immense bodies Of gas
disseminated through large area Of coal.
or collected in abandoned workings When
sucn bodies are infiamed, the whole at.
mosphere of that portion OF mine explodes,
and the coal dust floating through the passa,
ges is ignited. The flames rush through the
long corridors, causing repeated explosions
In some cases they spring up the shafts as if
subteranean walls are frequently shaken as il
by an earthquake. The miners in the work
ings, their lights blown out by the force Of the
eaplosion, hasten through the dark passages,
STUN oling over heaps Of rubbish
1t is possible that the accident at the Ayon
dale mine was caused by one of these expIo.
sions. Persons entering The mine complain of
tne sulphurous fumes choking up the corri-
the bottom Of the shaft BY this furnace the
AIR was made to circulate through the compli.
Gated passages of the mine. The AR for feed.
ing the furnace was Of course drawn from the
lower part of the mine.
The real cause Of the disaster will never be
known. At early morn q stream OF fire shot
up the shaft with frightful rapidity, and the
buildings above were wrapped in flames so
quickly that the engineers and others barely
had time to escape. The wood Of the shaft
either caught fire from the furnace or the rush.
ing blaze came from the lighting Of fire damp
within the mine, The dIyness of the mine ia.
vors the former snpposition, but the sulphur.
ous gases cbcking the explorers, and the ceet.
ness OF the fire. would indicate an ignition OF
fire damp.