Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-14

4
the place, or as near to it as they coul
Z conveniently get, or would be permitte
to come, while thousands of mournfl
hearts made sorrowful pilgrimage
the mouth of the pit of death. and pain
n fully gazed down into the darkness be
low, where the black or choke damp ha
done its merciless work.
HORRIBLE SCENES.
II Another account gives the following
description of the finding of the bodies
After exploring along the vault snC
chambers nearly l,500 feet, sickening
sight was revealed. At this point about
seventy-five dead bodies were found
and these were lying literally in heap
Fathers were found locked in the dying
embraces Of their sons strong-limbed
and strong-hearted men were discovered
with their limbs entwined about each
other. 1t was CHASTITY spectacle, and
when the men returned to the pure air
above, and stood face to face with the
thousands of anxious souls that were
impstiently waiting to hear the result,
and announced the hideous discovery
that had been made in the regions of
death, shudder vibrated through the
multitude, and a wall went through
Wyoming Valley such as has not been
heard there since the historic massacre
which Campbell has immortalized in
verse.
At hslf>past seven O'Clock one of the
gangs, which had just returned, said
that they went up the plane, just
beyond which barrier was met, consist
ing of car packed around with coal,
culm and clothing. This was cleared
away, and after proceeding little fur
ther another barrier was meet, nearly
completed, constructed as the first. One
man was found on the outside, where he
was at work laying up the wall. All was
completed, save small aperture Just
sufficient to admit the passage of a
human body, and it is to be inferred that
he had just finished his task and was
preparing to join his fellow sufferers on
the opposite side Of the barricade by
crawling back. The faces of the dead
looked wonderfully natural, there being
but few bruises and few decorations Of |
the flesh to be seen upon them.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
SCRANTON, Sept. 9.-The assertion
that POP men were entombed in the
mine was quickly demonstrated to be an
exaggeration, but no one was prepared |
for the elimination of the great tragedy |
to~day, when it was finally discovered |
that no more than los lives had been lost
by the disaster. The working compli-
ment of men was 156, and it was known
that eighteen men were out at the time
of the fire attending the funeral of
comrade, which should have left 13S in
the mine, nor can any one explain why |
so many bodies were not found. Despite |
the thorough explorations which have
been made, soma believe that more dead
will be found, and the general disbelief
engenders many rumors that new heaps |
OF bodies have been discovered. There
is no reason, however, to suppose that
now known, and that los was the
exact number Of lives lost by want of
an air hole in Avondale mine.
The fever of excitement through all
the mining region has not diminished.
This having been funeral day, the sus,
pension of business was general, and
trains toand from the scene Of the calams
ity have been densely crowded, especi-
ally in the latter part of the day, one of
thirty seven platform cars carrying over
1900 people. The attendance at the
mine has been greater than on any day
since Monday, and at one time not less
than 10000 were gathered about the
fatal shaft. They came only to have q
glimpse Ofthe ruins, and curiosity gratis
fed, were in as great hurry to leave as
to come. Hence the crowd was con.
stantly changing and departing. Trains
were so hastily loaded that hundreds of /
people barely escaped being crushed
under the wheels, but miraculously only /
one was killed during the day. The
scenes at the various funerals were heart
rending to the extreme. When thirty
seven men were borne in one cortege,
by ten hearses, and many wagons early
in the afternoon to the WEIGH cemetery
at Scranton, 1900 people comprised the
escort, and bells Of all the churches were
tolled. One woman, on the arrival at
the grave, with shrieks of lamentation
threw herself on her husbands coffin,
breaking the lid, and could scarcely be
removed, while others with difficulty
were prevented from throwing themselves
into the grave. A father was buried
with son on either side and stricken
wife and mother stood dumb and fearless
by her lost. At 7 p. NJ, the scenes were
repeated on lesser scale, when second
funeral of eleven bodies and afterwaId
five took place, the interment being |
made in the same cemetery; other burials
also took place at Pittston and Wyoming.
FiftyaseVen have been inferred to-day,
leaving fiftyOne for sepulture to'mor-
row.
The mining village Of Avondale hiss
been nearly depOpulated, the head of
nearly every family has been taken to the
tomb, and in some cases two or more
members had been taken away. Monday |
last it was fourishing, happy village
tonight there are only five men left in
the hamlet. With rare exceptions, the
victims were Welsh, and married men,
and were the most excellent and expert,
enced miners in the valley. The bitter |
feeling in reference to the disaster has |
not diminished to any extent, and the |
affair is eagerly discussed in hotels, trains |
and wherever persons congregate. There
is disposition to give the miners perN
fectly fair showing, but also q determine
alton to sift the entire matter thoroughly.
New theories as to the origin of the |
fire have been advanced, and tits claimed
that the furnace was SO far removed from
the bottom of the shaft that it could not
have communicated fire to the wood of
the shaft, and that it must have been
caused by csrelessness in the use Of or
swinging the gratesbottom Of the shaft
to expedite ventilation. This is, how>
ever, mere theorizing, nor can it positive
" be ascertained The utmost now
possible is to establish possibilities by
the testimony of experts, whom it is in1
tended to have examined at the inquest.
The question, however, Of the necessity
of separate air cells is not considered de-
batable, but is universally admitted.
Tonight the fatal shaft is almost DESERT
ed. A few watchers only remain where,
for the past four days, have been scores
Of noble toilers and thousands of stricken
gazers. The exhibition of sublime
courage and devotion is over, and the
glare of horror is only memory now.
Observers posted beside the mouth of
the blackened crater, looking over the
lovely Wyoming Valley, stretched out
below, can almost see in the dim distance
to the left the monument marking the
place of the olden Wyoming massacre.
That butchery of barbarous and this OF
civilized times seem to join hands to 20
down in history together. s.