Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-09-15
TERRIBLE CATASTROPHF,
Fire I'm a Coal Shaft One Hundred and
Fifty Miners Suffocated-Hesrt Reu
ding SceneS-Great Loss of Prouerfy
and hmm ense Excifemenf

ding Scenes-Great Loss of prof1erfv
and Immense Excitement.
SCRANTON, Pa, Sept. 6-There is great
| excitement here IN consequence of the
Burning of a coal-breaker at AYOndale NINE.
Plymouth, about 20 miles south Of this
city. There are POI men and bows in the
mine, and the shaft, which is the only
means of escape, is chol1ed by forty feet Of
burning coal and rubbish Ventilation is
| totally stopped, and there are great fears
that some if not all, will be suf0cated
SCRANTON, Pa, Sept. 6-61O D. m.-Tbe
latest information from the AvondaIe mine
states that the shaft was cleared and two
men went down and penetrated sixtv or
seventy yards to closed gang-way door
which they could not force open. They
found three dead mules outside the door.
and sulphurous fumes were pouring ont
through the door. No signs of life were
discovered, and it IS feared that all are dead.
SCRANTON, Sept 6.-The fire began at ten
o'clock this forenoon. All experts. agree
that it must have communicated from the
ventilating furnace to the woodwork at the
bottom of the shaft, which is 327 feet be-
low the surface. The flames then rusl sss=
with great violence up the shaft, and brr Ee
out in the engine-room at the top. The
engineer barely escaped with his life. The
buildings covering the mouth Of the shaft
were 100 feet high and 200 feet long, all of
wood and dry as tinder. They were almost
instantly enveloped III flames, and it was
impossible to reach the mouth Of the shaft
to help the men below
Dispatches just received from Avondale
say that Thomas w. Williams, ofPlymouth,
and David Jones, of Grand Tunnen, who
went down to make further investigations
were sufocated to death. On a second at
tempt Williams dead body was brought out
by David IL. Davis and Benjamin Jones
Thomas Williams went down and dragged
David Jones some distance to the foot of
the 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 Gown are now out alive,
except Williams and Jones. Nc further at
tempt will be made togo down until small
engine is rugged.
The loss by the burning of the AvondaIe
mine works is from eighty thousand to one
hundred thousand dollars, not counting
the loss by the stoppage of mining opera
tions.
SCRANTON, Pa, Sept. 8-Four men who
Went down the shaft yesterday afternoon
and explored gange-way, opened door
leading to the furnace, and found 1t full of
DuIulu9 COtl, allCa q neap OF coal near by
blazing. One became overpowered and
they returned to the mouth the shaft, where
they were with difficulty restored from the
effects Of the gas and blue damp which was
following them.
1t had been determined to pour water in
to the mine to eXtinguish the fire, and after
some four hours another party went down
and carried hose to the furnace They re-
ported the fire dying out in the furnace.
Other parties went down and placed the
hose in position to throw water on the fur
mace. After the water had been turned on
two hours, two parties went down, the last
Cne returning in bad condition from the
effects of the blue-damp, which arose very
freely.
About 2 o'clock this a. NJ, another gang
went down and brought up the bodies of
two miners which were in q bad and I'M
recognizable condition, being badly bloat-
ed about their mouths. One is young
man, the other middle aged The excite
ment was intense. The air in the mine is
PHILADELPHIA, Sept 8-5 .. ma spe-
cial dispatch from Scranton dated 4 o'clock
to-day, report the finding Of nearly 200
dead bodies of miners piled up together in
Avondale Mine.
LATER-A private dispatch says that one
hundred and three dead bodies have been
brought up from the NINE