The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-12-25
Another Mining Horror.

A terrible mining accident occurred, on
Saturday morning last, at 5 o'clock, at the
village of Stockton, Pa. AT the hour nam
ed, the community was startled from SUM
Der by loud noise, caused by the cavIng
in of slope No. I of Linderman & Skeer's
coal mine. Upon parties hurrying to the
scene, it was discovered that two double
dwelling houses, Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6 had been
carried down with the enormous masses of
earth that filled the shaft and tunnel.
Stockton is small village, situated on
the Hazleton branch of the Lehigh Valley
Railroad, two miles distant from Hazleton.
1t contains many neatly-built houses and
other buildings, the Company's stores and
the hotel being the principal structures
The company employs about twelve hun
bred miners, who make this their hsme.-
The mine runs parallel with the railroad
track through the middle of the village
About fifty feet above the place of this
mornings accident the mine caved in some
years ago; but no danger of its happening
again has since been apprehended. About
ten years ago small hole was made by the
falling of the earth directly in front of the
two Inflated houses.
Tho residents of houses Nos. 3 and 4,
Mr.. Philip Wethsran, his family and board
ers, and the family of Mr.. Wm. Morrist
and boarde"s, were saved from terrible
death by singular circumstance. A dog
belonging to Mr. Morrist awo1e the family
by its persistent bowling and barking
One Of the men rose for the purpose of as
certaining what allied tho animal, when he
discovered that the house was sinking. He
Immediately gave the alarm, and the two
families had barely time to escape. Miss
Mary Wetheran, running in the wrong di
rection, fell into the abyss, but was Subse-
quently rescued by some courageous young
men, She is somewhat bruised and pros
trated from excitement and fear, but will
recover.
All of the residents of houses Nos. and
6 lie hopelessly buried in the ruins. They
comprise Mr.. Schwenk, his wife, son of
years, son of eight years and an infant.
This comprised one family. The other
consisted of Mr.. Isaac Ranch, his mother.
wife and infant. This makes a total of ten
persons. 1t is reported that some men
were in the mine at the time of the acct
dent. and if all are undoubtedly dead
But the report is very doubtful, and cannot
be traced to any reliable authority. So far
it has been found impossible to reach the
dead bodies of the victims. The cave is
seventy-fve feet wide and sixty feet deep,
and as the stoves in the houses set fire to
the wood work the entire cavity is now a
burning and smoking mass. The Pioneer,
No. fire engine of Hazleton was soon on
the ground, and made every exerton to
extinguish the fire, in the hope that some
Of the persons in the cave might be saved.
There was not. however, the faintest prob
ability of any being alive one hour after
the accident took place, as all were buried
by the fallen earth with frightful effective
ness.
Families in the vicinity moved out of
their houses, fearing that theirs would fall
in next. 1t was the general opinion other
houses would fall in. There was also dan
ger of the mines taking fire.
Several of the bodies have been recov-
cred, but they were so badly burned that
they were not recognizable.