The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-09-08

making such observations a. were pos
slble, they returned; and the miners
who formed committee to 60 down
are now preparing to descend to remove
distractions and explore In search Of
their brethren. Thousands Of miners,
women and children cover the hills
and the grounds In the vicinity. Com
mlttees are circulating among tho i'm.
mense thronE for subscriptions for the
widows and orphans, who number six
hundred.
Tho Excitement and Horror over
the Great Calamity ...CrOWdH
ThrOnging 10 the scene OF
Disaster.
SCRANTON, Pa, Sept. Z.
Special trains ran from here to Avon.
dale this morning, every hour. free,
until IL o'clock, when the crowd be.
came 30 dense that they oOstruoted the
relief parties, and they we're suspended.
The whole community Is thrilled with
horror here at the great calamity
All work Is suspended in the mines In
this vicinity, and nearly the whole force
OF miners In their mining suits here
have gone to Avondale to remain until
their brethren are brought out, dead or
alive. Thousands have gone from this
alone, and the whole country
Is aroused, and are tlocklng 10 the
scene Of the disaster. In the Fourth,
Fifth and Sixth, or Hyde Park
Ward sof this city, the streets are
thronged with women. The rela-
tlVes and friends OF the men In the
Avondale Pit are eagerly beseechlng
every person arriving from below for
and their weeping fills
the air. Mining cannot be resumed at
any Of the works OF the Delaware,
& Western Railroad Com
pany mines within a week. or at
least until all the funerals OF the
Avondale dead are over. The fact Of
the long and severe strike just ended
adds greatly 10 the destitution which
will follow the calamity. The widows
and orphans will number noLless than
six hundred.
At eight o'clock the crowd was cleared
and q rope enclosure made around the
mouth OF tbe shaft by the police. The
engine and fan were got 10 work at $40,
and shortly after It was connected with
the canvas conductor that reaches TO
the bottom OF the shaft, two hundred
and thirty.seven feet. ..r
Vain Attempts to Penetrate the Mine.
No Rescue Het-AII Hope Abandoned.
AT 1920 Superintendent Corning, Of
the Hampton mine. and J. P. Davis,
carpenter Of Avondale, descended one
hundred feet and lowered three lamps
to within fifteen feet OF the bottom Of
the shaft, the lamps burning freely.
After remaining in the shaft forty
minutes they returned from recon.
noitering. At 1l:l5 George Morgan,
John Howells, Thomas Davis and
T. E. Davis, committee Of miners, de-
sceuded the shaft slowly and with care
At 1l:S5 they ascended 10 the mouth OF
the shaft, reporting that after leaving
the platform.on which they went down
they proceeded about thirty feet into
the gangway and finding a great deal
OF oarbonlc aoId gas and black damp,
retreated. After convsrglng as far into
the mine as they went, the damp was
two and three feet deep on the bottom
OF the mine. 81 @"t 0.'H'"..
At 1855 Rees Crane, Thomas Cergan,
Charles Jones and Isaac Thomas, an
other miners committee, began the de.
scent into the shaft. The fan was kept
constantly In motion during these pro
ceedings. AT the shaft a committee OF
6fty volunteers was formed and reguy
larly cfRcered by the miners 10 descend
and recover the bodies OF their com.
panlons. no. s
Rev. Mr.. Hunt, headed 4 committee
OF twenty citizens, who canvassed the
Immense throng with subscription
books for the orphans and widows OF
the unfortunate Victims. The most ex-
perienced minera glve up all hope OF
finding any one alive 10 the mine.
For,y.slx mIners were enrolled under
the superlntendency OF James George,
OF Plymouth, and Henry W. Evans, OF
PlttStony George Morgan, Of the Nam
tlcook mines, was appointed foreman
ON the.p part Of the miners, and Thos. 3.
Davis. OF NantIcook, and John d.
Powell, OF Tayloryille, as advisers.
They have. the direction OF operations.
Alter the descent was made, three
hundred miners from Coalyllie ar.
rived, and there are thousands upon
the grounds In the immediate vicinity,
and nearly one half are women and
children. '4 .'sn '''-.''-.'' a
ONE P. M;-The second party OF men
returned safely, a. had the FIRST. They
penetrated the Eaugway to a distance
Of 70 feet and found the large door wide
open. They then went Q hundred feet
further In one Of the passages and
found D small door closed. After
opeplng this door, to give free clrculA-
tion Of air around to the entrance, they
returned. Had this small door been
open there might have been q shadow
Of hope, as the gas, smoke and Gre
would have had free passage around
the circuit and out again. As II Ia, the
fears are that th Q smoke has penetrated
into the mine and autiocated all the
men, EEhE gEuAT0 rEe
The main door leading 10 the mine
has not yet been reached. The third
set OF men, four In number, went down
and came back In fifteen minutes, two
OF them so overcome with The effect OF
gas that they are being restored With
difficulty, The Raa 10 coming ont OF