The New York herald., 1869-09-07


Company In this place. and In Q short
tme the whole breaker and outbuildings
were In names. and the hoistng ap-
miners destroyed. All efforts to stay the names
were In vain and the whole structure fell. partly
filling up tho shaft.
Over two hundred men ore In the shaft and have
no communication out. with no chance for air, a.
the only way for getting cir into tho shaft was
through the main opening and that was nlled with
the burning tmbers and deorts. It u feared that
the whole number have been sufocsted by the smoke
or perished for want of air.
Tho nrc departments OF Scranton wilkesbarre
and Kingston are on hand, and are playing streams
down the SHAFT for tho purpose Of Quenching the re
there the rubbish oan be cleared out and the con-
dition Of the men ascertained. 1t will probably
take tll tomorrow morning before any tidings can
be received from them.
The scene ct the shaft is heart rendlng. The
families Of the miners are congregated there In
great numbers. Miners from oil parts Of the ooun-
try are there at work. and merchants, and In Iact
the whole population or the town have tvrned out
to assist.
The loss BY fire will amount to about $loo, 200,
partly covered by insurance.
AL the physicians Of the vicinity have been sum-
moned to attend when the condition Of the men is
ascertained.
The affair has cast gloom upon the whole com.
munity and business Is almost entirely suspended.
The mines only resumed work to-day after Q sus.
pension of about three months.
Among the men In the mines is Mr. Hughes, the
superintendent
Particulars Of tho DIsastor-How tho Fire
Originated-The Shaft Cleared-Death of
Two Men Who Descended Into tho Mine
No Hopes Entertained for Those In tho
Mine.
SCRANTON, Sept. O. 1850.
The nro began at ten O'Clock this morning. All
reports agree it must have communicated
from the venhlating furnace to the wood.
work at tho bottom Of the shaf, which
is sat feet below the surface The danes then
rushed with great violence up the shaft and broke
out In the engine room at the top The engineer
barely ESCAPED with hts 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 In names, and It was i'm.
possible to reach the mouth OF the shaft to help the
men below.
At half-past eleven In the morning relief train
started from this city for the scene with Superinten-
dent Storrs In charge ana steam fire engine on
board When the train arrived the buildings were
burned to the ground and the mouth Of the shaft
ohoked forty feet deep with burning timbers, coal
fallen from the pockets, &c. An engine from Kingston
and one from wilkesbarre were on the ground, but
high up on very steep hill side. The work Of
quenching the fire and clearing the shaft consumed
some hours and In the meanwhile thousands of
people gathered from the surrounding country
The families Of the men In the pit were soon
present, and their cries were heartrendIng in the
extreme.
At nfty inmates past five O'Clock dog and lamp
were sent down In basket to test ths ar, and were
brought back the dog alive and lamp burning. In
five minutes immediate preparations were made to
O'Clock q man went down iu bucket and in seven
minutes returded and reported no difficulty in
breathing, but Instructions halfway down that he
could not pass.
At ten minutes to seven O'Clock two men were
sent down In bucket with tools. They removed the
distractions and reached the bottom OF the shaft at
Quarter-past seven O'Clock. They reported that
they had penetrated gangway sixty or seventy
yards finding three dead mules and reach
ing closed door, ct which they bat
tered 30 Justify that their blows wore
heard above ground, but got no response
and discovered no signs Of life. Clouds Of sui.
phurous gases were pouring out through the
door. yet they could breathe without very much
difficulty.
The clouds OF sulpnurous gases mentioned as pouf.
ing through the gangway door to which the first
men down had penetrated, must have filed that part
Of the mine around the foot Of the shaft If not
all OF 1t.
Dispatches Just received from Avondale say that
Thomas W. Williams, OF Plymouth, and David Jones,
of Grand Tunnel, who went down to make further
investigations were sunocated TO death. On
second attempt Williams dead body was brought
out by David Fl. 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 10 go down are now out alive except
Williams and Jones.
No further attempt will be made to 20 down until
small engine is rugged to drive fan at the mouth
Of the shaft and force air in through canvass hose
This will take until i've O'Clock A. M. AL who have
been down say 1t is very hot and loud calls have
failed to elicit an anaMer