Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-09-17
The Ayondale Disaster.

HOW THE MEN MET THEIR pEahh
1t should br explained that the CALLER
les which penetrate this mine are irregu-
lar in line, running east and west under
the hin to considerable distance, with
Intervals and doors at varying dis
tances b keep out currents OF foul ar
There il no doubt but that the miners
at once OWNED the accident that had
occurred, and took prompt measures to
save themselves, In the long galleries
running OBVIOUSLY east and west, the
miners were scattered at work. Labor
ers were filling the cars from the broken
coal brought down by the miners pick
boys were driving forward the mules to
the mouth of the shaft with carloads OF
coal to be hosted to the world above
all was proceeding in the customary way,
when the rush back of the sulphurous
gas from the furnace told the miners too
well the nature of the accident that had
occurred.
All those in the vicinity of the furnace
retreated by winding ways so as to avoid
all contact with the poisonous gases, to
the utmost limits of the mine, to gang
way 1900 feet from the bottom of the
shaft No doubt there was fearful hur-
rying backwards for the fatal carbon
rushed with hot and rustling breath along
the galleries, and overlook many poor
fellow who vainly stroye to reach some
place of safety.
At the last entrance of the last gallery
of the mine, sixty-seven appalled, but yet
collected miners met, and, with the true
instinct of selfpreservation, proceeded at
once to barricade themselves in between
a space extending in a semi-circular
sweep some two hundred feet. At either
end of this limit were two doors, which
were instantly closed. and on some crew
ices being discovered the men pulled
their shirts off and stopped the interstic-
es but not before the fatal demon in the
air had penetrated their last recesses in
sufficient strength to do the work Of
DEATH In this terrible chamber, their
lamps extinguished, and the blackness Of
eternal night closed around them. It is
carefully estimated that the strongest Of
the men succumbed in eight hours after
their self-immurement. The supply Of
fresh air which they locked in was quick.
ly exhausted by the breathing Of sixty
seven pair of powerful lungs while all
the time the coal above, below, and ar
ound them was emitting deadly carbon
Mr.. Thomas, one of the first of the hero
ic fellows who penetrated to this point in
search of the missing men, reports that
after breaking in the barrier and gaining
entrance to the gangway whore all thosS
lives surrendered to the King Of Terrors
| the sight that met his gaze completely
unnamed him, and he wept like child
Men were found locked in each Others
embraces; others, with hands clasped
laid themselves down to die; one was
discovered calmly sitting by PROSTATE
companion, as though listening to hi;
dying request. A father fell into hi:
eternal sleep holding his son to his DO
som. Nothing harsh or angry was OBJ
served in the features of the poor fel
lows. Within space of forty feet, they
had all yielded up their lives, evidently
with heroic resignation and calm res
olive to die like men.
Outside the entrance to this gangway
two men were found lying PROSTATE, as
though in desperation they had burst out
of the enclosure where the others lay, re
solved on one final effort to get free, but
meeting full in the teeth the fatal cur.
rent that now coursed through all the
galleries they fell suddenly forward and
expired.
Mr.. Hughes, boss" of the inside
mining operations was found sitting on q
heap Of coal, his face resting on bis
hands, as though meditating his awful
situation, and while thus occupied was
silently released from existence. A great
many were caught in the rear of the
cave, and were found in all kinds of at
titudes through the galleries and cham.
bers.
THE GRIEF OF THE WOMEN.
Not all the women who came to see
the dead bodies taken out had relatives
in the pitt The bereaved and sorrowine
widows were easy to tell. None of that
wild, dempnstrative grief that many Of
the reports speak of could be seen on any
day since the catastrophe happened
There was no loud, long wall, and all the
sorrow that gave itself vocal utterance
was confined to "a few. Wet eyes and
looks of intense desolation, too deep for
expression might be seen on every side
There was one beautiful young Welsh
girl who excited a great deal of sympa.
thy. She had only been in this country
three weeks knew not a word of Emo.