The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-09-08

The Plymouth, Pa, Coal Mime on
Ffrc--over Two Hundred Persons
Shut uP--.Probable Loss OF Life by
Susiocatton--.Great Excitement, etc,

great excitement here in consequence of
the burning of the coal-brcakcr at Avon
dale. The mine is in Plymouth, about
twenty miles south of this city. There are
20l men and boys in the mine, and the
shaft, which is the only means of cscape,
is chokcd by forty feet of burning coal and
rubbish. Ventilation is totally STONED
and there are great fears that some, if not
AL, Will be suffocatcd.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
Plymouth, September GA fire broke
ont this morning in fuc in the bottom of
the Stcuben shaft, owned by the Delaware,
Lackawana and Western Railroad Company.
IN this place, and in q short time the whole
breaker and out-buildings were in flames,
and the hosting apparatus, the only
avenue Of escape for the miners, DESTROYED
All efforts to stay the flames were in vain,
and the whole structure fell, partly filing
up the shaft. Over two hundred men are
in the shaft, and have no communication
out, and no chance for air, rs the only way
Tor getting air in the shaft was through the
main opening, now filed with burning tim
beers and debris.
1t is feared the whole number have been
sutiocatcd by smoke, or have persisted for
want of air. The fire departments of
Scranton, Wilkcsbarrc, and Kingston, are on
hand and playing streams down the shaft.
II will probably take until tomorrow morn
ing before the condition Of the men can be
asccrtaincd, or any tidings received from
them. The scene ut the shafts hcart-rcnd-
ing. The families Of miners are congrcga-
ted there in great numbers. Miners from
all parts of the country are there at work,
and merchants, and the whole population
Of the town, have turned out to assist.
The loss by the fire will amount to about
100000, partly covered by insurance.
All the physicians in the vicinity have
been summoned to attend. The affair has
cast gloom over the whole community, and
business is almost entirely suspended.
The miners only resumed work to-day,
after suspension of about three months.
Among those III the mine is Hughes, the SUI
pcrintcndent.
RE0PENING THE SHAFT.
SCRANTON, September Go ?. M.-The
latest information received here from the
Ayondalc mine states that the shaft was
cleared and two men went down and pcne-
tratcd sixty or seventy yards to a closed
cangway door, which they could not force
open. They found three dead mules out
side Of the door. No signs Of life were dis
covered. 1t is feared all are dead.
DEAD BODIES RECOVERED.
PLYMOUTH, September G.-After the rub
hish ut the bottom of the shaft had been
cleared away, two men descended in a
bucket and sent word up to send down a
pick and shovel to clear the doors with
The bucket was brought up, and two men
went down with tools. As they started, the
men at the bottom requested them to hurry,
and on their reaching the bottom both were
found dead.
THE LATEST.
SCRANTON, Pa, September 7.-Eccning
The only hope Of safety for the two hun
drcd men in Avondale mine lies in the pro-
liability that they may have shut themselves
up in remote part of the mine, away
from the shaft. The death Of those who
descended the shaft TO rescue them persisted