Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-09-15
TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE.


Fire IN q Coal shaft -One Hundred and
ding Scenes-GreRtL Loss Of Property
and lnllnense Excitememt. ~
Z ScnANroN, Pa, Sept g. There is Rreat
excitement here in consequence OF The
burning Of q coal-b l-breakernt Avondale mine,
plymouth, about 10 miles south al this
city There are 201 men and boys in the
mine, and the shaft, which Is the only
means Of escape, is choked by forty feet OF
burning coal and rubbish. Ventilation is
totally stopped and there are great fears
that some, If not all, will be sufiocated,
ScBANToN, Pa, Sept 6-0;lQ p. m. The
latest information from the Ayond0le mine
states that the shaft was cleared and two
men went down and penetrated sixty or
seventy yards TO closed gang-way door,
which they could not force open. They
found three dead mules outside the door,
and sulphurous fumes were pouring out
through the door. No signs of life were
discovered, and It is feared that all are dead
SCRANTON, Sept. 6,---The fire began ut ten
o'clock this forenoon. All experts agree
that it must have communicated from the
ventilating furnace TO the woodwork at the
bottom Of the shaft, which is 327 feet be-
low the surface. The flames then rushed
with great violence up the shaft, and broke
out in the engine-room Mt the top. The
engineer barely escaped with his life. The
buildings covering the mouth of the shaft
were 100 feet high and 200 feet long, all of
wood and dIyas tinder They were almost
Instantly enyeloped in flames, and it was
impossible to reach the mouth of the shaft
to help the men below,
Dispatches just received from Avondale
say that Thomas W. Williams, ofPlymouth,
and David Jones, of Grand Tunnel, who
went down to make further Investigations,
were suffocated to death. On q second at,
tempt Williams dead body was brought out
by David H. 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 to 60 Down are now ont alive
except Williams and Jones. No further at
tempt will be made togo down until small
engine is rugged. .#..
The loss by the burning of the Avondale
mine works il from eighty thousand to one
hundred thousand dollars, not counting
the loss by the stoppago of mining opera
TONS
SCRANTON, Pao Sept S.-Four men who
went down tho shaft yesterday afternoon
and explored q gange-way opened door
leading to tho furnace, and found it full of
burning coal, and heap of coal near by
blazing. Ono became overpowered and
they returned to the mouth tho shaft, where
they were with difficulty restored from the
effects of the gas and blue.d damp which was
following them.
IL had been determined to pour wafer in
10 the mine To extinguish the fire, and after
some four hours another party went down
and carried hose TO the furnace. They re-
ported the fire dying out in the furnace.
Other parties went down and placed the
hose in position TO throw water on the fur
nRce, After the water had been turned on
two hours, two parties went down, the. last
ono returning in bad condition from the
effects Of tho blue-damp, which arose very
freely e .a...'.t q. ..,. -.
About 2 o'clock This n. m, another gang
went down and brought up the bodies of
two miners, which were in bad and un-
recognizable condition, being badly bloat-
cd about their mouths. One il young
man, the other middle aged. The excite
ment was intense. The air in tho lnino is
improving.
PulIADELrHIA, Sept. S-5 p. m. A spe-
cial dispatch from Scranton dated o'clock
to-day, report the finding Of nearly 200
dead bodies of miners piled up together in
Avondale Mine. -.
LATER "A private dispatch says that one
hundred and three dead bodies have been
brought up from tho mine. .. e.| t-.