The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-09-15
and the testimony will touch the whole

Late explorations OF the mine have
developed sadder phase of the tragedy.
Many of the chambers have been en-
tered and miners found in them dead,
the breast of the mine showing they had
been stricken down by poisonous gas in
q moment, and without warning, while
they were at work. Roadmen, roofmcn,
doormen, and others, were found dead
IN different gang ways, showing that the
destruction had come swift and sudden.
The spirit evinced by miners to-day
has been bitter in the extreme, and not
assuaged by the offers of assistance and
sympathy flowing in from every side.
Asa Packer has telegraphed that he offers
SO, 500 to the bereaved; Governor Geary
81, 500 The railroad company make all
exertions possible, and the wishes of the
miners In every respect are consulted; :;
but they remain obdurate. The more
reasonable are ready to listen to reason,
but they are in the minority. Many are
refractory and vicious. Trouble is ap-
pretended, and has been avoided only
by consummate tact.
$. During the day the crowds that visited
the scene of this appalling calamity were
even larger than on yesterday. Hun
dreds OF persons came in carriages to
the place, or as near to it as they could
conveniently get, or would be permitted
to come, while thousands of mournful
hearts made q sorrowfui pilgrimage to
the mouth of the pit of death, and pain
fully gazed down into the darkness be-
low, where the black or choke damp had
done its merciless work.
Another account gives the following
description of the finding of the bodies:
Alter exploring along the vault aud
chambers nearly 800 feet, sickening
sight was revealed. At this point about
seventy five dead bodies were found, and
these were lying literally in o heap.
Fathers were found locked in the dying
embrace of their sons, strong -limbed and
strong hearted men were discovered with
their limbs cntwined about each other.
1t was ghastly spectacle, and when the
men returned to the pure air above, and
stood lace to face with the thousands of
anxious souls that were impatiently wait
ing to hear the result, and announced
the hldeous discovery that had been
made in the regions of deatl., o shudder
vibrated through the multitude, and q
wall went through Wyoming Valley such
as has not been heard there since the
historic massacre which Campbell has
immortalized in verse.
AT half-past Z o'clock, one of the gangs.
which had just returned, said that they
went up the plane, just beyond which o
barrier was met, consisting of a car
packed around with coal, culm and cloth
ing. This was cleared away, and after
proceeding little further, another bar
rler was met, nearly completed, con-
structed as the first. One man was
found on the outside, where he was at
work laying up the wall. All was com
pleted, save small aperture Just suffi-
cient to admit the passage of a human
body, and it Is to be inferred that he had
just finished his task, and was preparing
to Join his fellow-sufferers on the oppo-
site. side of the barricade by crawling
back. The faces of the dead looked
wonderfully natural, there being but few
bruises and few decorations of the flesh
to bo seen upon them.
1t is now known almost 10 q certainty
that the number killed was l 8, which
added to the two who sacrificed their
lives to rescue their comrades, make ITO
in all. The niue has been thoroughly
explored and no additional bodies found,
nor have any memoranda been disco
vered which can throw any light upon
the scenes which took place in the mine
Mt the time of the calamity. The cause
OF the disaster must, to certain extent,
always remain mystery. Efforts are
oelng made IN various sections of the
country for the relief of the sufferers, the
widows and orphans of the victims.