New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-05-29
VOL. XXXI....No' 9,4O5.
ANOTHER AVONDALE.
A COAL SHAFT ON FIRE

p,rrSroU Penn. May ga column OF
smoke which soon grew dense, rising fro'" '"' '"'i'
~ west Pi,tson mine yesterday afternoon at o'clock
-. ,, s,att was on fire. and caused an immediate
q, all the people about here for the rescue OF the
numerous miners known to be below IheIe sucoeeu'u
n hours OF desperate eSertion to suodue the nie anu W
netrate the recesses Of the mine before all the uHof
,ro,e uen should he sufocated. AT the end Oh 'n"'
r,oa the last OF the IS who had been entomoeu was
nroucht 70 the surface Eighteen were dead "os' VI
60. &, state Of insensibility when found but
ccovered upon reaching the air ABOVE ei0"-N'
with the horrors Of Avondae fresh in helr niuu''
f.w had dared 10 hope that any OF these men
sould be saved and the grefstTicken women anu
ohIdren clustered as near they eoulu apouV
the mouth OF the shaft, waihng pteousl!' anu
almost hopelessly awaiting the result OF uie Seai.H
below To Of them, who were at first appaieu ny
the sight OF the apparently neess body OF husband
hen brought TO the surface there the great hap
Jncss Of finding that il was but seeming death' But
Using above all else we're the loud lamentations Of newly
ade widows and orphans and strong men paed as they
orked about the shaft with almost frenzed energy.
As the news OF the disaster spread people came from
the country round on foot and in carriages and other
opyeyances. and there have been here already over
1000 The bustle excitement, and violent anguish at
ending the efforts at rescue now succeeded by
titled gloom and Stiffness though within houses mere
nd there the sobs OF bereaved ones are heard
The West PittstOn mine is owned and operated Dy
rown a Blake 1t has but one opening, and, as re-
ired by the provisions Of the Ventilation act passed
fter the AvOndae calamity Of last year, gangs OF men
acre at work opening a second shaft AT p M the
engineer began hoisng out those who were below ther
eight hours work having been completed. Three car.
rage loads Of men had been raised when the fire was
discovered 1t spread rapidly along the dry woodwork
above and down the sides Of the shaft The situation
thus became perfect parallel 10 that AT
Avondale. The engineer remained at his post
and though enveloped in smoke lowered and holsted the
carriage four times but it seems more men were
brought up. The rope then burned off, the carriage
e into the shaft and the engineer, after being much
iYiured his escape from the flames. The mouth OF
shaft is conspicuousy located that all the people
the valley speedily made aware Of the nature Of
lc disaster, and hurried to the place.
By O'Clock the breaker and enginehouse were nearly
onsumed and had begun clearing away the debris
enable the fremen to get TO work as possible
lean time fire engines had been teegraphed for and soon
,rrived from Ptston, Kingston Wilkesbarre and Seran
con. The susquehanna is half mile distant, and it
vas necessary TO bring water from It, line OF 800 men,
with buckets was formed, teams engaged in haul
ing water and locomotives employed in bringing
up their tanks full of water for the supply of the
II was GEO O'Clock before the steady streams OF water
poured into mouth Of the shaft had subdued the fire
enable the SHAFT 10 be cleared ana preparations
be made for descent. Thousands of men, women and
children had in the meantime assembled from every di
recon 1t necessary TO stretch ropes about the
mouth Of the shaft and 10 adopt system Of police as at
Ayondale to keep back the crowd Meanwhile hume
rous superintendent, managers, engineers and other
leading had arrived, and the work proceeded more
Systematically than II efrst hours Of wild terror and
excitement,
At7a dog was let down into the shaft for some dis
tancc and after remaining three minutes was brought
up alive. He then lowered to the bottom $50 feet
and being raised after five minutes, was found to be
apparently uniniured This gave hope for the safety OF
the miners. But when a temporary framework was
placed at the mouth and william Low of the Pennsyya-
MIA Coal Company had lowered IS feet with rope
attached to his leg he reported serious distractions IN
the shaft then feared that before they couid nc
cleared aud the reached they would De drowned
by the rise Of water in the mine If not suocated hous
before.
Ateo,o,ock the tosome clearing OF the shaft began
TWO men descending upon the carriage, with axes and
a pail OF water and tearing away the hali-purned I'm
hers as they proceeded Others relieved them ana az
the end Of three the was cleared Tor only V
feet but beyond that point the oDsrucuons were nuc
fewer A partition, TO aid in producing upward and
sowrward currents Of air constructed as they de-
,cerde5 the old partition having been burned.
The following are the Of those who were below
Aaron emallcomb, and his three sons, william Robert
sr ANTHONY Ford David Conner, Thomas Savage, Mar
lin Crchan Thomas Ruan George earn. William FOWeli,
John Price, David Edwards. Martin Cooney lhoIlas Eu
wards. Mike Cox Owen Making William Morgan taL9n
Roberts Robert Roberts TmOthytWech Hiram Gurus
Jobu Burroughs, Evan r. Davis, James Jones, William
II Davis William james, John Lloyd George Edwards
Patrick Garden, Tom PrcssOr Charles Mckness beIa
min Jones, and others.
At 1880 they reached the bottom Of the shaft and
brought to the surface man, Andrew Morgan, resd
ING al Brandy Patch, Pfttston. He in eomatose
Etate and insensibe. They also found Hiram Curtis,
dead living with his face in the water. At l2:45
mel had bdrTlcadcd them
selves I'm and sent up tho cage for more men
and tools But little hopes were then entertained
for the safety Of the remaining victims, and
the excitement became greater than ever. Up socloek
mis- morning "a men had been brought to the top OF
which number six dead. All were insensble when
brought out but one or have far recovered TO
be able to give an account Of themselves Andrew Nor
ran who was the first discovered last night is m
Alive though his recovery is yet doubtful. He is still
unconscious. The exploring parties were compelled TO
proceed with the utmost caution, and were frequently
brought ont asphixiated with foul gases.
AtlOa. H.. 80 men had been brought out, 10 Of whom
were dead and at not more than one or two re-
manned Ia the mine. Every Of the men brought up
unee a. IN. found stone dead.
AT $50 p. H. the last man, Benz. J. Jones, who was
supposed be under the carriage was brought
up alive. He found in distant portion OF the NINE
There have now taken out IS men, Of whom Is were
dead.
At the scene Of the catastrophe the excitement has
been almost indcscbabe. Thousands OF people crowded
.onud the mouth the pit in their eagerness to see and
hear Vehicles Of all descriptions have come on the
,o,d from all directions, and from every portion OF the
,yi,g land Iaekawanna valleys, and the streets Of
pittston and West Pittston crowded with pedes-
trans hurryng to and from the scene OF the disaster
bss not yet been clearly ascertaned how the fire orig
mated though appears TO have been caused 10y friction