The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-08-16

The Pi,,.burx Mine Disaster

The Telegraph gives the following details adj
ditional to what was given yesterday: A large
force has beer working since 9 O clock this
(Tuesday) morning to reach the victims of the
explosion at Eagle Shaft. As soon as the acct
dent was known volunteers proceeded in the
direction OF the mine without lamps, and in
about three-quarters of an hour brought up the
body of a miner named Benjamin Davis
Scores Of willing hands proceeded Immediate
ly to repair the brattice board partition used to
keep fresh air from rushing into the worked
out chambers so that it will enter only to those
men who are working. About o'clock the
body of Evan E. Jones was found and brought
up. During the afternoon the dead bodies @.
Thomas Leyshon, James Morgan and David
Harris were found and brought Up. The fol-
lowing are the names of the persons known to
be in the mine at the time of the accident:
David Harris, son of the fire boss, a widower
and has eight children; James Morgan has a
family; Ih6mas Leyshon leaves wife and four
children; Evan Jones, wife and six children:
David Owens, wife and two children; Thomas
Reese wife and four children; John Jones'
wife and four children; Benjamin Davis, wife:
Robert Hughes, Benjamin Williams and Ed
ward Owen, unmarried; John Morgan. dri.
yer; Richard Owens. son of David Owens; NJ
Quinley, laborer, and Martin Morgan, driver.
On entering the chamber in which the explo-
sion occurred, a fall of rock was first found,
which laid partlys upon the car, completely
blocking up one side and leaving space on the
other just sufficient for a man to force himself
through. Some distance in there was another
fall, which completely filed the passage, and
it is believed the men are walled in so COM
pletely that it will take hours of the most per-
sistent labor to reach them. Volunteers are
now at work endeavoring to get around this
fallen rock, so that they can reach the entomb-
ed miners, but the density of the black damp
prevents them from prosecuting their work
with full effect. They are continually being
their places are Immediately supplied by other
volunteers,ian so the work goes on unremit-
tinaly. h
Outside the scene is heartrending in the ex-
IRENE. Thousands of sympathizing citizens,
miners and others are present and rendering
all the assistance that is possible under the cir.
cumstances. Women and children are Weep
ing and wripging their hands and mourning
aloud for the loved and lost, and waiting, in
anxious, hopeless expectation for each new re-
port from the poisonous pit. The women are
everywhere doing what they can to minister
to the wants of the exhausted volunteers as
they are borne like helpless children back from
the mouth of the pit Great cauldrons of
steaming coffee are ready and known restora-
tives are at hand. arH 81
The mine has been nearly exhausted and was
known to be filled with black damp and yet it
was considered safe and has been constantly
worked since the conclusion of the strike, al
though not to its full capacity. 1t was owned
by j. SchOoley of Wyoming, and worked by
A. Tompkins, who owns and operates several
openings Twelve feet OF gas was found IN the
leading just off the gangway which had been
traversed all day by explorers with a naked
light, and the merest accident would have
caused another and worse explosion, involving
at least fifty lives.
During the fore part of the night those as
Stunning control ordered the pumps reversed,
and water has been forced down the shaft, thus
hoping to increase the volume of pure air and
expel the foul.
later dispatch says that three volunteers
have just been taken out of the mine insensble,
and no further attempts will be made to recover
the bodies until daylight, five bodies only hay
ing been taken cut. .-....,