The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1871-07-19
The Pittston Disaster.

PITTsToN, Pa, May 2S.-Al the men in the mine
-tlrty-eght in number = have been brought up;
eighteen were dead. AT half past ~ last night the
workmen succeeded in penetrating to the bottom of
the shaft and brought news TO the surface At 12;45
they up word that the men had barricaded them
selves in, and the cage was sent up for more men
and tools This morning the excitement at the shaft
is greater than ever.
Up 10 S o'clock twenty fourmen had been brought
up to the top, of which number six dead, and
all insensible when brought out. Que or two have
far recovered to be able give an account of
the disaster. The exploring parties were compelled
to proceed with the utmost caution, and were fire.
quenty brought out asphyXiated with the foul gases
At GA. NJ. twenty men had been brought out, ten
OF whom dead, and at IL NJ not more than one
or two remained in the mine. Every one of the men
brought up for the last two hours was found stone
dead.
The excitement is almost indescrihable; thousands
of people are crowded around the mouth OF the
pit. and in their eagerness 10 see and hear are with
difficulty kept outside Of the rope which is stretched
around the shaft
At the time OF ignition of the upper part of the
shaft yesterday, the gangs of miners were being
changed, and many were standing around, and few
out. The alarm being given to engineer cDermott,
he at once communicated the warning of danger to
the bottom of the mine, and began to hoist the car
rage, bringing with the first four trips several men
in the three succeeding trips no arrivals were re-
ported and while the eighth trip was being made,
the rope slipped off the pulley, aud all further
OF escape was made impossibili y.
At one time young lad at the bottom of the shaft,
2S0 feet down, nervous twitching of tue bell
WIRE which the bell refused to respond TO- and sus-
piciOus of disastrous accident, Immediately ran
into the east gangway
In an hour aud a quarter the breaker had burned
to the ground, and men of all vacations in lite began
removing the hafcOnsumed inbers that INSTRUCTED
the passage TO the mouth OF the shaft. No water
but from small well being available, it was drawn
in wagons aud barrels from tue river mile distant.
Teegrams dispatched to the Scranton and
Wilkesbarre fire departments for assistance The
Scranton 4" Nayang" steamer arrived at a quarter
past three O'clock, and at about the time there
came a company from Wilkesbarre, and steamer fol-
flowed soon after.
By five o'clock the water had cooled the iron and
wood gear of the shaft and preparations were made
10 clear the mouth. In the meantime hundreds Of
women aud children had congregated the scene
OF the disaster and their heart rendng cries pierced
thu air.
AT $40 p NJ, the mouth of the mine had been SUI
feIenty cleared to let down dog. He was kept
down the first time for three minutes, and let down
again, SlhyllE I'VE minutes. Inc came up Hive
At z p. NJ timber was brought tn the mouth ut the
miue and temporary framework made to cover
the opening of the platform; passage con-
strucied, and preparations made 10 enter.
Al SP NJ, two men, David Harris aud William
Warren, were let down about twenty feet. They
had lights, bell ropes water and tools; they remoV-
ed the burned timber and charred scantngs, and
constructed II partition TO secure an up and down
current of air. a few minutes previous TO this
William Low let down by rope seventy five
feet into the shaft but Immediately gave the signal
for hosting strong current of air coming from the
opening, carrying with 1t thick smoke aud nOxions
gases
Preparations for the rescue of the miners con
tinued to be pushed with the greatest vieOr until
1880, when, as above stated, the first man was
reached The fire originated from the spontaneous
combustion of the wOOdworks OF the breaker.
Martin Cox, one of the miners taken out of the
ruins alive, makes the following statement: We
went in at A NJ. my brother Robert cut through
IRON one alrWay 10 another turned on the gas, and
six miners out with him before their shaft was
filled up. The air was bad we could not work.
This about fifteen minutes before the fire, and
seven miners came up to the top five minutes before
il was discovered The first intimaiion we had Of
the fire was sound through the mine AS II there
was an explosion of gas. An English miner said
There is fire. We were then working about fifty
yards from the shaft the west side. We then ran
10 the bottom OF the shaft and the fire coming
down. | ran back to my cOmrades told them, We
are sl lost, the shaft is on fire. We were seven in
all We then ran Ia the foot OF the shalt and saw
burning timbers coming down threw on water TO
put out the Ere. and the smoke became dense we
were nearly sutfOcaied; dense volumes came down
the shaft and filled the place. We ran over to the
west side, in the direction # the Riverbridge down
stope got in at the door, with eleven others, max
ing eighteen altogether. In that place the smoke
came in upon us So badly that we gathered up the
fine stuff from the track aud plasteTed up the cracks
of the door, and stuffed Goals in the holes, which
stopped the smoke for some time. We now had
time for thought and reflection. No one expected
to see the light again. and all said it second
We all sang hymns and prayed calling |
upon God in his mercy To US all felt |
doomed and so continued until / was brought |
out by my brother Robert, at O'Clock Sunday !