The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-06-01

OF the Miners to Rescue rnear CoIn.
rades-Intervieyvs with the Survivors
Graphic Description OF the Night In
the Mine.
Correspondence OF the New York World.l
PITTsToN, Pa, May %.
From midnight to noon to-day the excite
ment around the West Pittston shaft has been
unabated. Thousands OF people arrived On
the ground last night, and the period OF sus-
pense was trying and intense. Everybody
had his own theory as to the chances Of life Tor
the men in the depth beneath. Some thought
the miners would be saved on account OF the
coplons supply Of water running through the
mines, but all the mining engineers, superin-
tendents, toremen and experienced miners
thought the chance of salvation very meagre.
Ayondale was g ta!e-tellipg and sorrowful pre-
cedenr, and the surging crowd, arguing more
from analogy than any scientific knowledge OF
the faoss in the case, honoured in the belief
that the unfortunate men who were lying IN
the subterrauean channel OF death were be-
you'd all hopes of recovery. Mothers and
wives participated in the same
FEELING OF DESPAIR.
and loud were the lamentations heard on all
sides, finding an echo in every heart, and
drawing tears from every eye. the Wnole
scene around the shaft was q perfect iilustra-
ton OF hopelessness and resignation, OUT inc
brave men worked necessarily. with no otner
incentive than love of their fellow-men, did
not diminish their energy nor allow. tnelf
ardor 10 cool. Towards midnight prepara-
lions were completed to enter the shalt. a
Temporary platform carriage had been con-
structed and a hosting apparatus prepared.
The rope attached to the carriage was manned
by 500 willing hands, and an efficient onlcer, MI;
j.. E. Patterson, had charge ofthe signals and
holsting. To keep the crowd away anu clear
passages tor the transmission OF fresh ar, o
circle of rore was formed around the mine
and nobody allowed inside the enclosure. AT
IL O'Clock P. NJ. four men volunteered 10 enLer
the shaft. They were lowered down, out
could not penetrate further than 100 feet.
When hoisted up they reported
IND1sTINcT VOICES COMING FROM BELOW.
luttering Of hope ran through the crowd.
At II. 80 three miners volunteered again, out
was given for hosting. They reported q
noise, but it might have been an echo. IL
NJ, three miners were let down, and notnlnG
was heard from them for half an hour. the
suspense was intolerable. Many apprehen-
sions Of danger were af0at when at last Inc
signal was given to hoist. They report Two
mules and four horses alive. and bring up
Andrew Morgan, breathing hard and inseusl-
ble.S At l o'clock one mar sent down reports
Hiram Curtis dead. He was found lying with
his tace'in water. The explorers went as lar
as the barricade built by the miners, and on
that they found, written with chalk, the fol
loving Inscription.
"wE ARE L IN HERE"
From hat time till noon to-day the men
-..l - -1l,n cNpOAt m lG mi al
q time. Medical aid was plenty, there being q
large number OF physicians on the ground 'ur,
nished with lestoratives and other medical
stores. The men around worked bravely, sus-
tanned oy the nope that every new arrival at
the top of the shaft would be a live man. me
generous voice Of Patterson at the mouth OF
the shaft proclaimed the tale OF the men: me
air resounded at regular Intervals with the an
nouncement 'dead,' dying" "orealnlnS
hard" "groaning heavily" ''insensible. and
many other equally descriptive and SAD quail
fcations. Those who volunteered 10 enler inc
mines in search'of the men were olten over
come with choke-damp, and many o. them are
not yet free from its effects.
THE LAST MAN.
At ll.3O o'clock A. NJ. thirty-siX men had
been hoisted up, and another man was report
ed missing. Several parties went down ID
search OF him, but did not succeed. de was
s,nnosed 10 be at the bottom OF the shait,
buried under the debris. Men were SEM WIN
shovels and picks 10 clear the ruoolsh, anu
Others volunteered to explore the mines easS
and west. For TWO long hours the men work
ed with q will, and for W long hours Inc peo-
ME outside we're held in breathless suspense.
At last The long-expected signal to hoist was
given and the man brought up alive. he was
found lying on his side, with his arm under MS
head, about fifty feet from the place ID Wnich
he usually worked. He had crept into an ar
wuv and the wafer near the airway was waist
deep. Had he been there an hour longer ne
womb have been drowned. After being
brought TO the open air the reaction was 10Y
strong for him, and at 1 o'clock he was audea
to The list OF dead.
INTERVIEW WITH THE SAVED.
At four O'Clock this afternoon repaired TO
the honse of Thomas Edwards and MS son
George. two of the men who had been Wltnln
the gates OF death. Neither OF them mad SUI
fered much, and both were able to converse
freely. The following is the conversation
which took place:
RepLrter. George, / wan you 10 relate, as
far as YOU can remember, the events OF the last
tWenty-four hours-how you felt IN the mines
and what occurred there
George. We went into the mines his morn
ing at six. Att we were pcepaIi9s 10 cGmaee
some burning timbers falling down. anu Inc
truth came on my mind that the shalt was on
fire. and that we would all be shut in as they
were at Avondale. The carriage above came
down with a crash, and we ran back along Inc
east rancway. Robert Smallcomoe gave lne
first warning. After we got back about Two nun.
dred feet we commenced building a wall across
the rangway to keep away the smoke. one OF
The r,e1, John Burroughs, wrote on this par
ricade I'VE are all inside here" and alter we
got inside we encountered each other, held a
prayer-meeting, and prepared for the WORST.
Few of our men were calm. At 6 O'Clock some
of them began to sleep. I tried 10 wake mem,
but they would no sooner wake lhan .ney
would fall to sleep again. I opened the door
and went towards the shaft. but was nearly
overcome with the smoke and sulphur. l went
back to the men and found most oil them
asleep. ! remember nothing further.
STATEMENT OF THE sMALLCoMBEs.
From Edwards's house l went to the nome
of tSe Smalhombes; tour OF the family were IN
the mine, and the father lay dead while the
three sons were lively and almost Gonzales
cent. The explanation given by these three
sons are very clear and interesting. Each OF
them talked in his turn. This is their state
ment
Thomas saw the smoke about two hundred
feet from the foot of the shaft; at 2.3o Wentto