Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1871-11-25
EXCITEMENT IYVDE PARK, PA
4 Portion Oct',c city Sinking into II
Mine-szany Buildings Damaged.

SCRANTON, Pa, Nov. 1G.-IIyde Park
has again been visited by one of those catas-
trophies peculiar to mining regions. About
o'clocl: this morning the citizens of that
portion of our city lying south Of Main
street and in the neighbOrhood of Scranton
avenue were startled from their slumbers
by rumb!ing, crashing noise. and Il
trembling of the earth and their buildings,
rs if by an earthquake. So violent were
the shocks and SO loud the noise that they
fled ierror-stricken from their dwellings.
After the first paroXysm of fright had
passed the cause of the terrible alarm be-
came apparent. The mines of the first vein
of the Oxford shaft had given way, causing
the earth to settle some two feet and form
ing great cracks in the surface. The area
Of ground, which is thickly covered by
buildings and handsome dwellings, is about
20 acres, extending from Main street, at n
point west of the Welsh Calvinistic Church
running diagonally northeast to Chestnut
street. This boundary Of the fall is mark
ed by a crack which varies in width and
depth.
The crack passing through the front yard
Of the Welsh Calvinistic Church goes
through the dwelling and store of Mr..
Thomas Phillips, llerman's Hotel, and the
adjoining property, breaking their walls and
rocking the buildings from cellar TO garrct.
Crossing Scranton avenue, it crosses the
corner OF Fellows Hall building, breaking
open the foundation walls and causing a
large opening in the brick wall, and in fact
iniuring the entire building. From this
point it runs in an easterly direction,
through the property of DIR. Heath, Daniel
Howell, ID. Il. Richards, Esquire Snyder,
and others to Chestnut street thence
dagOnally TO Scranton avenue, where tracks
of the fall are lost. But the effects of the
! fall are still visible in the settling of the
earth about Mr.. llerman's residence aud
other dwellings between this point and the
place from which we first started.
In all the buildings, and particularly
| those of Mcssrs. Phillips, Richards, Howell,
aud the hotel and Fallow's Hall, are the
destructive effects of this disaster most
clearly visible, AS hardly any part ofthem re-
mains uniuiured, Walls aud ceilings, broken
| floors, sunken windows, broken wainscOting
| torn loose, while cisterns, wells, aud cellars
have literally lost their bottoms, causing q
destruction OF property amounting to $780,
| 600
There were three distinct shocks, eael
one loud enough t0 arouse everybody. Ia
"a few minutes Main street was crowded
| Win men, women, And ehlldfen, VINO were
\ greatly frightened, When the residence OI
Mr., ID. T., Richards was shaken, the family
were compelled 10 lice la order to save thell
lives 30 grva. Was the destruction that tho
h0us, must bo rebuilt, The llermans
HOUSE - 80 badly damangod that u must
be torn down. Tho post Office has SUM
soma eighteen inches, .nd sllll continues
seilling A Large elslern la lhe kitchen o
| lllul Howell Mas uiaread and Ia NOM dry
La fact, nOt q drop Of water can be had Ia
any elsleTn la any part of the lliuFed pur
lion. ILn hoiises VI j, III. Mlllsp0ugh
Milliam pFioe, Judge W, g., Ward, >
lleass, and Mr, Ashhy gsle asa badll
damaged, lhal u kdaaTd llernans sei
tied doan eighteen lnehef bplos the suTlac,
but otiegslse Il comparatively unlnJured
tbs OSipll shan u sliuAled ln lhe ernlT'
ol lhe Hyde fslk, ald la lhs property o
the iklaaafe, is.ckasaHhl and Neslerl
{ onpany, having heen purchased by theu