Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1871-05-31
A Great Disaster at the Mines at
West PittSton.
Only Eighteen of Thirty-seven Men in
Mine Escape Death.
A Heart-ISending Scene.

On last Saturday, about 2 o'clock, the
breaker spanning the entrance to the
mine in West Pittston, worked by Blake
& Co., was discovered to be on fire. A
correspondent of the Philadelphia Pres
arrived at the scene of the disaster about
an hour after the discovery of the fire
The breaker had already fallen apart anc
its fiery timbers tumbled down into the
shaft, filling it with smoke and fire. and
cutting off air and assistance and escape
for the men down in the mines. The cor
respondent says:s
A. this hour repaired to the scene
and found thousands of people running
in all directions-woman and children
tearing their hair, and almost mad with
despair, while the air resounded with
means and piercing cries.
There was no supply of water nearer
than the river, mile distant Teams were
employed to bring water in barrels, and
line of men formed to hand pals from
one to another, and finally throw it into
the mouth of the shaft At about four
o'clock several fire engines arrived, and
after some delay a full stream of water
was played on the mass of burning de-
bris.
There is no doubt as to the origin of
the fire; it was caused by friction
Whether it commenced in the journals of
the fan, or top of the shaft, or in the
rollers of the breaker machine, is not
certain.
THtRTY-sEvEN MEN WERE IN THE MINES.
Despair was settled on every face, and
not ody expected single man to come
out alive. Extraordinary exertions were
male to cool the red-hot materials
around the mines, and by seven o'clock
matters had progressed so far as to give
opportunity to let dog down, and re-
mained there about three minutes, and
when he came up alive, a murmur of
satisfaction ran through the crowd. In
another hour William Law, superintend-
ent of the Pennsylvania Coal Company's
mine. was let down by rope to dist
ance of seventy-iive feet, but was imme
diately hoisted up, the smoke overcom-
ing him.
Two men were afterwards sent down
twenty feet to clear away burned timber.
and commence the construction of a par
TIT ion, making a down.cast and up cast
current of air. This partition was partly
destroyed by the fire. When this work
was completed the smoke emitted from
the mouth of the shaft was dense, and
a stronger current Of air began playing
through. The crowd in the meanwhile
wire pressing forward, anxious to have
something new in the developments,
and the police could hardly keep the
'urging mass Of humanity outside the
ropes fixed as barrier. From nine un-
ii twelve o'clock work was pushed with
energy, and at last
FOUR MEN VOLUNTEERED
o enter the mysterious abyss and pene-
ra te the darkness in search of their com
ades. These and the second relay of
volunteers did not succeed in reaching
he bottom, the rising gas being too
trong but the third lot touched bottom,
md very soon gave the signal to hoist
lowly. The carriage was hoisted up,
nd on it, lying insensible but showing
igns of life. was the body of Andrew
Morgan. The volunteers reported a
amp burning at the bottom of the shaft,
orses and mules alive, and an indistinct
oise in the direction of the east gang.
ray. The next man brought up was
Iran Curtis, dead The men who
rought him stated that they found him
ing with his face in water within hun
red and fifty feet of the bottom of the
haft. Peering farther in the direction
the east gangvay the men saw bar.