The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-06-03
another Ayonda,e Disaster.
burning Of a Coal Mine Shaft-Eerrioie
Loss of Life.

burning Of n Coal MINE ShssA1
Loss of Life.
p1TTsToN. May 28-About two O'CLOCK
vesterdsy afternoon, fire broke out IN tAe
coal shaft of Blake 81 Company, West PITTS
ton, 10 top roller, caused by friction III
less than two hours the whole shalt haa
been destroyed There were sixty mon q:
the bottom the shaft, but by the good
management and courage OF the engineer,
all were got out but thirty seven. lie let
the carriage down five times, but the last
three times it came up empty. 1t Is sup
posed they did not understand the signals.
| The engineer worked till he was 20 badly
burned that he had to leave his post.
The excitement all last night continued
| intense. At l24 o'clock, car, which had
been rigged up, reached the bottom. AT /
! O'Clock the first man came up, alive the
! next two that were brought up were dead.
| The car continued making the trip, up and
J down the mine, as fast as men could DC
! found to go up aud down, until l O'Clock
! this afternoon, when the last man was
! brought up. Although sixteen who had
been brought mp ahead of him were dead
| the last one was living,
There were thirty-sovsn left in the mine
and all, have been brought out, Twenty
one of them were brought up aiive.and SIX
teen dead 1t is thought that the deaths
were caused by suffocation, although some
assert that two or three of them were drown
ed. The men were found 10 the extremS
western portion Of the mine as far back as
they could get. Their suffering must have
been terrible.
Mr. Wm. Abbott, one Of the PenDsylva-
MIA Coal Company's men. says that when he
went down in the mine this morning, he
found that the water was but three or four
l,,t ir so had that II was
only by. the most strenuous exertions that he
was able to retain strength sufficient to get
the men out. He bad two assistants, who
were almost unable to aid him in the least
The people here, while sorrowing for the
dead. cannot help giving vent to feelings OF
thankfulness that so many were saved.
One of the men that has recovered since
gives the following We discovered the mine
TO be on fire about $50. that is about half an
hour after the fire broke.out. We immsdi-
ately built barricade, and got behind 1t,
when We made prayer and sung hymn,
and then waited for our fate. | can remem-
Der nothing that occurred after 6 o'clock.
OF those brought up alive two have died
this evening. An inquest will be held to-
morrow morning at 9 O'Clock.
The funerals of the dead will take place
on Monday and Tuesday. There has bsen
at least twelve thousand visitors at the
scene of the disaster to-day, and the eIcite>
meut has been very great all day.
II is thought several of those who were
| brought out alive cannot live, but oil is be-
ing done for them that is possible for any
| human being to DO. At the churches and
Srn6ay-schools to-day the attendance was
so meagre that tho regular order Of devotion
al exercises was not attempted The fsel-
| ings of the community can better be imagined
than described. and now that all anxiety
for those in the mine is past, every one
seems to be looking to the welfare Of those
| liTng, yet SO nesr death.
Much honor to the engineer, James Nc
! Dermott, who bravely stood at bis post, and,
while the devouring element wrought disas-
ter around him, and even burned his face.
arms sndsboots. he succeeded in robbing the
/ death-list of eighteen victims, who otherwise
would have perehed, and not until the wire
rope, secured to the carriage in hosting.
snapped at white heat did this noble and
/ brave man desist from his labors.
AN APPEAL TO THE CHARITABLE.
| PITTsToR, May SOTO the benevolent
| public, In behalf of a grief-stricken commu
nifty, paralyzed by repetition Of the great
| disaster at Avondale, we appeal to you for
substantial aid. OF siYty-fve miners who
entered the shaft at this place on Saturday
morning, forty-fve have been taken out
| alive, many of whom cannot long survive.
| Those who have already died will be buried
to-day. meurned by ths whole community.
| They leave behind them twelve widows and
thirty-siz orphan children. In their behalf
we ask your charity. Six months of en-
| forced idleness has made the community
| poor Those who had the wherewithal to
give, have given during their ability. Many,
very many, are still On the very verge of
starvation. and now, just as renewed labor
had begun to cheer their hearts, we are
stricken down by this awful calamity. Will
you give us your mite. to relieve the widow
and the fatherlsss. All contributions may
be sent to Theadore Strong. Esq. President
| Of the First National Bank of Pittston.-
! Signed, o. f. Games, Mr.. Hughes, B. Biyan,
| w j. Bruce, A. Hslfaran, John Golightly
and Abel Bynon, Committee.