The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-06-02
Annihnr IInrril nisnsirri

On Saturday last another horrible
mine disaster occurred, this time at
Pittston. The breaker caught fire and
before all the men could be rescued, the
rigging gave way and near forty men
were left in the mine. by great effort,
the flames were subdued and efficient
exertions were made to save the men.
Is were taken out dead and several
others have since died. The rest may
recover. WIN. II. DAVIS, ono of the
men in the mine at the time of the oc.
currcnce, gives the following account of
it, to wit.
am one of the men who have 50
narrowly escaped death in the West
Pittston mine; now feel extremely
weak and exhausted and very dizzy
in my head as well as sick at my stom.
ach. AT the moment when first heard
that the breaker was on fire was hard
at work in my chamber in the NINE
AS soon as the alarm was given, and
we understood the exact nature of the
danger, we all came together as quickly
as we could find one another in the
gangway at the foot of the shaft, and
finding 1t hopeless to attempt to go up,
and knowing that there was no other
way of escape, we decided at once to
build Il barricadc and to shut ourselves
in behind it. We had one thing of the
greatest importance in our favor-there
was no furnace in the mine, and the air
was furnished in the pit by large fan
which drove 1t down. We were per.
fectly well aware of the fact that our
lives depended almost entirely upon the
barricade we were building and we
therefore made 1t as strong as possible.
We made 1t by trimming off very large
Jumps of coal and then fitting them to-
gether closely in stout wall. When
1t was completed we knew that it was
a perfectly secure barrier against the
fire. We then gave the closest atten-
tion by listening to what was going on
outside. For two or three hours at least
after the barricade was finished we
could distinctly hear the noise that was
made at the top of the shaft, but after
that time the assurance seemed to come
upon us all that we should never be
taken out of the mine alive. The reason
of this change of feeling was that so
many of us began to feel drowsy which
we knew must be the effect of impure
air. After this we quite resig ned our
selves to the death which seemed GER
tain and went to work to make our pre-.
parations to meet it. We held prayer
meeting, with singing and praying, and
at last we gave each other n parting
caress and then each of us bid every
man an affectionate farewell with the
hope of meeting one another in heaven.
We of course thought much of what
could be done to attract the attention of
the men outside who we knew were do
ing all in their power to deliver US so
that we might be found as soon as poss-
ible and no time be lost in search of
traces of us. For this purpose one man
was sent to the gangway at the foot of
the east shaft, who wrote with piece |
of coal on the outside of the door of the
east gangway that we had barricaded
ourselves behind it. You will excuse
me, 1 know, from trying to remember
more, or from answering fur.
ther just now. am too weak, but as
soon as recover my strength l will be
glad to recall and describe in full detail
everything that occurred in the mines.'
The excuse is that friction caused the
fire, but we have seen no excuse offered
for the culpable carelessness that per.
mitted friction to cause it, Last winter |
a stringent law was passed requiring
two air passages to each mine, except
where less than 20 men were employed.
This exception is reprehensible, and
only gives the operators and the mine |
inspector chance to pc rmit the viola
tion of the law. In this case, more than
that number of men were employed,
and the inspector was aware of all the
facts, as he admits that he several times
examined the mine. An officer who is
specially appointed and paid to enforce
such a just and humane law as this and
neglects to perform his duty, deserves
to be held as responsible for the lives of
the men as though ne had deliberately
caused the fire. In any case prompt
measures should be taken to enforce
the law. If it is not done there will be
more such disasters, and they will con-
tinue until the law Is enforced.