The Republican journal., 1871-06-01
Shocking Coal Mine Disaster.

On Saturday a fire occurred in the shat
Of "A coal mine at West Pittston, Pa
owned by the Lehigh Valley Railroad
The wooden lining of the shaft took fire
and threatened horrible death to the 81
or lOmen at work below The following
despatch of the following day, tells the
sad story
PITrsToN, Pa, May 2S-2.30 F. NJ.
AN tie men who were in the mine have been
removed and Is of the IS are dead.
At halEpa>t twelve O'Clock last night they
succeeded in etlecting an entrance TO the bottom
Of the shaft, and brought to the surface Andrew
Morgan, he was perfectly insensibe. They
also found Hiram Curtis, dead, lying with his
face in The water.
At l245 they sent up word that the men had
baIlicaded themselves i'll, and sent up a cage
for more men and tools. This morning the eX-
element was greater than ever. | to O'Clock
this A. NJ, n men had been brought TO the top,
Il of W HON were dead: all were insensible when
brought ont, bat one or two have so far recov-
cred is to be able to give an account of them
selves Morgan who was first discovered, is
still alive, though ms recovery is doubtful; he
is still unconscious.
Exploring parties are compelled to proceed
with the utmost caution. and are frequently
brought out ;iSphyXiated with foul gases.
AT 10 A. NJ. 30 men had been brought out, 10
of whom dead. At y NJ, not more than one or
TWO remained in the mne. Every one brought
np for the last TWO hours was stone dead. At
The scene of the catastrope the excitement was
lImoSt Understandable, thousand of people crowded
around the mouth OF the pit, and with difficulty
We're kept outside the rope which stretched
around the Shaft. When the fire was first dis
covered at ten minutes past O'Clock yesterday
70 .Inn hi IT,
three carriage load, of men had been hoisted
Engineer McDermott was soon enyeloped in
smoke. bat food 10 his post bravely he hoisted
the carriage tour times again, but no men came
up. The seventh time the rope was burned and
broke and the carriage fell into the shaft. The
engineer could stand no longer, his arms We're
severely burned and it was with the utmost diff
lirulty that he escaped with his life By this
lime the breaker and engine house We're mass
81 fire and at 8 O'Clock the burning debris COW
cred the ground. Thousands of persons repair
ed to the scene. Fire engines were telegraphed
for and water was brought in barrels from the
Susquehanna, half n mile distant. A line OF
800 men was formed and buckets were passed
from one TO The other, and water was finally
passed into the shaft, out of which dense black
smoke continually poured. Shortly five engines
from PittSton. Kingston, Wilkesbarre and Scran
ION arrived and stream Of water was soon
llayed into the mouth of the mine. Locomo-
lives were at once engaged in conveying water
in tanks 10 supply the fire engines, and by 6
o'clock the heat had been so far diminished as
10 allow an inspection of the shaft. At Is
minutes to O'Clock dog was let down, and
in 3 minutes raised alive. In Il few moments
he was again LET down, and after remaining )
minutes was raised with the same result Ms be-
lore. At hai-p4>t six Mr.. VIM. Lord, Asst
Superintendent Of the Pennsylvania Goa! Co.,
went down - feet, with rope around his leg.
A carriage and platform over the mouth of the
Shaft was completed, and at 1.41 Davis Harris
and VIM. Warren, miners, commenced in the
mine, repairing the partition between the up
cast and down-east clearing away the obstruc-
tons of fallen timbers as they went. The shalt
Of The mine was $50 feet deep, and the work OF
recovering the mperilled miners was pushed
with the greatest vigor, until as above stated,
soon after midnight, the front man was reached
and sent mp. The fire originated from the
friction of the wooden machinery ofthe breaker,
and was communicated to the surrounding
woodwork by only the wrappings and pack
ngs. The shaft has but one opening, and is
precisely in the same condition as the Ayondale
Shaft was previous to that great disaster.