The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-07-11

A TERRIBLE HOLOCAUST :
AtWater Coal Mine on Fire!
Eighteen Persons in the Mine
EIGHT ESQ APE.
Ten are smothered to Death

e @ HI It z y G a p Il
Ten are. SmOthered to Death
One of the most terrible disasters
that has ever occurred in Northern
Ohio, happened at the mine of the At
water Coal Company, on the after
noon of Wednesday last week. The
mine is comparatively new enc, hav-
ing been in operation less than year,
and is owned and operated mostly by
gentlemen residing in Cleveland, all
of the officers being residents of that
city. It is situated near the c. & p.
Railroad in the Southeast corner oil
Atwater township, about three miles
from Atwater Station and two and q
half miles from Lima Station, from
which latter point the Company have
constructed railroad TO the bank for
the purpose of transporting their coal.
The road and all the buildings and fix
lures Of the company are of perma-
nent and substatial character, notwith-
standing the works are new. The
bank is reached by ''slope" 199 feet
in length. having descent of eleven
inches 10 the yard, the perpendicular
distance from the bottom of the
'fslope" TO the surface of the earth
above being iifty-six feet. The roof
of this entrance is planked over to
prevent the caving in of the earth, and
the roofing is supported by timber.
At the foot of the "slope" is furnace
designed 10 promote the ventilation
of the mine and from the bottom to
the top of this entrance is timber
and plank partition to allow the heat
ed atmosphere and gas TO pass off on
that side next to the furnace.
|. At about two o'clock on Wednes-
day afternoon, one of the men came
out of the mine, and discovered that
there was fire at the bottom of the
slope, and he sent small boy, named
George Hufferd, Jr., aged nine years,
to notify the men at work in the mine
seventeen in number-of the fact of
the fire. No sooner did they receive
the notice than all hands rushed for
the slope, as the signs claarly indicate.
which was their only means of egrcss.
Eight of the men succeeded IN effect
ing their escape from the periIous po-
sition, some of them being somewhat
injured, though none very seriously.
The rest of the men were unable to
get out and were left to perish below.
The news of the terrible disaster
spread very rapidly and hundreds of
people rushed to the scene, and the
excitement was very intense. But
every one manifested great anxiety TO
contribute whatever aid was Ill their
power TO rescne the unfortunate vic.
TINS. a force ofmen was Immediate
ly organized aud went to work put
ting down a drill-hole for the pur-
pose of ventilation into one of the
leads of the mine. some fifty or sixty
rods from the entrance, and in the
short space of eight and q half hours,
working by hand, the drill was sunk
through distance of forty-two feet
into one of the passage ways below.
Another force of men mostly citizens
of the vicinity went earnestly to work
in sinking shaft near this passage,
boping thps to be able to reach and
relieve the unfortunate men, bHt after
getting down some thirty feet the
work was abandoned for the time
being.
On Thursday morning q telegraph
dispBtch was received In this village
requesting assistance to extinguish
the fence. The alarm bell was soun-
ded and in few minutes the mem-
bers Of PheniK Fire Company were
on hand with their fine steamer and
equipments and as soon as the con-
strnction train of the G. g. p. r. r.
could be got in readiness, they were
on their way to the scene of the terri
hle disaster; Upon their arPiYal they
vent earnestly to work to eYtingHish
the flames, and rendered the most eff
ficient service. Everybody present
spoke loudly in praise of the manner
in which they discharged their ardu-
Gus duties, and the courage and intre-
pidiiy manifested by them in their
efforts 10 afford relief, Ahop! moan
they had so far gained upon the tire
that one Of the bodies was reached
and taken out, and during the AFTER
noon the remains of i've more Of the
victims were recovered. The horror
laf the scene when these bodies were
Rr9qght te view was indesPFibable.
BY eleVen o'clock on Thursday night
fhe fire was completely extingisAed,
and the aremen having most Hohly
performed their duty loaded their
steamer and hose carts upon the fats
and prepared to return home, where
they arrived at midnight after an ar
dHoHs DAYS labor. The lsdlps of that
vicinity as an evidence of the appre-
elatlon Of their services, prepared a
suppep far them, but the ahays" beIHg
anxious to return home, declined to
accept the profiered testimonial.
+ On Friday morning the body of an
other victim was recovered-and a
little after four o'clock another one
was reached, but owing to the cayipg
| iAaf The FAqf lhe warkWen wcFc gn:
able TO SECURE it, aud it was not until
about two o'clock on. Sunday morning
after constant and earnest labor that
the debris was removed and the three