The New York herald., 1875-12-06
THE RECENT MINE CAVE.

VISIT TO THE SCENE OF DIsAsTKR-REMARKA-
B1E ErFEcrs MANIFEsTED-ExTEET or THE
pAMAGR-A GENERAL SUSPENSION OF COAL
PRODUCTION IN THE WYOMING VALLEY AN
TCIPATED.
WnEEsBARRE Dec 5, 1875
visit 70 the Of the recent mine disaster near
Plymouth made on Saturday, demonstrated the fact
thai the account OF the casualty furnished week ago
was rot ID the slightest degree exaggerated In fact
the statement in regard the extent or the caye-in
aud the damage the mines rather short OF the
whole truth instead Of exceeding IT, The fall embraces
an area OF about half mile in length, and not
less than one hundred Of rock have fallen
n involving the entire stoppage OF the Grand Tunnel
mIue south and the chauncey mine on the north
The former the oldest and most extensive workings,
and consequently received the greatest amount Of dam
age The officials OF the susquehannA Coal Company,
who operate the Grand Tunnel are exceedingly ret-
cent regard TO
10 their mine and seem disncned TO give any in
formation the subject They Affect TO treat tho
matter as Of slight moment but Notwithstanding this
In the case the tact is unquestonabe that the
caven the most extensive that occurred in this
country in any where coal mining IS carried
on The heaviest fall before known IN Luzerne
county was that the Baltimore mine, near this city,
some years ago when thirteen acres tumbled down
into the excavation AS 70 the cause of the event At
Plymouth there seems be disposition on the part
OF the sufferers to lay
BLANK
upon their ueghbors with what show justice il is at
present impossible TO say The Grand Tunnel folks
intimate that the dihicnlty commenced in the Chann
cey mine while the managers Of the latter coiery are
fully impressed with the belief that they are IN no
way responsible for the disaster which fell SO stimuli
taneously upon the mines Quite OF words IS
likely spring up due before the question IS
settled and tho meantime both parties are busy en-
gagged repairing damages and earnestly endeavorng
ind the OF the startling effects which have
been suddenly and mysteronsly produced II will
be several months before either result is reached and
IN the meantime the problem must remain unsolved
The Grand Tunnel mine is wholly inaccessible from
The enormous OF rock by which II has been
choked and particular information could be OBJ
tanned ia that quarter Investigations turned 10
the Chauncey mine and through the politeness OF
Mcssrs Roberts sLandish, two OF the essees Of the
property,
made tar into the niue the debris OF coal
and rock would permit Passing through tunnel
900 feet the Shawnee Mountain, which
between 800 and 400 feet above the mine was
reached The obstruction commences near the loot OF
slope. but how far ii extends into the mine can
only be conlecured At this point the bed OF the slope
10 have been pressed up from below as the top
appeared intact and the aperture closely packed
with mass of coal from pillar measuring 10 by 100
feet which had been crowded against the root This
coal looked II il had passed through breaker, and
OF IL fairly pulverized This feature IS re-
garded most mysterious, and fairly astonishes the
experts, who without any theory for the
strange upheavaL Mr. Albrghton, who has an ex
perence OF sixty years in mining declares that he
has knowledge OF such an effect having been pro-
duced mine before; and Mr.. Roberts, his partner
IN business who has worked IN mines for nearly hlty
years also says that he knew anything Of the
kind before. Both OF the gentlemen unhestatingy
expressed the opinion that the fall was the
MOST DISASTROUS
known in their experience. How this vast
Or solid rock thus moved from
among the unexplained mysteries which our
any wait until human skill has exhausted
itself in efforts 70 unrave IT, II Is claimed thai both
the mines embraced IN the common ruin we're well sup
phed, and a reference the map of Chauncey mine,
which shows where numerous pillars varying from 100
90 800 feet square have been lett by the gangways,
corroborate the statement II is now thought
that there will be further fall the rock OF the
mountain has wedged itself thai il can descend no
further.
GENERAL SUSPENSION.
1t intimated that general suspension or coal pro-
ductop in Wyoming Valley will be ordered to take
place about the 18th inst and u seems probable
that the will remain idle well on toward spring.
The which led the suspension in schuyl
XVII county will operate IN this quarter. The miners
lily prepared for this emergency, but there seems
10 be alternative left for them In the present de-
preston or trade There cannot fail to be much dis
fress among them during the winter.