San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1877-11-24


soon gathered round also, and, with the
least possible delay, exploring parties
were formed. 1t was found to be utter
" impossible to descend No. 8 shaft,
which was choked with shattered tim
bers and debris Of all kinds, so the first
gang descended the down-cast, up which
smoke was still rising. Before they
went down, however, the cage had been
drawn up, and fifteen miners who had
been working in what is known as the
"north face''-the side of the facings
opposite to that where the stoops were
being taken out-were brought up,most-
ly uninjured. The effect of the explosion
had not been felt in that quarter and
they had only been alarmed by the sound
of it, and had at once fastened to the
foot of the shaft. The exploring party
made their way for some distance into
the splint coal working on the southwest
face, where they at once perceived that
the explosion had occurred; but their
progress was soon ,.'.. ...t
ARRESTED BY CHOKE-DAMP,
and they had to withdraw, some OF them
being drawn up insensible. There was
no lack of volunteers, however, to con-
tinue the gallant effort to save life. Ere
long another party descended, and in
the course of few minutes they had
brought six bodies to the surface. All
these bore terrible traces of burning,
and the condition in which they were
found BODIED ill for the prospect of any
more men being discovered alive in that
part of the workings. For more than
an hour attempts were prosecuted to
penetrate the workings at this point,
but at every descent the rescue parties
found the fatal choke-damp gaining
ground, until at last it met them at the
foot of the shaft, and then began to
ascend. Finally, however, it was found
necessary to close the shaft and to give
up all hope of saving the people in that
direction. A few more may be saved,
but at least 200, it is dreaded, are lost.
THE TERROR AND AGONY
exhibited amongst the wives and chill
dren of the imprisoned miners were OF
the most heartrending character. Eff
forts were made to restore communica-
ton with those below, and at length
these were so far successful that one
man was brought up alive to the sur
face. This survivor, who escaped from
No. 2 pit, stated that he was working at
the face when he heard IN explosion.
Not, however, suspecting any thing I'M
usual, he made his way leisurely to the
bottom, when the sight of dead bodies
all around opened his eyes to the ap-
palling extent of the catastrophe.
Every effort was made to restore the
ventilation which the explosion had
stagnated, but more than an hour elaps-
ed before a current of air would flow as
it should do from No. 3 pit along to
No. 2.
Six several times the reserves return
ed at great risk to themselves, and ON
each occasion they managed to bring
up dead body, each of which was
dreadfully burned and mutilated.
THE CHOKE-DAMP
eventually became so bad that theyw
forced to desist. Some of the party in
deed very narrowly escaped, and so
overcome were they all that they had to
be covered with earth to free them from
the choke-damp before they recovered
full consciousness. To promote cur
rent of air, streams of water were poured
down the shafts, but long time elapsed
before there was much improvement in
the atmosphere below. The bodies that
were recovered were terribly scorched
and blackened, and the men who went
down stated that there was every ap-
pearance of the explosion having been
so terrible as to justify the worst fears.
Dead bodies were strewn about and
every thing was a mass of confusion.
Joseph Gilmour, the hoursman of pit
No. 3, was found dead near the engine
at the bottom of the shaft. The work
of exploration was vigorously prose-
cuted, and up till $3.50 O'Clock in the
afternoon three more bodies were re-
covered. They were brought up by the
No. shaft, near to the bottom of which
they had been seen lying. The bodies
were those of young lads aged from u
to IA, and they presented a shocking
sight when brought to the surface. They
were literally incased in mud; the faces
were all blackened and charred. Two
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