The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1877-08-10
A COAL-MINE HORROR.
Particulars o the sDiHPsfer near Sharon
Pa, by which Six Men Lose their
Observation-Disclosures Scenes.

About two weeks ago the Brookfeld
Coal company completed a tunnel to
their mines Previous to this the com.
| pany had hauled out their coal by mule
power. When the tunnel was in readi-
ness a small locomotive was introduced,
| but it did not work well with soft coal
or coke, and anthracite coal was tried as
an experiment. For three trips it proved
successful. Then it was observable that
the tunnel was filling with sulphuriC
gas. At the fourth trip the brakemen
were oxercome by the nOxious gas, and
| fell to the ground insensible. The en-
gineer managed to get the locomotive
out, and gave the alarm, a large num-
Der of men instantly rushed in to rescue
the miners. All were affected and fell
unconscious. This state of affairs con-
tinued until twenty-three men had en-
tered the tunnel. Squads of four were
then formed. They entered the tunnel,
caught up a miner and carried him out Of
the bank, and turned him over to the
physicians present, who did all in their
power to resuscitate the men. In this
way the work went on till thirty uncOn-
scious and six dead miners were brought
out. The excitement spread to the Cleve-
land shaft and Woods bank, adjoining.
Eight men from these two mines, labor
ing under the impression that other mi
ners were in the tunnel, rushed in, and
all succumbed to the deadly gas. OF
these, five were shortly afterwards
brought cut insensible and the three
Others dead. Among the first to enter
the tunnel to save his comrades was John
Jones, the mine boss. He had proceeded
about a quarter of mile when he fell,
and an hour later was taken out dead.
He was 90 years old, and leaves wife
and large family.
The scenes that took place as the dead
and dying miners were being brought
out were agonizing. Mothers and wives,
sisters and brothers of the miners ran
around distracted, crying and wrlnging
their hands over the dead bodies of their
dear ones. One woman lost her husband
and two grown-up sons. Her grief gave
vent in shrek after shrek, as she alter
nately embraced her dead. 1t was
scene that never could be forgotten. The
excitement seized upon the crowd, and
for the time many acted like lunatlcs.
Grim. coal-black miners huddled together
like so many sheep, completely panic
stricken.
The engineer of the locomotive, after
he had given the alarm, threw up ms
arms, staggered wildly, and, uttering in
coherent words, became insinsible.
A grief-stricken wife threw herself on
the dead body of her husband, rolling
over with the corpse tightly clasPed IN
her arms, all the time crying Historically,
and cursing God and every living human
being.
Three sisters surrounded the body OF a
4 L. -, 1Ilvr Nl,s
physicians to strip the body, to afford
greater facility in their endeavors to re-
vive the spark of life.
A majority of the sufferers were men
with families, and their untimely death
falls with double force upon their poor
wives and children. The manner IN
which most of the victims encountered
death, trying to save the lives of their
imperiled comrades, speaks volumes in
praise of the heroism of the miners
Sharon PM Cor. ChibdgO Times.