The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-07
BURIED In AN IRON NINE.
MINERS Killed BY THE FALLING or
MINY TONS or ROCK.
The Accident In the Andovcr Iron Company.
Mines One body Taken Out Miners
Digging for Those Of Their Comrades.

DOVER, n j., Sept. Gust as the miners
employed in the great iron mine ofthe Andover
Iron Company. in Hibcrnia eight miles from
this village, began work yesterday morning. n
rumblng crash echoed through the shafts. II
was soon nsccrtnincd TINT huge mass Of earth
had crashed down through the stus over
one OF the stupes. and buried four miners. John
Ryan and his son Patrick Morris Courscn. and
Patrick Brlslin. Tho miners all ceased work
and gathered at the mouth of the shafts and
tunnels. and women and children gathered
with them, and their comrades began to dig
them out.
In tho Hibcrnia mine the ore lies in veins
with dip Of As degrees. and Is mined in
benches. As fast rs the ore Is taken out henvy
timbcrs Of tho best white oak are put across the
scam. and on these are laid round timbers
called tagging" Over this Is placed tho
rock necessarily taken out to get Mt the ore
This mass of timber and rock Is called ." stull,'
and is so constructed that when from any cause
tho rocks on both sides Of the seam start TO
close together the rock in the stul catches
thom. and the pinching only sOlidinCs tho mass
These stulls are from fifteen to thirty feet
npurt and form solid roadways to the different
levels in the mine. These levels. or benches
running at right angles with the perpendicular
shafts through which the ore is hOisted. nre
chilled by the miners stupos" and are dcsig-
mated by IN" name of The contractor work ing in
them. for all The ore raised from the Hibernia
tractors John Turner is one Of them. His
stupc is about 2nO feet hencnh the surface of
the earth at the mouth Of the shaft. and a. many
feet from the mouth OF the tunnel. There
are many stus over H. and one of
these some ninety fec, above his siupc. was the
gave way. nor how: but 1t is certain that mass
~ rock. probably huge sllb. fell from the roof
down tn stull. that the stall gave way, and that
tho vast mass. with the rock and timber from
the stull. crashed down to the second stull.
which IN turn gave WY. and ne accrmulatr,d
rcctly above Turner's stupe. and which, OF
course. could no, resist the tremendous pres.
sure. and added it, portion e. the avalanche of
four mon at work below
A gang Of experienced miners WINS immo-
dintcy SGT at work 20 dig for tho buried men.
They ascoriaincd that the victims were soma
wh.rr undcr z nlnss Of loose rock and earth
and timber. thirty feet dccp, and covered for
about twenty-five feet from the bark wall The
only way Of working effectively WIS to DIG
from the bottom of this mass. bracinG
up the mass above. as they proceeded with stout
tmhcrs. This thcy did NJ rapidly rs possible.
hut It was slow, work. Tor only six men nj thu
most could work TO advantage in the narrow
stupc. But there were six men at work con-
SANITY. When one gang tired. or became
the work went on steadily throughout all ~
yesterday. through the night. and to-day, until
about O'Clock word was sent up the SHAFT that
a body had been found.
A crent throng of minors and their wives and
children were at the mouth II the tunnel. hut
have crowded into the tunnel leading into the
mouth Of the shaft At O'Clock the word came
w that tho body was that 81 Morris Courarn.
He was found crushed beyond recognition.
save through his clothes and hair, lying bent
double, ~ hr fell when struck 10y the falling
mass Hardly bono in his body hut WAS
broken. and tho solos NJ his now and heavy
cowhide boots wore torn from the uppcrs. Tho
body was hostcd To- the surface and nut into mn
ore ear, and rushed out To the daylight. Az tho
cur rnd it, burden slowly pulled out from the
mouth OF the tunnel. there arose from the
women mourniul cry, They pressed around
tho car. wringing their hands and still weeping
while six men hastily placed tho body in q cart
house. and then. shutting out tho multitude
prepared the body for delivery TO his friends.
| Coursen's body wac found thirteen feet from
tho outer edge Of tho fallen mass. Directly in
! their path lics n great rock, which must he
| blasted, and IL il therefore not likely that tho
! other three bodies will be recovered before to-
morrow might or sunday.
Morris tOurscn WIS not twenty years Of ago
| IN American. sober and Industrious His
| father II Il blacksmith Mt the mine. John Rynn.
! who lies by tho sid" Of his son Patrick under
! hearted Woodworking Irshman. n member of
/ the temp rance society. and good man. His
! how. who worked with him. was only thirteen
! wears az ~. Four little Children and their
mother aro len unproYided FOR. Patrick Brs-
| I'm WINS siNiv-two years Of age For many years
/ he had worked in the mines. II aged wife
and four daughters ~urvive him. -Four years
/ ago hir SON. a promising young man. was killed
/ IN the NINE.
/ liihernin is model mining village. II con-
] taius 500 Inhabitants - whom $50 are working
| mon. The majority 81 them are Irishmrn hut
/ Their" are many Cornish miners and some
/ church two schools, and public hall. The
| company gives all is operatives their houses
/ rent free, and all who wish. and are able. can
! work tho year round NJ fair wages. In cases Of
reu-'s. and ASSISTS the families Of those killed
| when II Is necessary.