The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-07-22

elElL o CLOCK III tub LluIuiuEi iOuA III Ius
atterno n and twelve at midnight. The
men take meal at half-past four O'Clock
In the morning, and the men were just
coming out for this meal when the disas
ter occurred. The tunnel had been ex'
tended out about three hundred feet from
the working shaft where the accident oc'
Cured. Close to the working shaft there
Is space OF about thirty feet from the
working shaft TO point in the tunnel
where the permanent work had been built.
This slopes toward the river and has hith.
erto been protected by temporary
filling. Workmen have been engaged
for several days replacing this
temporary hulking with permanent work.
The iron plating above the roof had been
placed in position, and men were working
their way downward through the sill, and
the debris, and putting in iron plates at
the sides. 1t Is supposed that some OF
these plates, which were placed next 10
the brick wall of the working shaft, were
I.not placed close enough to c0ntine the
condensed air supplied to the men work.
ing in the shaft, by the engine on the sur
face. This compressed air made It's way
out, turning the plates backward, and al
lowing the water to flow TO thesurface. II
was not the water directly from the river
that flowed in, as the place where the
break occurred Is about fifty feet from the
bulkhead, but the ground is filled In and
was much loosened and broken up by the
excavation for making the shalt. The
ground is filed with water and as a current
was created The water from the riyerrnshed
In through the bulkhead, filling the tun.
mel, and working through the refuse shaft
| TO the working shaft, filling 1t with fifty
feet Of water, and coming within ten or
twelve feet OF the surface. The ground
Immediately over the break sank down
about eight or ten feet, and the water is
now standing foot or two deep in the
bottom OF this hole.
scENEs AT THE DISASTER.
Immediately after the accident word
was sent to the police station in Jersey
City, and Capt. Edmundsonl fastened to
the scene with five Of his men and kept
back the crowd OF excited men and wo.,
men. Ropes were stretched from pointto
point. A large throng OF men and boys
gathered at the scene as soon as the news
spread abroad; many OF them were at
tracted by mere curiosity, but among the
throng were the wives and friends OF the
men Who were caught in the tunnel and
drowned. When the full details Of The
calamity were known, and 1t was found
that these men we're drowned and buried
beneath twenty feet OF earth and that il
would be Impossible 10 recover the bodies
for two or three days, many OF these wo.
men were led TO their homes by sympathiz.
ing friends, but the curiosity seekers re-
NAMED and their number constantly in
creased. Two Catholic Priests arrived
upon the scene and did much toquietand
console the sorrowing women. The crowd
was very orderly and the policemen had
no trouble in keeping them outside OF the
lines.
STORY OF THE SURVIVORS.
The following is cleaned from the state
ments OF the survivors: The eight men
saved had been doing some work in the
above tunnel for night Superintendent
Michael Birdsall, and were again descend
ing into the tunnel through the cylinder
ical barrel. six feet in diameter and four
teen feet In length. This is called an air
lock and serves to preserve the density OF
the atmosphere OF the tunnel, which in
turn is secured by the forcing OF air
through pipes from pumps. There is
door In each end OF the air.lock: they
both open inward. At each side OF the
doora are round windows Of thick glass,
through which, from the outside OF the
air lock, view eau be gained Of the work
and workmen inside the tunnel. Moses
Pearson, night engineer, at this moment
approached the engine room. While near
ing the huge iron compressed air chamber
be suddenly stopped with an ejaculation
OF alarm, them quickly running to the
Superintendent be exclaimed:
NIKE, FOR GODS SAKE WHAT DOES THAT
[ MEAEl
at the same time pointing out Just beyond
the mouth OF the wrecking shaft, near
which both men were standing. In the
glare OF the lamps cloud Of dust was dis
tinguished in the air, and in an instant it
was observed that II was being forced up
ward, as though by gust OF wind direct
ly from beneath, accompanied by sound
as II OF rushing wind. Birdsall sprang 10
the ladder where the men had gone down
and soon reached the bottom, and hasten
ed TO one OF the round glass windows be-
side the door OF the air.ock, and known
as dead ewes. BE tried the door, but 1t
was fast, because one at the other end was
open and the force'of the compressed mir
in the tunnel was full upon the one near
est him. AS he looked he raped loudly
on the window AID door. all OF the
eight men who had last gone down had
not yet left the air.lock. They we're. In |
the act OF passing through, when by
motions and gestures, the superintendent
signaled them TO return. Suddenly he saw
them start and turn their gaze towards
the works and in the mex tinstant {; a;heavy,
succession ol thuds was heard and felt,
for they shook the ground. Horrible
fright in the flash appeared on the faces Of
the men inside, and one, with a crowbar,
rushed to the outer dead lights, and in an
instant had crushed them outward. This
gave vent to the compressed air that filed
the tunnel. 1t relieved the pressure on
the outer door which Birdsali pushed in.
ward, allowing the men in the air lock
means OF egress. No volition Of theirs
was necessary to carry them out, for.
amid the heavy thud Of falling earth and
the crash'ot supporters and timbers
THE MORE TERRIBLE SOUND
Of rushing water came fast upon them
every moment, in which Superintendent
Woodland, with those who had gone in,
cried out to those in the air.lock, "go,
hurry, do the best you can for yourselves.
and then come for u.s." His voice was
choked by the rush Of water that was
surging through the air.lock, and swept
eight men into the working shaft, where
with Birdsall, they we're lost 10 each other
in themaelBtromo Of frothing water that
soon filled the shaft to the depth Of thirty
feet. The men rose to the surface and
reached the ladders in safety, leaving
twenty OF their fellows crushed or drown.
ed. A workman says, we Istrove to stop