The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-07-31
a Coal Mine Horror.

A Shenandoah dispatch gives the follow
ing in regard to the coal mine catastrophe
which took place there on Tuesday
lasti The Keely Run Colliery, Oft the Thorn
as Coal Company, one of the largest opera
tious on the Girard estate, has been troubled
for the past few weeks with white damp,
deadly gas which has been escaping from
the old workings of the colliery partitioned
off from the places at present being worked.
Monday night Jonathan Marley and Frank
whitman, the superintendent and foreman
of the colliery, accompanied by John Rees,
District Superintendent of the Philadelphia
and Reading Coal and Iron Company, who
went along in the capacity Of an adviser
entered these old workings for the purpose
of deyisiug some plan to correct the difficult
ty. AS the Mine Inspector proposed to stop
the colliery Tuesday Inspector Gay went to
the colliery at o'clock Tuesday morning
to stop it, when he found that the men
had not yet come out. He at once organ
lied party to search for them, but he had
no sooner reached the gangway, by the way
of the breach through which the missing
men had gone down, than lie was overcome
by the gas and carried out insensJle. The
whole party were forced back, and it was
not until a current of air was established
through the old works that they were found.
| They were gotten out at 1890 o'clock, but
only after thirty miners had succumbed to
| the noXious gas. A force Of doctors was kept
| busy all morning on the bank resuscitating
the brave men who were risking their lives
| in the effort to save those inside. The un-
| fortunate men were found lying along the
gangwuy, about ten feet from each other,on
their faces, with their fingers imbedded in
nue. of escape from the impure air. From
the way they were found it appears that,
although the victims were all experienced
miners, they had not calculated upon meet
ing such a large quantity of bad air. They
must have been killed within few minutes
after entering the place. This is the most
populous section of the Schuylkill coal re-
]
| gion, and thousands of men and women had
| gathered to watch the work Of the resculng
| parties, and the excitement was very great
until all hope of saving the men alive had
| to be abandored. The deceased were all
| prominent citizens and leave large families.
Jonathan Marley had been a resident Of
| the Shenandoah region since the first deyel-
opemeut of mines there. His first employ
ment was in the colliery where he met his
death 1t was at that time operated by the
Thomas Coal Company, with headquarters
in Philadelphia The late Thomas, who
was accidentally killed at Coatesville,on the
Pennsylvania Railroad, in 1877, was the
President. Mr.. Marley was one of the most
prominent citizens Of Shenandoah, bore a
conspicuous part in the opposition to the
/ Mollie Magures,and his life was threatened
by them upon several occasions. lie had
made considerable money by careful invest
meuts, and owned several valuable proper
ties in Shenandoah
John Rees,the superintendent Of the Phil
adelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Com
pany's collieres in the Shenandoah district,
had lived in Shenandoah since the pnening
of the coal fields there. He was a nariveof
Wales, and came to this country with a
valuable experience in coal mining obtained
in his native country. During the labor eX-
elements in the scbuylkill region in 1877
Mr. Rees showed undaunted courage, and ii
is stated that it was owing to his excellent
Judgment that the troubles did not assume
a more serious aspect at that time. He was
several times warned to leave the coal fields
by Molle Masuires, and to afford him pro-
lection he was kept under the constant sur
yeillance of the detective force.