The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-09-10

Between One Hundred and Thirty and
One Hundred aud Forty Of the Miners
DeRd-The Explorations Progressing
Slowly.
LONDON, September "a A. M.-The ac'
counts Of the number Of men in the Sea.
ham colliery pit vary. The pit consists Of
five seams, one below another. The
shallowest seam is 400 feet below the sur
face. The total depth Of the colliery is
about 600 yards. The nineteen men in
the top seam merely felt the rush Of the
air, but on proceeding to the shaft found
1t blocked by debris. The air coming up
theshaft was exCeedingingly foul. Commu.
nication with the top seam was opened at
l O'Clock yesterday afternoon, but because
Of the damage to the shalt the men could
only be hoisted out siugly by chains and
ropes. Nearly all Of them, therefore, elect
ed to remain in the pit so as not to delay
the explorers in clearing away the lower
seams, whence knockings and shoutings
were audible about o'clock in the even
ing. The upcast shaft was sufficiently clear
to use 1t, also enabling the bringing up OF
victims to proceed more rapidly. Several
men near the furnace at the bottom OF the
upcast shalt were found 70 be shockiDgly
burned.
It is thought the explosion originated
In the lower seam, and that the gas was
driven over the furnace. The explorers
for some time had to suspend the work of
bringing up the survivors In consequence
OF the stables being on fire. A wonan'i
dropped dead on hearing OF the death Of
her brother in the pit. A store room has
been cleared for the reception OF the
corpses. The latest published telegram,
from the Inspector Of Mines, dated from
Seaham at o o'clock last evening, says:
Fiity.nine men have been rescued, and
one hundred and thirty are yet TO be &C.
counted for. Explorations have been
stopped in consequence OF fire in two Of
the middle seams.
Great sympathy is felt for those still in
the pits. There is plenty OF assistance, with
relay Of workers every four hours. 1t
would appear from the above dispatch
from the Inspector that there had been a
5A. Mt now seems that the dead in
the Seaham mine number between 1870
and l40. There are some corpses in the
lower seams, which are supposed to be
lying mile from the shaft. The air there
is so foul that it Is thought impossible that
any can have survived.
lP. M-Dispatches from seaham, dated
1880 A. NJ, says: A party OF explorers
have just ascended the shaft. They re.
port the Gre TO be near the engine room,
In No. 8 shaft. This will shortly be extin.
guished. AT present the relief party can
go no further.
A dispatch. dated Seaham, at ll:3e, says:
A party OF mining engineers have Just as
cended. They report that the bodies Of
the furnace men at the bottom OF the
shaft are quite shriveled up. The other
bodies they saw were fearfully scorched,
and all the clothes burned of. The coal
is on fire near the engine house, but hose
will be lowered and the flames possibly
subdued promptly.
1880 P. M.-The exploration OF the
Seahom mine was continued throughout
the night. The statement made In the
dispatch from Seaham last night that sixty
six men had been secured alive is now
confirmed. The number in the pit is un.
certain, but $50 lamps were given out
Tuesday night. No hopes are entertained
for those still in the mine. Three fires
were discovered in the mine during the
night and extinguished. Every Efforts
making to clear shaft No. 1 and get the
cages atTork.
A dispatch from seaham at noon, says
the FIRE occasions great anxiety, as many
explorers are in the pit. Vague hopes are
entertained that some Of the men may
have escaped to distant workings, hut one
nf the agents OF the Durham Miners
Union, who has been down, expresses the
opinion that not man or horse in the
lower pit survived the explosion. There
were $50 horses in the mine. The corpses
collected at the bottom oi the shalt will be
raised tonight.
LONDON, September 9.-Midnight-The
fire in the Seaham pit has been subdued.