The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1881-12-31
How n Terrible Accident Was Caused by
Whistling Far Beneath the Earth-Eae

How n Terrible Accident Was Caused by
vyhistling Far Beneath the Earth-Tae
Great Burning N inc.
Correspondence Phila ielphia Times
LARGsFoRD, Pa, Dec. 10.-A singular SUI
perstition prevails among foreign born
miners in the great Pennsylvania coal fields
that if any person whistles in mine some
disaster is sure to follow. Miners born in
this country do not share this super
stitious belief to any great extent, but
in Difference to the wishes of fellow-labor-
ers they never whistle in the mines.
Sometimes they sing and hum their plant
i've ballads hundreds of feet below the sur
face of the earth, and as rule miners are
cheerful and contented. The superstitious
believe that good luck spirit turks in
every mine and that at the sound of whist
ling it flies and leaves the miners at the
mercy of the nun,berless ''spirits of evil"
A terrible mine disaster occurred in 1910
which was caused, it is claimed, by the
whistling of one of the miners.
The mine was the property of the Delaware
and Hudson Canal Company. and was not
properly supported with strong timbers.
This fact was known to most of the miners,
and the shaft, mile in length, was to have
been abandoned in few days. The miners
were about to quit work when a reckless
person named Jack Richards suddenly
laid down his pick and startled his
comrades by saying that he would
whistle a Jig so they could dance a
farewell in the mine. The miners in vain
protested, but Richards laughed at their
superstitious ideas and commenced Wills
Ting The miners were preparing to leave
the place at once, and the more frightened
they became the louder and faster Jack
whistled In the midst of the tune d1ll,
roaring noise was heard, and every cheek
blanched with terror. for they knew the
mine was caving in. Jack" advised them
10 run for their lives, and he led the way.
Another crash came, masses OF falling rock
Numbered down, and they were imprisoned,
these seventeen men, in space only forty
feet square.
The gust of wind that rushed through the
shaft when the caving in occurred had ex-
tinguished every lamp. and, for wonder,
there was not match in the party. They
cursed Richards heartily, but he did not re-
spond. Subsequently he was founo dead,
crushed by the fallen coal and rocks He
was the only one of the party who was in
jured in any way. The imprisoned men
worked as men never worked before, and
as they were about giving up all hope of
ever seeing their friends again, noise
was heard against the rocks and they could
hear the regular click OF the pick" of the
men who were working to rescue them.
Presently ray of light was seen, and in half
an hour more the men were saved. The
body of Richards was extricated and taken
to his home for burial. Very few of the
miners attended the funeral, believing that
the disaster was due entirely to Richards
having driven the ''good spirit" out of the
mine with his lively whistling. Richards
had no relatives in the world but sickly
sister, and she was so Frustrated
by the loss OF her brother
that she died the next day, and the
two were buried at the same time. A mine
boss named Hosie was also Imprisoned In
the mine and given up for dead. Three days
after the terrible accident he made h,s APP
pearance, haggard and pale. He had dug
his way for an incredible distance through
the debris, without food or water TO sustaip