The daily gazette., 1883-01-25
A uNKsra 70 0wN..


wiIkesbarre. PA Divsn . COCO snsk'ng
~ nv a Failing nains Beneath Its
wuKssnARaE, Jan. 24.--At an early
honr this morning the people residing In
,he northeastern part OF this city, familiarly
s.u s',,o,sn a. the 1Fiye Points" were thrown
,n,o a state Of great excitement by lOud
ranort. resembling the shoek OF an earth
,paLe In few minutes the surrounding
s,raets Js were crowded with men, women and
oSidrpn. half dressed and stricken with
s.ight The weather was terribly cold and
many person suffered greatly. Hardly had
tha erst shock passed before another, Just as
loud and alarming, followed. This In
creased tine excitement, ana many of those
Who still remained in their houses made
oulck haste to desert them.
Mothers caught up their tables and with
nrd cries rushed out Into the cold, dark
a,nosnhere, not knowing but that the next
innate they would be swallowed up.
rbillren ioined with their frightened
screams. and for time the greatest con-
sternation prevailed. The fathers of fam
lilies. mostly miners, tried 70 pacify the appre-
tensions OF their wives and children, but It
was Of no avail. In the meantime miners
lamna were procured and squads of men
bere and there set out to learn
the exact situation Of affairs. Numerous
cans in the earth, from three to
eght inches in width, were discovered
running diagonally across Scott street..
These discoveries tended to increase the
alarm and many Of the women who followed
the explorers gave vent TO their feelings by
The widest actions. Daylight finally an
peared. The news spread ike wildhre and
soon the people Of the whole town were on
al =. n aafn Tna
cold did not prevent them. They wer0
bound 10 see all that could be seen: the
seams upon the road we're followed up and
il was found that nearly every one Of these
ran into and under the foundations OF many
houses located on Scott street.
In many places the cellar walls were
found 10 be cracked, while the ceilings of
MANY of the houses were 80 damaged as to
cause them to fall. The large brick school
house In the immediate vicinity OF the disas-
ter Is surrounded with long, wide and
threatening gaps, and no school was held
to-day In consequence. The greatest damage
was done on Kidder street. In many places
the earth Is sunk more than foot below
the level and sidewalks tossed aronnd pro-
mIscuously. The extent Of the cave-in
covers a space Of about 40 acres, very nearly
the whole Of which is covered with DWELL
some OF them past repair.
Fred. LaDdmesser's house Is almost ruined
and will paobably have TO be torn down
and rebuilt. Tns front Foundation walls
are buged out fully 80 inches. Great cracks
are observed In the stonework, while the
heavy tImbers that support the balcony have
been thrown ont oil place and hang eus-
pended from their original support. The
house looks as though II would tumble for
ward at any moment. The walks about the
yard are completely torn up, as If by an
explosion. Peter 0'Donnell's house 10
also a wreck. There, too, the foundation
walls bulge out from two 70 three feet, the
lower floors are all torn up, while one cor
per Is opened by 8 hugh seam. Further
down are two substantial housrs, owned by
Mrs. Hainps, widow. The entire frohts Of
thcse structures are ruined, foundations
having been removed several feet out of
place and great many other damages sus-
tanned. The total loss is not yet ascertained,
but II will be heavy.
This evening all Is quiet at the scene Of
the disaster. Those who claim to know,
however, say that another shock is liable TO
occur at auy moment and a great many
people refuse 70 sleep In their houses in con-
sequence,
The disaster is accounted for. upon the
IhtoTy that the props put IN some ulre ago
IN an old niue TO sustaiL the roof have
rotted and are gradually giving way. The
mine is owned by the I elaware and Hud-.
son Coal Company. Immediately after the
disaster those reading over the fatal sp It
began 10 remove TO safer localities, and re
mov-ls continue up to this writing, as gen
eral apprehensions are felt that the w0rat IL
i TO come, The city Is much excited over the
anair, and II Is the general topic Of conVer-
sation.
q THE LARGEST RETAIL STOCK OF DRY