Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-02-23
MURDERED MINERS.
Full Details OF the Braidwood
Horror.
The Underground Passages insufficient
For Escape.
Heartrending scenes at the Mouth OF
the Fatal PIt.-The Full Extent
the Calamity Not Vet APP
preciated.

the Fatal PIt.-The Full Extent
OF the Calamity Not Vet APP
preciated.
BRAIDwooD, Ill, Feb. 23.-The most
horrible disaster of this disastrous year
occurred at Braidwood, ILL.,, Friday.
| The Diamond mine was flooded and
more than seventy people killed.
| There are many persons who even
vet do not fully understand how the
terrible affair of Friday could have oc-
Cured.
The first man who knew anything
concerning the break was the pump
man, who is located at the bottom of
the shaft, and whose duty it is to keep
| the water out of the shaft and see that
the loading of the coal-cart goes on
properly. He had just sent up a load
of coal, and upon going back to the
pumps he found the water was rising
rapidly, and the cause, he thought, was
lack of steam-power in the engine
above. He accordingly went up and
saw the engineer, who said he had on
as much steam as usual. The engi-
neer stepped into the cage and went
down to see what was the matter, and
| to his astonishment he found the water
up to his waist and rising rapidly. He
| also found number of miners who
had come to the shaft to escape. An
alarm was at once given by the
Showers" and all made for the top.
The big whistles of the engines were
sounded three times, and the little
hamlet recognized it as signal that the
mine was flooded. Nearly four hun
bred distracted women and children
gathered in very few minutes
and the heart sickens when
the imagination paints the scene that
followed. The water ia the mine was
rapidly rising, and the stealthy stream
had swollen into a roaring torrent.
The miners had received late warn
ing and they started, some toward the
main shaft, and others toward the air
shaft, little west it. The tide met
them before more than twenty had
reached the principal exit. Some had
fingered to warn friends or to collect
tools. They rising2 water, which was
descending like an Alpine torrent by
the impetus given it by fall of eighty
five feet, struck many of the unfortun-
ate victims, whirling them away, and
dashing them against the blackened
roof with irresistible force. Some
struggled on with the seetning water
up to their arm pits, but at points
where the roof sloped downward they
fonnd the waves touching the top, and
realized the terrible fact that they were
to die like rats in that terrible under
ground trap. One man dived three
times under the sloping roof, and
finally rose in the main shaft and
climbed into an elevator. He was a
good swimmer and knew the locality
perfectly, hence he was the only one
of those whom the waters had shut off
who escaped when hope had deserted
everyone else.
Many incidents Of startling interest
occurred. The case of the Pearsons
boys in particular may be mentioned.
'There we're four of them," said one of
the rescued miners to a reporter. IL
was with them. We all rushed toward
the shaft. Two of the boys took the
wrong track, running at full speed. The
eldest of the four turned to his remain
ing brother at his side and said "Save
yourself; I'll bring them back" The
young one and myself got out, and we
saw no more of the other three" The
brave lad never drought them back"
He called to them in vain, followed
them, and died with them.
Pat Redmond and his two sons reach
ed the shaft, when the younger one
stumbled. Tue man had his foot on
the cage, but he turned back to save
his boy, and father and son were swept
on to gloomy death. A man, with the
body of his dead child, climbed up the
winding stairs. He was ascending the
last ladder; his wife was bending over
the shaft to greet him. He lost his
hold, and, still clinging to the cor pse,
fell to the bottom of the pit. Cool.
headed men above ground bad all they
could do to restrain the miners from
going down in the cages to help their
fellows. All who went down were lost,
and there were others besides the two
mentioned above.
The scene at the mou til CT the main
shaft cannot be pictured in all its ter
rihle reality. The loud sharp whistle,
which only sounds in times of disaster,
drew nearly 800 wailing women and
children to that awful spot. Only a
score Of men came to the top, when it
was learned that the shaft was filling
up, and that no more could come.
The fear-blanched faces of those
women, the cries of distress in the
strange, pathetic Scotch dialect, the |
blind efforts at rescue made by the |
few men, their prayers and oath COM
mipgled-all this combined to make a |
vivid reflection above the ground of |
the agony suffered in the caverns be-
low. A rush was made for the air |
shaft when the main was swamped. |
Nearly 100 men came up. The |
sharp cry of with which woman
would fall upon the rescued form of a |
lover, son or husband, was almost ter |
ribly thrilling than shrek of pain. |
1t was rs If men were rising out of the |
grave. But before an hour had Slip |
ped the shaft filled up and no more |
could come out. Then the scene grew |
more heart-rendering. One man who |
was the last to come up was told by
his wife that their son was still in the |
pit. Without word, and before any
one could stop him, the man returned |
to his death.
1t was while gazing into that pit that |
Mrs. McQuestion went crazy. Her
husband and three sons were in the
depths. She scanned every face that
came up, her fear growing wilder ev
cry moment, but not one of the forms
she loved appeared. At last no one
could come up, aud the frantic woman
tried to Chamber over the protecting
boards and fling herself into the tomb
which held her loved ones. One thing