The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-02-23

HORRIBLE MINE DISASTER.

BILE disaster. The mine covers so acres.
IL Is situated three miles from Braid
wood. The ground is covered by three
miles of water, and tho recent floods
have swollen the waters to considers
BILE degree, At II o'clock this morning,
Tom DAILY was working at the bottom
of the main shaft, and was the first to
discover that the mine was flooded. He
boarded the elevator and was carried
up the shaft, which is 1875 feet deep. He
gave the alarm, and the whistle was
sounded. twas Immediately discover
ed that the surface of the mine had
given away. The spot which yielded
was twenty-five yards from the main
shaft. Quicksand had been forming
for months, and when the collapse oc-
CURED it left hole 40 by 80 feet. Two
miners who were engaged in loading
cars at the bottom, rode up to tho sur
face, but went back to warn their COM
panions. They were drowned. A few
feet west of the main shaft was ali air
shaft furnished with circular ladders.
Through this many miners made their
escape. The main shaft was in Will
county, and the hole formed by the
waters in Grundy county, although the
distance between the TWO was only $50
yards. The swater broke in on that
part of the mine which had been aband-
oned, and the miners apprehended no
danger until tley found the water had
crept up to their ways. The ceiling of
The mine slopes downward, somuch so,
IN fact, that a man can not walk I'D
right, and so when the water rushed
down with the force of the Niagara
torrent there was little chance to es-
cape. Seventy-One men were drowned,
and about ITO escaped. II the victims
hn1 NoN 1rNx 81 kh, ntr
would have killed them. One of the
rescued miners, Hugh Strickland, de-
seended an abandoned shaft, but found
that the water had risen nearly seventy
feet, and was forced to ascend. Two
years ago the surface beneath the
"Black slough" gave way, but the
miners escaped without any loss of life;
hence it was that, unmindful of the
recent rains. the miners made no speedy
efforts to fly, and they must have been
astounded when the irresistible flood
bore down upon them. They were
drowned like rats, and their bodies were
their own hands had built. Four boys
0f the Pieson family tried to escape.
One took the right path and reached
the air-shaft ladder. Two others took
the wrong path, and the eldest boy fol-
lowed them, trying to call them back.
Three were drowned, and the youngest
reached the landing in safety.
A dispatch from Braidwood on Mon
day reports no new developments in the
Diamond mine. and nothing could If
ford a ray of comfort to friends and
relatives of the miners buried in the
watery sepulehre. Instead, it is feared
that further homes may be made desc
late when all the victims are discovered
il the recovery Of all the bodies is ever
accomplished. 1t has been learned
other persons were likely to be in the
mine beside those represented on the
eompany's books. Not an hour in the
day passes but the miners have friends
from other points going under ground
70 sec them, and it is feared that some
Of such may have been in the Diamond
when the torrent of rushing waves burst
through the mine. Many of the miners,
mainly Germans, have been in the
habit Of taking countrymen with them
who desired to get work, but were not
familiar enough with mining to obtain
employment from the company, and
teaching them the business. 1t has
often happened that in the chambers or
tunnels where three men are required
to do work half dozen would be found,
the regular wOrkmen having an equal
number of friends whose identity the
coal company had no means of estab-
fishing. One of the most experienced
pit bosses in this region expressed the
opinion that the total number of vic
Tins would reach hundred and prac-
teal miners concur in this opinion.
How extensive the underground food
is can be judged when it is known that
three hundred acres of the mine at the
northeast and southwest corners had
been worked out and abandoned months
ago. The area of the portion which
was being worked, in all its ramifca-
tons, Is about three hundred and TWEEN
ty acres, 80 that some six hundred acres
of underground tunnels are filed with
water to the level of the earth. A civil
engineer in the employ Of the Chicago
and Wilmington company. estimates
that there is 100000 cubic feet of
water, which will require twenty-five
days to be pumped out.
On Monday evening the three com
panies of workmen had completed
dam and lowered the water five feet i'm
the main shaft. Adjutant General Ell
lott was sent by Governor Hamilton to
inquire into the necessities of the fam
lilies of the drowned, and found pitt
able condition ofthings. The archbishop
of Chicago has offered TO take care of
the Catholic orphans. Contributions
TO the amount OF $1,000 have already
been received.
DEVASTATING FLOODS.
The floods that have devastated the
Ohio Valley during the past week were
the most destructive ever known. Since
our last issue the elimination was
reached, and later dispatches report the
flood slowly subsiding.
A Louisville dispatch, Saturday,
says: The river is about stationary, at
forty -four feet at the head of the canal.
The backwater at Washington street
has flooded the basement Of the Gault
House and the rear rooms are sub
merged. The water is several feet
deep in the new Short Line passenger
depot. The situation this morning APP
peared more dangerous than at any
other time. The backwater was COM
ing through the sewers in many places
and the river was rising one foot an
hour.
~ the river sho,ild 90 da<yn rapidly H.