The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-02-24

| pOOllng arrangement, ana the cOm-
panies forming this association or
pool are the Chicago, Wilmington
and Vermillion Company, with three
shafts; the Eureka Coal Company,
with two shafts; the Wilmington
Coal INNINGS and Manufacturing Com
pany, with two shafts, and the Will
mington Star Coal Company, of Coal
City, with two shafts. The three first
mentioned companies are of Braid
wood. These mines were the first to
sink shafts in this portion of the coun-
try, sixteen years ago. The shaft in
which the accident occurred has been
working for the past eight years. 1t
is situated at Diamond, a little village
about four miles southwest of Will
mington and two miles northwest of
Braidwood. The country thereabout
is as level as floor, with perhaps a
slight inclination toward the mines.
The sudden thaw and heavy rainfall
have transformed the prairie into
lake for miles and miles.
About Diamond the water stands
from six inches to three feet in depth.
With scarcely any warning there
suddenly appeared an opening from
the surface of the earth into the mine.
Thesurface being covered with water,
it took only short time for the water
to permeate the entire mine, drown
Ing all who were unable to get out
before the rising water caught them.
In opening this mine a shaft IS feet
deep was sunk into the earth. At
right angles to this two main galleries
were run nearly parallel with the sur
face of the earth and about 75'feet be-
low it. From these main galleries
narrow spurs or gang-ways are dug
out in various directions. These spurs
rise and fall with the ledge of coal,
sometimes rising to within II or Is
feet of the surface. 1t was at such
point, very near the top, where the
break occurred. While lying on his
back, picking away at the coal above,
the earth must haye fallen upon the
doomed miner. Through the opening
thus made the water poured in, filling
one gang way after another and cut
ting off escape to the central shaft.
There was little time to give an al
arm, for in less than an hour from the
time the break occurred every avenue
of escape was cut off and every occu-
pant of the mine at that time must
have been drowned. These galleries
were low and narrow and only by
painfully slow crawling could the
poor victims escape. No noise accom-
panied the water and the first indica-
ton had of their danger oy many of
the dead was a chilly sensation of
cold water trickling along the path
way in which they lay at work. There
was an air shaft offering an addition
al avenue of escape, of which many
awaited themselves; but the water
came in too rapidly to allow all to
reach it. The mine was not consid-
cred especially dangerous, though a
break had occurred once before al
about the same place. There is no
chance of rescue, but in order to
reach the bodies of the dead Mr.. For
dice general manager of the COM
pany, has gone to the scene of this
disaster with two steam pumps. 1t is
said that an effort will be made to
reach the mine from shaft No. 1, but
there is not the remotest possibility
of finding any of the men aliye. Only
drowned or suffocatea remains can be
recovered. The wages paid average
between $50 and S75 per month, and
the majority of the men owned their
houses. There will be suffering, but
the miners as class are not IMPROVE
dent. The majority of the work ers
underground are foreigners - Eng
fish, Scotch and Irish.
LATER.
Sixty-eight men and six boys lie
dead in the mine, and it may be
weeks before even the melancholy
satisfaction of recovering their bodies
is accorded. No such calamity has
ever befallen this section of country,
or, for that matter nothing as horri-
BILE has ever been chronicled in the
history of mining in the United
States. The destruction occurred in
an instant. and came with over
whelming force.
A COMMUNITY OF WIDOWS AND Or
PHANS.
In every home there is weeping
and sorrow for the Braidwood miners
who will return no more. The whole
population of Diamond is devoted to
mining. and this crushing blow car
ries ruin to hundred families. In
several instances all the male mem.
bers have been swept away, and what
will be the future of Diamond it is
imDOssihla Tn fornoaSt