Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-01-31
Nearly Forty Acres Of Land
Sinking at Wilkesbarre.

5 80 o'clock this morning a serious
cavc-in occurred in the neighborhood
of Scott and Kidder Streets, in the
Second Ward of this city The ground
for the space Of about twenty acres or
more was covered with cracks and
seams, and the report of the earth CIV
ing away was something similar to
loud explosion. The disaster occurred
before many of the residents in the To-
cality had risen, and fer awhile the
greatest CONSERVATION prevailed. Men,
wome and children rushed out of their
houses into the cold, freezing atmos-
phere half clad and terror-stricken with
fright. aud their fear was quite Datu-
raj, as many of the houses showed
signs of dropping over any minute, the
ceilings Of many Of them having fallen
10 the floor, and the buildings were
otherwise injured.
The streets were soon crowded with
people and search was begun to as
certain the cause of all the disturbance.
Lanterns and miners lamps were
brought into requisition, and it was
not long before the exact situation of
affairs were learned Along Scott
Street was discovered numerous zig
Tag gaps, from two to four and five
inches in width, running diagonally
across the thoroughfare and under the
houses that line Scott street, in the
vicinity Of the Baltimore, Boyd's and
Barney Boyle's stores. These seams
were threatening in character, and
naturally tended to greatly increase
the alarm that was felt Those car
rying lanterns in the search were fol-
lowed by excited crowds, many of
them children, and some women, who,
upon the di, covery of each new seam,
would cry out in the greatest agony
of distress.
When daybreak dawned the excite
ment WAS somewhat allayed, but not
to any extent. The news spread rap
idly, and in less than two hours after
the cave-in, thousands were on the
spot or in the immediate vicinity
The most conflicting reports were a.
float, which only went to add to the
already excited feeling existing among
the property owners, who feared an
other shock at any moment which
would leave them homeless and pen
niless The greatest damage was
found to have been done on Scott
street. Here seams ran across the
street every few feet, some of them
measuring four or five inches wide.
The pavement of the sidewalk had been
filed up in some places to the height
ofseveral feet.
The houses on each side of the
way had nearly all been more or less
seriously injured, ceilings and plaster
work had been shaken down, doors
jamed to, or the frame work forced a.
part, floors he'd been split and the foun-
dations of many structures had been
seriously damaged. The residence of
Frederick Handmesser is very greatly
damaged. The floors are split and
the foundation walls cracked and
thrown out of place in such a manner
that it seems almost impossible for
the house to remain standing Fur
ther down the street are the buildings
owned by Mrs. Hanes and the resi-.
dence of Peter O'Donnell, which are
almost ruined. The seams run across the
street and under many of the buildings.
The foundation walls of nearly all of
the structures on Scott street are more
or less injured. The school house,
built Of brick, although itself almost
uninjured, is surrounded by gaping
earth cracks, one of which runs ccm-
pletely under the building, and no
school was held to-day in conse-
quence.
The grouad in many places has sunk
fully a foo, below the surface level
The territory that has thus caved in
is situated over the old abandoned
workings once worked by the Della
ware aud Hudson Canal Company.
1t is supposed that the props in tie
fifteen feet Baltimore vein, situated
about 2S0 feet below the surface,
have rolled and given way, thus
causing the disaster, though old and
reliable miners contend that the &C
cident is the result of fpi liar robbing
The entire extent of the cave-in
q space of nearly forty
acres, most of which is covered with |
1welling and other buildings During !
he day many people moved away from
he scene of the disaster as it is
hought that this is but the beginning .
'f more serious trouble.