Tolland County press., 1883-02-08
wILKEsBARRE (pA.) SINKING

a Num D6f 4O.
 s WILKEsBARRE (PA.) SINKING.
 SCENES IN THE SAvED-1N DIsTRIcr-THIs
 CITIZENS IN TERROR-FEARs OF A STILL
 GREATER SLIDE TO COME.
 The alarm created in the city by tle .caving in of the surface over the abandon ed workings of the Delaware and Hudson coal company is in no wise abated. Close inspection of the area affected by the cave-in shows that the damage Is even greater than at first reported.
 The first estimate of the extent of ground affected is much too low, it being found that the seams and cracks extended over more than one hundred acres. Ex- cept in the central portions of this area, however, but little damage is done
 Owners of the injured houses are hard at work propping up their dwellings, which threatened to fall about their ears at any moment. Ia many cases, however, the damage defies all immediate repairs, as nothing but total rebuilding of the structures will suffice to render them hab- itable. d 1 aa
 A HOUSEHOLD HEGIRA. g,s ga Some forty or fifty houses are now va cant, the inmates having sought refuge with friends in other portions of the city, and the streets in the locality are throng- ed with wagons and carts bearing away their household effects The first impress sion that the props in the worked out seams had routed away has given way to a more serious and alarming explanation. The theory of those most competent to give an opinion, among whom is the mine inspector of the district, MT. G. M. Will Hams, is that the fall is the result of the fire which has for six or eight years been smOuldering there. The pillars having been weakened by the slow burning have become so weak as to be no longer able to support the superincumbent weight. They think also that the whole area af- fected by the fire has gone down at once, but not so evenly as to avoid the cracking of the surface. So wide is this area that the lowering of the whole of it few feet would not be noticed immediately, and it is quite probable that this is the case now. In Hyde park some years ago as.ssttls- ment took place so evenly that not a house was thrown out of plumb, nor did the dwellers therein know that their status was about three feet lower than formerly until measurements and levels were taken some time afterward. If this theory should prove to be correct the amount of injury which may result here will be difficult to imagine The fact that in this particular locality the seams of coal, as we'll as the surface, are on a steep incline adds greatly to the danger of the cave in extending. sa
 DANGER OF GREAT SLIDE.
 In cases where the cave-in is on leyel one fall, as rule, ends the matter; but where the seams of coal slope very rapid ly, as in this case, there is no telling when the cave-in may stop. As yet there has been no further giving way of the ground but the iveliest alarm is experienced by in the neighborhood, and preparations are being made for general exodus. No, much danger is anticipated beyond tho lqnarter where the fall Occurred, as ths workings of that mine do not extend te any great distance. Some apprehension is entertained, however, that if a further fall occurs it may reach to the extensiv. shops of the Lehigh Valley railroad which are situated only few hundred yards further down the hill.
 Eye witnesses describe the scenes at tho tims of the fall as being almost beyond description. The streets affected arc densely peopled, and when the first crasl came nearly every one was buried in re pose. Within two minutes, however from the moment when the shock wal experienced all was scene of the wildes excitement. The utter ignorance of tho people as to the nature of the disaster ,ad ded immeasurably to their alarm. Their lhouses were falling on them and the solii ground trembled and rocked as if in ths thrces of an earthquake. 1 HALF NAKED IN THE COLD.
 | Mothers sprang from their couches and, seizinR their children, fled to tho streets, their forms exposed almost with out covering to the piercing cold. Many of the women tainted. Even the stou hearts of the miners were stricken witt terror at the uncertainty of lwhat was te follow. s M ,sa
 The streets presented scene of alara Here ..could be seen the burly form U some hardy worker of coal endeayoring tt calm the wife and children, who, terrified almost out of their senses, clung to hin with agonizing cries. Further on was woman holding the. hands of her childrel and bearing in her arms helpless infant hurrying along, fearful that the house would fall and bury them in the ruins Some were busily engaged in saving arti cles of value which they dragged out O the houses and piled in the middle of tn, streets under the belief that the danger was not yet over and that in few minutes their dwelling would be leyeled with tn, Iground.
 9a PILLAR RoBBINa."
 Many miners state that previous to tht abandonment of the workings where tn, disaster occurred s'pillar robbing" hat been carried on to..a dangerous extent, tn, operators trusting to the 300 feet of rocl above them to secure the stability of tn, surface. For the benefit of those unac lquainted with the technology of mining 'pillar robbing' is the term given to th'