New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-22
AGAIN THE MINE is BLOCKED.
FALL OF SAND AND CULM AT NANTICoKE.
WORK OF THE REsCUING PARTY sToPPED-INsPECr-
ING THE ExCAvATIoN-HoPEs OF MINERS.
fnY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE


hopeful for the of the Imprisoned in the Nam
tlcoke Mines disaster this evening turned all to de-
spair AT 7:3O p. m while the resoulng party
were at work. 1t was beloved, within twenty
feet Of the last obstruction between them and
the workings whore the imprisoned men were supposed
to be- they overwhelmed with another rush Of sand
and cum With the utmost difficulty they escaped with
their lives. first thought that several would
perish The three foremost men, James Turner, John
Absaom and Joseph Warne the latter one OF the fore
men In charge buried beneath the first rush OF
culm and sand. Their companions, however. sue.
ceeded in getting them out. The worknen
abandoned their tools and fled for their lives to the sur
face. Their hasty reappcarance and the news OF the
disaster that had overtaken them spread dsmay among
the patient hundreds who watching and waitingfor
For time the panic-sricken and refused
to 80 down any more. Dut the officials speedily had
matters in order. A thorough exploration was made
lasting two hours and after abref consultation held at
the head Of the shaft 1t decided Immediately to re-
operations. II decided that the cum had not
from the surface. but from upper chamber aud
could therefore be removed with few hours work. At
1l30 m. the gang Of men were prepared to de-
sced and the result OF their Is looked forward to
with the most ntensc interest.
This has been day Of great excitement for Nanticoke
and this city. At o'clock this morning the rescuers
working from the direction OF the air shaft reached the
first chamber In that series Of workings where 1t Is be-
leved the workmen but no one was found nor was
there the slightest evidence that the men they were
looking for still alive. The news tnat the rescuers
penetrated obstruction spread like wihre and
despite the OF the hour hundreds OF people ran
down from Nancoko with lanterns and torches hoping
at last to the lOngo men brought to the surface
alive dead. But their hopes were disappointed When
the superintendent OF the gang inside sent up
word that no in the chamber the work
Of excavation at once renewed. and the narrow
tunnel was pushed forward along the choked gang way
The chamber sixty feet distant and 1t would be
impossible tho officials stated to reach 1t much before
daylight The excitement subsided on this announce
ment and most of those who had hurried down to tho
mine returned quietly their homes. At an early hour
I'm tho morning the outside workings were surrounded
by a crowd OF 200 or 800 people, hut the throng
began increase II was known that the end was
not far of, and It family believed that
the imprison ed would be reached before the day
ended. At 7 o. IN. the gang Of workers was relieved
The men, when they tho surface reported that
nothing had been encountered. They were still
twenty feet from tho second chamber They stated that
tho air in the chamber had been found to be good
They said they did not believe that tie imprisoned
miners would be found in these chambers which they
we're nearing. bnt the upper workings.
No further news brought out until ll3O a. M.
when the gang again relieved Then the report was
circulated that noises had been heard In the mine nd-
eating that imprisoned men still alive. While
the at work shovelng out the refuse one OF
them drop his pick and listen attonvey for
few seconds Presently he turned toward the rest and
shouted with evident Joy:
"Boys, they rapping on the other sdc!'
Tho men dropped their implements at once ana
listened But there came not sound They raped IN
return, and twice they thought they were
answered. They felt that there was life within, and
that the Imprisoned men. being near enough 70 make
Themselves heard. would be rescued II 10 stated
that rappng the walls OF the ganeway can be beard
considerable distance and that often this means Ia
| resorted to a signal among the miners. Some
Of the worknen did believe that the noises
heard the rlppngs Of the imprisoned miners, but
the made By OF tho workers In other parts OF
the mine. stlll the spread high hopes and many
who had given up tho for lost took heart hope
again.
At 2.3o D. H. the second chamber was reached Thomas
Peabody, q sturdy miuer first made h7 way into the
chamber lie found that the culm and sand had peue-
traic distance in but that the upper end WAS dry
and clear He followed by dozen Of his companions
and with the feeble Eight Of their safety lamps they mao
a thorough exploration. but no trace Of life could bo
fonnd They shouted and sounded tho walls. but no
response camo, and again was hope de-
fcrred. Once the work OF eKcavanng
was taken up and steadily and surely the tunnel
was pushed forward Two more chambers were reached
In a similar before p M. and st no trace Of
the missing was discovered.
When the mass OF mixed coal dust and water fell it
choked mp part o the mine beneath IT, and thor
oughy corked up all the leading from the slope
and man.way From the bottom OF the air sh 1T II was
siill possible thread ones way through higher gall
Iercs TO a part the beyond the mass OF debris.
distant 100 ect from the end ofa Rangway which,
from i,s position WAS believed to be and whIcn led
10 the part mine where the were imprisoned
II should be understood that this portion OF the mine Is
some what cher owing rise in tho vein OF coal than
the part the sand aud culm are lodged This was
M once the why the prisoners we're cut of from
escape for hope that they might have AR
enough to breathe days AT first two gangs
III. liz nfnl M
foot OF the slope and from the point beyond the
pri.on already described and reached by circutous
route from the air Before long all hope Of work
slope was abandoned. and then all efforts have
concentrated upon the new tunnel neyohd ho ds
/ as # heightened the number Of men was Increased,
until no" orE snGH gang e heO''e ha@d Of % the shaft lie
digs steadily at tho wall IN 'front.' wieuInE sho'et
I. bmrrow is 80 low that hc like all the must work
hi. knees. The man behind him also on MS nnees,
throws a shOyofu OF dirt over his shoulder: III case
the dirt soft 1t s passed backward III nncAe,s in9
operation Is repeated by each OF the kneehg lhe uh
The dirt Is thrown OF the narrow tunnel INTO tho
water gangway, whence 1t has TO be removed 70 ou
worEingsa there hostg apparatus ln the distant
rHe scene whore this desperate struggle for rescue
pr~sse.l is strange one To-day hy the kindness OF
superintendent Morgan the TRnuNE reporter was al.
iabors. After descending tho air shaft a Snbtsr,
Gs%S%n m none too Gg and the route lies
side passages where One must oehd o"' III .nioo
places III Was necessary Ocln"' I
tended for the passage OF the men, the uSna gangWays
being chOkcd up. No word can describe the o"ch ah
ness OF the tortnos labyrinth. or the exhaustug cH0fs
the men must make, before Icachlhg Iho p'co
where their real work begins suddenly the NIsItor
emerged upon higher passage, ana huhuItu looV u
vond could be seen the lights of the labOrcrs. me
'atn,osuberc was hot aud foul. The compressed air
escaped with hissng noise from hose wnIcn leu ir
away n pump throObng near me ar snai., ~ ~
the opeung the tunnel tho lohH lho ol my
safety lamps could be cleaning Ike yeOw hr1nes.
the more distant ones seeming mere spaIks irIW In
tho distance came the sharp SOUND OF plth
welded with strong steady srokoA inside the men
xrre u,a.ng buckets Of shae backward, lifting full
Lnrbei will the right hand aud swinging back empty
ones with the left Thinking OF the solid wall OF earth
To lie perced could only watch tho heroic party oi
rescue IN silence --.-...,..i,o
The scene in open air scarcely less relnr
than that underground over the air smart Out t'
| lie