St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-23
THREE CHILDREN DEAD.
Father Sarver Tells the Story of His
Losses at NanticOke.

WILKEsBARRE, Pa, Dec. 22.-Oficials
of the Lehigh and Wilkesbarre Coal conf
pany are now going to sink shaft directly
over the slope where the imprisoned miners
are supposed to be. 1t is thought that by
doing this they can reach the victims in
about four days. Nanticoke never saw
such sight as that witnessed from to 4
O'clock this morning. No one thought of
rest. The whole population was on the
street discussing in the widest manner the
decision to abandon the efforts at rescue.
ExclamatiOns of despair, cries of agony
and mutterings of discomfort were heard on
every corner and in almost every house
hold. Relatives of the unfortunate victims
were in the widest agony Of despair. Sew
eral were seized with commissions. Fannie
Sarver, sister of the two Sarver brothers,
was Frustrated with violent fits, and at S a..
m. it was feared she would die. Mrs.
Kiveler, the aged mother of the three
Kiveler brothers, was at deaths door from
weakness from the shock, and many rela-
tives and friends of the victims We're COM
pletely prostrated. The official list of the
missing places the number entombed at
twenty-three.
THE FATE OF THE MEN
on the slope is sealed, and the only thing
that remains is to recover the bodies of the
victims and restore them to their families
and friends. Little has been done to. day
except to clear the debris, preparatory to
beginning anew, and render the machinery
and appliances more substantial. The
operations at the slope will be kept up,
and all the debris removed as fast as pos
sible. The most practical miners are of the
opinion that when the dead men are found
they will be in their chambers. If they
have been caught in the sand and culm,
| the victims will be found one by one, as
the excavation continues, and it may be
two months before the last body is recov-
cred. The loss to the company is estimated
at $50, 600, and will be greater in the cost
of sinking shaft, loss of time, aud the
clearing away of mile of debris, sand and
rock, which is wedged in a solid mass in
| the gangway. Michael Sarver, father of
| the two Sarvir brothers, was among the
| last who came out Of the shaft this morn
ing. He wept like child. He is very old,
and lifelong toiler in the mines. He ex-
pressed himself to-day as entirely satisfied
| with the work being done to eXtricate the
men. He did not place any blame for the
| disaster upon any one, holding that it was
| entirely accidental.
81 have two as fine sons as ever father
! had, lying down there" Mr.. Sarver said,
land as good daughter as man could wish,
lying dead at home, but it is the will Of God,
and say his will be done. 1t is a terrible
affair, and others are suffering as much as I
am. 1 will go down again as soon as they
will let me, and I will work day and night to
rescue them, dead or alive"
The project of sinking a shaft over the
workings Of the fatal slope has been aban-
doned. 1t is said it would be necessary to
go down $50 feet to reach the nearest gang
way and to do this would take three months
or more. The company will continue to
work clearing the obstructed tunnel.