The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-12-21
IMPRISONED MINERS.
THE DISASTER AT NANrIcoKF.
Men aud Boys sull Shut Up in
tho MIas with No Hopes of Reaching
Them AllvS-A Gloomy suDday-ThO
Tho ESsousrs Hard at Work.

NANrrcoKE. Dec. l9.-To-day'l develop.
mens in the flood disaster which over.
took tie workmen in No. l slope Of the
Susquehanna Coal company yesterday
morning, show still greater possible fatal.
ity than was before thought Of. Already
five lives are known to be lost, and
twenty.six men and boys now remain
prisoners in tho breast, from which it
cannot be aaid when they will be rescued.
This increase in the number OF meu,
whose fate no one knows, has added much
to the excitement that generally follows
disastrous mine accidents. The supply Of
fresh air was found inadequate for the
men engaged in the work OF rescue to-day,
aud compressor attachment was made,
which is proving highly valuable in aid
ing the men in prosecuting their work.
The rescuers at S O'Clock tonight had
passed the second breast from the point
where the cave-in occurred, and the next
breast is the one in which the imprisoned
men are supposed 10 be.
Forty-GYe feet Of culm and sand, packed
solidly, intervenes, but Superintendent
Morgan feels confident that this will be
broken through by the next relay, and
that by the eaLy morning they will bo in
position to communicate with the impris.
oned men. This announcement seemed
to draw large crowds to the air shaft,
where much excitement prevails at this
hour. 1t ia possible that the work OF the
reacuers will be rewarded tomorrow. The
air currents are good, and no danger is
feared from this source. No gas has ever
been known to accumulate in this shaft.
1t is now ascertaiued that the fatal cave
inIwhich shut of escape forthe.miners was
started by y biast fred by Oliver Kiveer,
one Of the men now in ths mine.
A GLOOMY SABBATH.
wILrEsBARRE, Pa, Dec. 2O.-To.dsy
was the gloomiest Sunday ever witnessed
in NRnticoke. Thousands OF people pour
ed into town in vehicles, on horseback
and afoot. Hundreds OF them gathered in
groups around the various workings
where they discussed the situation OF the
imprisoned men. A message was brought
here from Nanticoke this morning 10 the
effect that William Elke had been found
in the gangwsy, and evidently had been
dead several hours At the conpauy's
office this was denied. They state that
tho situation remains unchanged from
that OF yesterday, though they hourly ex-
pect to reach the fatal spot where the en-
tombed men are supposed to be.
Rescuing parties are continuously at
work under the direction Of Superintend-
ent Morgan. There is no hope Of rescuing
any OF the victims alive. No. l colliery,
where the accident occurred employs 500
men and boys. Its outplt is the lowest
OF any OF the SusquehAnpa Coal Com
pany's operating, being lut $50 car loads
per day. The loBs TO the company will
be large, and the next three months will |
be consumed in making repairs. During |
thst time the men and boys will not re-
main idle, buswill be given work at other |
collieries.
At S o'clock this evening the rescuing
party struck mass OF sand and fofty-five |
additional men were cent in To remove il |
with buckets. At o o'clock an official re.
port was received at the company's office |
TO the effect that the rescuing party were
then within twenty feet OF the fatal chRm.
Der and wegs hoping TO reach the i'm
prisonsd mon by II o'clock.
At IL 80 o'clock message was brought |
from the pit in which the relief party are
at work. The messenger reported to the
generatsuperilteadent, lrvingA A. StearneS,
that the men were still working vigor-
ously but that they had not reached the
Imprisoned miners. From the present
outlook it ia doubtful II they gain an en-
trance to the fatal slope chamber before
tomorrow. Almost as fast as the sand is |
removed it falls in again and the men are
now laboring under great difficulty.