New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-19
THIRTY MEN IN GREAT PERIL.
MINERS SHUT IN BY SUDDEN FLOOD,
WATER RUSHING INTO A SLOPE or THE sUsQUE-
HANNA COAL COMPANY.
IBr TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE

HANNA COAL COMPANY.
[Br TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
| WlLKEsBARRE, Penn, Dec. 1S.-A.disaster,
the most appalling feature of which is Its uncertainty
and suspense occurred this morning at the mines OF the
susquehanna Coal Company at Nanticoke by the rush
ing OF body OF water, carrying with ltlarge quahueS
of sand culm cOal-rt number OF meD were en-
tombed in the workings but the number thus I'M
prsoned and whether they aive or dead, are not
| known Up to 9 O'Clock tonight 1t was believed thaI
twenyeght thirty persons werc still In the mlne ouU
the names OF only fifteen could be learned They arc:
KyLER, OLIVER miner. age 35 he is married and has
KIvLIR, WILLIAM. laboror. age 10. single.
KIyLER Frank aborcr, age - Is married ana has wv
| CLIFFORD, THOMAS doorteuder. age IA.
| DONoHUE, WILLIAM driver. age 10.
| ELKE, WILLIAM. runner, age ~ ,,
| SABBEB. ISAAC, MINER age27 he Is married.
| LOwEY, DANIEL miner. age 2l.
! SHUTE, JOHN labOrer, age -
| HAWKS. JOIS. lahOIer, age %.
sABBER. JonN, laborer. age %. -,
VITAL AUGUST laborer, age 40 ho "a married and has
three children.
HARGRAvEs, EDWARD. laborer, age 20,
| MATHEWS. EDWARD. aborer, age 2l
| MINER LEWIS age 50; married.
The slope where the disaster close by the
centre Of the town exits through the slope,
and through air-shaft. Its workings arr also
connected with the workings OF shaft No 2 operated Dy
the company. Not far from the foot OF the ar
| shaft are several abandoned workings III the
upper scam. These workings are only about l2o
| feet from tho surface and directly over them Is
large pile OF coal dust, called In mining terms cum
dump II supposed that under this heap large quahuty
OF water collected by natural drainage At the usuaI
time she morning the men and boys employed III the
coery OF over 600 descended to labor but
about o'clock the spread through the minc that
cave In had taken place In the abandoned workings
and that water pouring into the colllery In haste
the fed from their chambers for water In quanu-
deadly foe the miner has to meet Ihey
rushed the foot Of the slope or air shaft and as fast
/ ,lta
rising fast and the last Of those to escape clanbecd into
the cages of water that reached to their nccks.
when the last man who came TO the foot had been
| hauled up 1t was found that missing When
this discovered CONSERVATION spread all through
the town. The most exaggerated stories werc crcu-
lated, and regular panic seized the people. The
population nockcd to the mines and men. women and
children agonzed search for missing fathers. broth
ers sons crowded around tho mouth of the opening
AT reported that sAtyone men were missing.
but gradually those thought TO DO missing turned up
until at this evening 1t is almost certain that not
IL ore than thirty men s In the mine lut we'll
nigh homeless condition OF affairs dis covered when
| an exploration was attempted. The flow Of water
seemed TO stopped but the gangways and passages
In that portion Of the mine all ned up with culm
| and quic.sand which had been washed Into the
mine with tho water. IL would be "A
work OF two days open up tho
passages AMI It was impossible to begin work on ac
count OF tho wafer The officials OF lhe company VINO
gin the work Of All the pumps were set 10 work
aud new ones brought aud set mp force ~ men wcro
sent down the shaft to cdraYortO cut way through
TO the placc where ~ IL believed the Imprisoned mcu
The WORK VIII hr kept up ulkHt
| and Gay without cessation. aud nothing
Whatever will hc spared IN tho effort to get at tho mon
I'm time them. ~ they alive II IL believed
! that most OF the working In NUMBER OF
breasts opening IN gangway that II now blocked win
mud aud cum that they had not tu' 10 got on OF
their chambers before the entrance was blocked 10y the
flood of water aud mud. II this IL tn"y
may st alive. the chambers are ON rising slant
and the upper part lee dry Some OF those missing.
however aid not these chambers and II Is sup.
| posed they were drowned.
The damage to the c0licry viii be great, ana
In any event work cannot bc resumed Tor
some time. though the exact extent OF the dam
age done cannot be learned. All The mules
and cars have been tikJn out Of shaft no as II !,
feared that Will iuundae that cOcry also and
there will be work here for some time.
Norc cheering from tho scene OF the dis1s-
ter at $50 T. IN. Superintendent Morgan OF the rus-
| quchanna Coal Company, VINO has charge OF the
relief measures sent word tnat tho water
had subsidcd, having found IT'S way 10 a
lower level 4 large force of men continued
the work I'm tho cum Quicksand that blocked the
messages and gangways and thrTc every hope that
suct OF the Imprisoned still alive viii be
reached IN time Ia save them lilo town OF NahtcoA'
was IN fcrmeHt Of excitement. The miners were sur.
rounded by thousands Of eager To hear good
news OF the men below.