Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-12-21
THE DREADFUL DETAILS.


WnxEsBARRE, Pa, December l9.-It
has now been definitely decided that the
disaster at No. Slope Of the Susquehanna
Coal Company at Nanticoke was caused
by the caving in of the roof and the rush
ing in of a large body OF water
which had accumulated on the sur
iacs from natural drainage. This water
brought with it a vast quantity of culm Of
coal dirt which blocked up the gangways
and passages and cut of the escape Of q
number of men In the upper lift. The
caying in was started by blast fired BY
Oliver Kineler, one Of the men now in the
mine. The exact.
NUMBER OF MEN IMPRISONED
In the mine cannot even now be exactly
told, bat at 6 o'clock this evening it was
believed on what were thought good
grounds that twenty-nine persons were in
the mine. OF these eighteen are Welsh,
Irish or Americans and the
rest Polish or Hungarian laborers.
Whether they are alive or dead
cauno. be told. If they have been en-
abled to obtain fresh air they are IN
doubtedly still alive, and there is good
hope Of rescuing them. Many experienced
miners believe, however, that in their posi-
uon they could not get any new supply of
air, and that having exhausted what little
wss IN The workings they must now be
pERIsHISG FROM sUFFoCATIoN.
The measures for the relief of those still in
the mines were begun as soon as the other
men had been brought to the surface. At
Grst little could 3e done, for the water was
FIVE feet deep and it was impossible to
commence digging away the sand culm
which blocked up the gangwsys. Last
evening, however, the water subsidized, the
paving all ran of to the lower level OF the
mine, and effective work was commenced
in earnest. Two gangs OF men were set to
work excavating from different points tow
ards where it is believed the men are. One
party, sixty strong, commenced work from
he foot of the main shaft This is the
nearest point to the place where the men
are, but
GREAT DIFFICULTIES
are encountered. There is no hosting
apparatus at the air shaft. The men and
tools are sent down by derrick. The
workers are obliged to throw behind them
the material they excavate and this hin.
ders them. The gangWsy being blocked
ND at one end, they could get
no circulation Of air until tubes
Were brought and air forced through them
from q compression used for rock drills to
the place where men were at work. The
rescuers are working with the greatest
possible. energy tonight. The thought
that their comrades are perishing on the
other side OF the mass OF rock
sand, and dirt nerves every arm
with a grand strength. The gangs
are relieved every four hours, and sixty
men have been constantly at work since
last evening At o'clock this evening it
was believed they had penetrated to
within fifty or SIXTY feet of where
she imprisoned men are. Another par
~ are working from the direction
Of the Slope towards the same point.
They have further to 60 but have better
facilities. The air is pure and they have
a powerful hosting engines to carry out
the excavated material. Whether the men
can be reached in time to save any lives
cannot be definitely told. There is
LITTLE GsoUND FOR HOPE,
I'm, ,he efforts will not be abandoned IN
nj the fate Of the imprisoned men Is deter
mined. The people Of Nanticoke are IN
The greatest excitement and nothing Il
thouSht or talked of but the disaster
Business is. partially suspended and the
collery is surrounded by hundreds Of
persons, smopg whom sre many relations
of the imprisoned men eager to learn how
the work goes on below and to gain
hope that their friends may be rescued. =.
The officials Of the company state thu
evening that there are
rwEyTY-FoUR MEN IN THE FATAL SLOPE,
and not twenty.nine as generally under
stood. They state further that the disas
ter was precipitsted By col spse OF IN,
passage way Of the tunnel to the extent Q
I've feet, causing depression whicI
brought down into the tunnel twenty foo
vein of lake auckland. The vacuum ere
sted BY this break created an arch, an
through heavy fssure in the roof a mas
a culm estimated at 5000 tons with ID
contents of a pond of water overhes
Containing over 10000, 600 gallons, pOure
in flooding both No. l and No. slope
and choking up the tunnel and csrryip
with it i,ty-two miners who were at wor
there. Of these twenty-four were, in q
probability, caught before they could gal
the chambers that pitched upward, an
they are supposed to be in this quickssr
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