The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-12-21
AWFUL MINE DISASTER.
A SWAMP OVER THE MAIN GANGWAl
CAVES M,
Flooding the Mine with "A Resistless
Torrent Which Cast, Men About
Like straws-tiany Lives Lost
Caiamits in Russia.

NANTICoKE, Pa, Dec. 2l accident
at No, / slope of the Susquehanna Mine com
palty Friday was caused by the Caying i'll Of
a swamp covering several acres, which was
being used as a coal-dumping ground, and in
which there was an accumulation of several
million gallons of water from the recent
heavy SHOWS ard rains The swamp was
directly over tie main gangway of the slope,
and the pressure upon it by the continual
dumping of coal is supposed to have forced
its bottom out The heavy body of water
rushed into the mine below in large and
powerful stream, drilling a hole through the
earth Intervening that was upward
of 800 feet III diam ter at the
surface and about ten at the point where it
struck the gangway Large quantities of
dirt and Culm were carried with it into the
mine ana the force of the stream WAS such
as to tear large mine-props from their places
and hurl them along with the death-dealing
torrent The miners and laborers beard the
rushing waters, and at once Sunni Sel the
danger that was fast overtaking them,
Driver-hoye stood aghast at the spectacle
aud doui-ioys screamed with alarm they
stood. poWerless TO act, until the fleeing
miners and laborers, who had dioppoi their
picks AMI -hcvels in horror, apprised chem of
their posts, forgetting all about the mules
they We're driving, and leaving them to
their fate, joined in the flight for life, The
water was then three feet deep III the gang
way, and rapidly rising. The alarm spread
rapidly and all the miners and laborers
hurried to the OPENINGS that would let them
come to the surface. The current had
velocity Of thirty miles an hour, according
to the estimates of several practical miEers
who had pas "A through the terrible expert
,n ,es of the day. 1t lifted them from their
feet and dashe- 2m about in every direG
tiGn. il .ny lives were lost i'll the
first rUsl the waters cannot be ascertaincd
until all Who escaped have reported to the
The following men were reported Friday
night as still in the mine: Oliver Kivler
William kiVler, T. kivler Isaac Sarber,
John Sarber. Thomas Clifford, William
Delaney, William Elkie, Lewis Turbay An
drew Lowe, John Shuts, John Hawks,
Augustus Mitul, Edward Hargraves, Ed
ward Matthews Abram Lewis, and a number
of Polish lahorels, whose names could not
be ascertaned Seven of those mon are
married and each of the married men has
one or more children.
The hillside above tho farmhouse at the
slope was througed with people, fathers,
sorrowfuly awaiting tidings from below
Occasionally the piercing shrek of woman
was heard as she seemed to realize the terri
BILE situation of her husband or brother.
Superintendent G. T. Morgan went among
the crowds, assuring them that every
measure necessary to rescue the met
would he undertaken, and if it We're possible
they would soon be restored to their
friends. A relief gang, comprising InsdG
Superintendent Reese Mine Boss Corgan,
and five workmen, at once descended into
the slope With hopes of communicating with
the imprisoned men, but found it impossible
to reach them They reported the rapid
accumulation of foul air, and the necessity
for extra precautions in the work of rescue,
Superintendent Morgan then called for men
to organizing into relief gangs, ami
promptly 100 on more brawny, brave miners
stepped forward and enrolled themselves for
the work. They were apPortioned into see
tions, and the work of driving a tunnel
TO reach the men was at once begun
The pumps of the slope are at work trying
to reduce the depth of water SO that the re-
pair men can at once get in and remove the
debris All work will lie suspended at the
two shofts until the slope is free of water
This will cause the enforced idleness of over
| 500 men for some weeks,
1t is feared that before help can reach the
imprisoned men they will die from exhaus-
ton and foul air.
WILKEsGARRE, Pa. Dec. l The men at
work res ung the imprisoned miners STUN
bled across the dead holy of one of the men,
John kiyeleo, Saturday morning. 1t is
pres lned that Kivelto separated from bi,
companions, and in trying { zach the all
shaft, where many rea he'd efore him, in
order that he might be hoisted to the top.
was overcome by the water and
drowned This dcas not say that
his companions haze net a like |
fate, as it is possible that when they saw
that all escape was cut off they sought the |
highest part of the mine. The question now
is whether the men are not drowned or sllf- |
focated The lat'Nr seems the more likely |
1t is now belle. 81 that it will take fully |
four days to cut a passage to where the
men are only twelve men can work together
at a time in removing the debris which |
blocks the main gangway leading |
to the mouth of the slope where the exit |
from the mine is made
The excitement in the vicinity of the dis
aster is greater than ever The relatives |
and friends have now given up all hope of |
seeing their dear ones alive An expert |
encei miner gives it as his opinion that the
men are all dead from suffocation.