The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-09-05
W1LKEseARnk. Sept. 3.

A terrible accident, resulting In the
death Of four men and the serious and
perhapa fatal injuring Of two others,
occurred this morning at the Oakwooi
shaft of the Prospect Coliiery, belonging
to the Lehish Valley Coal Company, In
the northern part Of the city, About
seven o'clock this morning PatrickSrnith,
John ]. Martin, John Gallagher, Pat
rick McGroaty, William Harrington,
Patrick Purcell, James Peterson and
Thomas jenkins took their places Oh
the Cage" to make the descent Of the
shaft for the purpose of going to work.
The shaft Is seven hundred feet deep
and ten men are let down at a time.
When the men had almost reached the
bottom of the shaft loud, rumbling
noise was heard overhead and immedi-
ately there was a great crash, a shower
of heavy rocks, some weighing as much
three hundred pounds each, crushing in
the top of the cage and breaking through
the sills and floor, killing three of the
men outright and injuring the fourth so
bad that he died shortly after being
taken to the hospital. The names OF
the killed are as follows:
John j. Martin. miner, aged about thirty
five years, unmarried and living with his
widowed mother.
James Kearney,a laborer aged about twenty
nye, unmarried
John Peterson. miner. aged about twenty
six, married and Irving at Parsons,
Thomas jenkins, laborer, about twenty
eight years OF age, single and residing at
Miners Mills.
Peterson, when dragged out, was still
breathing and struggled little, but it
was evident that death was certain. He
was, however, removed In the ambulance
to the hospital, where he has since died.
He was bruised about the head beyond
recognition. The four-inch steam
pipe had been broken and he was scalded
with the steam and water. He was
Swede and leaves a wife, to whom he
has been married less than three months.
Martin had large cut in the right side
of his head. His hand WAS cut and
there were other bruises on other parts
of the body. Kearney had cash in
the side of his head just back of his ear
and his back was crushed. He had been
employ ed in the colliery long time.
Jendins was the most horribly mangled
of all. His head was split open and his
brains fell to the ground and had to be
gathered up by the men.
THE INJURED.
Patrick Smith, bruised in back and head.
Patrick Purcell, badly cut in the back; prob |
ably fatally injured.
Patrick Rearney, bruised In the hip and on
the right leg; IN precarious condition.
When the news of the accident became
known there was great excitement, men,
women and children flocking to the
scene. The relatives and friends of the
dead men gave vent to their feelings by
expressions of deep grief and sorrow
After the accident force of men were
put to work clearing away the shattered
wreck of the carriage, which had been
drawn to the top. Many of the iron
bars and casting belonging to 1t were
shattered and one of the sills, stick of
oak timber about eight by twelve inches
in size, was broken, as was also an iron
rail of the track laid upon the cage for
accommodation of the cars when run on
it to be raised or lowered from or into
the mine. A piece of the rock lay upon
the ground near by, which had been
drawn up on the cage. This piece
would weigh upwards of two hundred
pounds. The distance that the stone
fell and the weight of it is not known,
but from the damage there must have
been several pieces and the fall must
have been a hundred feet or more.