The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-23
NANTICOKE'S LOST MINERS.
A Night of Great Dismay and Agony in
the Little Pennsylvania Village.
A Belief that the Imprisoned Men Are Dead,
Having Been Crushed by Masses Of Fall
ing Rock on Monday Night.

wILKEsBARRE, Pa. Dec. 22-There was no
rost for Nanticoke last night. 1t is impossible
TO describe in words the CONSERVATION. the dis
may and agony which spread throughout the
village when it wac learned, after midnight, that
all efforts to get the entombed men out alive
we're abandoned. The town never saw such
sight as that witnessed from 2 TO o'clock this
morning No one thought of rest. The whole
population was on the streets discussing, in the
widest manner, the decision to abandon the eff
forts ct rescue. Explanations of despair. cries
OF agony and mutterings of discomfort were
heard on every corner and in almost every
household. Relatives of the unfortunate victims
were in the widest agony of despair. Several
were seized with commissions. Fannie Sarver.
sister of the two Sarver brothers, was pros
trated with violent fts and at A. M. it
was feared that she would die Mrs. Kiveler,
the old mother Of the three Kiveler brothers,
was at deaths door from weakness and shock,
and many other relatives and friends of the VIC
Tins were completely Frustrated. The officials
in charge Of the rescuing expedition were forced
to abandon all work from the air shaft by sew
eral irresistible conclusions. investigations at
an early hour this morning show that sand, rock
and culm had fallen to such e. emit that the
mine in which the imprisoned men were was
now filed to the roof, and that the men dead
and beyond all human help second cavern
took place during the night, which was Of very
large proportions, and the real extent of
the damage can hardly be estimated,
but 1t is great. This fall brought
with it volumes Of black damp and sulphurous
gases, which filled the mine and put peremp-
tory stop to all work. At 6 o'clock this morning
1t was learned that the bodies Of the victims
cannot be recovered for at least month, and
since this news has been spread throughout the
mining region the most intense excitement pre-
walls. Every effort will be made to work in
toward the men from the slope. The clearing
up OF the gangways will be pushed as rapidly as
possible. 1t is thought that the work will be
tlong and tedious, as there is about 5000 feet of
gangway also filed up, and said to be packed to
the roof.
The fate Of the men in the slope is sealed, and
the only thing that remains is to recover the
bodies of the victims and restore them to their
families and friends Little has been done to-
day except to clear away the debris, preparatory
to beginning anew. and to render the machinery
tions at the slope will be kept up, and all the
debris removed as fast as possible. The more
practical miners are of the opinion that when
the dead miners are found it will be in. their
chambers. II they have been caught in the fall
of sand and culm, then the victims will be found
one by one. the excavation continues and it
will be months before the last body is recovered.
Michael Sarver. father of the two Sarver broth
ers, was among the lastwho came out of the shaft
jhis morning. He wept like child. He is very
old; and lifelong toiler in the mines. He ex-
pressed himself to-day as entirely satisfied with
the work being done to extricate the men. He
did not place the blame for the disaster upon
anyone holding that it was entirely accidental.
ST have two fine sons as ever had father,
lying down there" Mr.. Sarver said, ''and as good
father as man could wish lying dead at home,
but it is Gods will. and Isay His will be done l
will go down again as soon as they will let me,
and will work day and night to rescue them,
dead or alive
The project of sinking shaft over the work
ings of the fatal slope has been abandoned It
is said 1t would be necessary to 60 down $50 feet
TO reach the nearest gangway, and to do this
would take three months or more. The COM
structed tunnel.
The following is complete and correct list
Of victims, obtained for the first time:
THOMAS CLIFFORD, door boy. aged IA years
VIM. DELANEY. driver boy, A.
VIM EBKIE, runner. l9.
EDWARD HARGRAVES, miner, q.
JOHN HAWK, laborer, 30.
WADIsLAw JELGOSHINsKI 1aborer, 81.
OLIVER KIvELER, miner, 81, married, three
children
VIM KIvELER, laborer, IL.
FRANK KIvELER. miner, AZ, married
MAUx LoSGoLKI, driver IL.
ADRIAN LEWIS, miner. AZ, married.
ANDREW Lowe, miner, 25 married.
VINCENT LUKE, laborer %, married.
EDWARD MATTHEWS, laborer. 90
AUGUST MATULE miner, As, married six
children.
PETER MATTLEwIcz, laborer, age unknown
Jos. McCARTY. miner, 49, married.
JOHN NowACH laborer, 80.
ADRIAN RUBiNsKI, laborer, 20
ISAAC SAEvER, miner, 20, married, two chill
dren
JOHN SARvER laborer, q.
JOHN SHUT miner. IS, married
THos. WILLIAMS, laborer 81
Workmen Attacked by Strikers.
PITTsBUgG, Dec. 22-There was an outbreak
mt the old Eagle mines, in the third pool, near
Elkhorn, yesterday morning At an early hour
anont twenty masked men made an attack On