The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-12-23
ALL HOPE ABANDONED.
Heart ending Scenes Around
the Fatal Mine.
FORD ACQUITTED.
The Hydrophobia Patients Arrive in
Decentralization
Notes, Etc.

WILKEsBARRE, December 21.-The last
messenger connected with the. exploring
party came out OF the slope at 11:2O
o'clock. He reports that lone OF the men
have as yet been discovered, and all hope
of ever seeing their comrades alive again
have been abandoned. They are making a
vigorous search, but it appears almost
certain that the unfortunate men have
persisted, and that when their bodies are
found they will be under a mass OF sand
and culm.
PLENTY OF FRESH AIR.
There have been no developments since 2
O'Clock this morning in regard to the en-
tombed miners. The latest official mes
sage received at that hour, was that the
resuing party who are working on a gang
way from the air shaft had reached the first
chamber, in which it was hoped that some
of the men would be found. The air was
good and apparently fresh, but no sign OF
any living person was to be found. There
are six other chambers along the gangways,
and it is thought the men may be found In
one of them.
A new gang OF sixty vent into the mine
at 6 o'clock this morning and are pushing
forward with the utmost exertion, but it is
hard to say when the next chamber can be
reached. 1t is now fully believed that the
missing men were caught in the sand and
culm at the time the caving took place and
hat they are now dead.
EXPECT TO FIND THEM ALIVE.
At 1:3O this afternoon the relief party is
| still pushing towards the imprisoned men
| and had been spurred ON by a signal they
had received which indicates that there is
| life beyond. A tapping upon the air pipe
was heard by the rescuers and they nat
urally conclude there is yet good grounds
for the hope that at least some OF the men
| NAV be rescued alive. 1t is tho opinion OF
| some of the best miners that they cennot
| reach the men for some days, owing to the
extent of the distractions. Others are
sanguine enough to expect that they will
reach them within the next ten hours.
NO APPARENT CHANGE.
Little change was observable in the con
dition of affairs tonight. The miners at
Moreantown have quit work to-day and
Joined the relief party at Nanticoke. Fifty
cars of rock and sane are sent out every
eight hours from the stope. but the treach'
erous quicksand. mixed with culm, KEEP
pouring in, SO it is impossible to form any
idea of the vastness of the work that lies
before them.
About 8 O'Clock tonight the work OF the
r~escuing party was suddenly interrupted by
| duOUucI lGl VI oIN AOCn "AN oN
men were working on a steep incline, anc
several of them had very
NARROW ESCAPES.
The work OF digging is for a time being sus
pended. The fall did not come from thu
surface, but from an upper m
Officials in charge, after an exploration
thought it could be overcome with a lev
hours work, and at 1920 p. m. a new ganI
of ninety men were preparing to go down
Three men were caught in the fall, but they
are thought not to be badly injured. They
were extricated with great difficulty. Thu
men who were at work are afraid to re
enter the mine, and there appears to be NJ
possible hope r%escuing the imprisoned mel
alive. 1t is believed it will take sevenday'
to penetrate the mass OF earth now OBJ
sJructing the passages.
TERRIBLE SCENES.
Scenes around the mine are ndescribabl
Women and children, who have hardl.
closed their eyes since Friday, are mad
nearly crazy by fresh calamitles. IN
screams and walls OF anguish from tn
women rend the air, while d~isheartened AM
exhausted miners sit around the mouth G
the mine in sulIen despair. Crowds OF PEG
ME from miles around are coming to vie,
the scene oil desolation. The town OF Nan
ticoke is u place of universal weeping an
lamentatiOn.
THEIR FATE SEALED.
WILKEsBARRE, December pat 1873
this morning the mine officials at Nanti
coke decided to abandon work in the al
shaft on account OF the c~ave-in, and pres
ence of fire damp. All attempts to get tn
missing men out alive have now been abar
doned, but the work through the tunne
will be pushed steadily forward. 1t wi
probably b. two weeks before the bodie
are reached.