Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-01-28
TERRIBLE DISASTER.
Thirty-Nine Lives Lost in a Mine
at Newburg, Pa.
Heartronding Scenes and Incidents at
the Mine.

Special dispatches say the scene Of the New.
burg mine disaster continues to present a
heartrending spectacle. East bound trains
brought a great number OF people from Clarks-
burg, Fairmount, Grafton and intermediate
points, and sympathizlng friends came from
as far east as Piedmont. Tbey swelled the
hopeless, helpless crowd that hung about the
pits mouth. Men, women and children were
gathered there pale, trembling and weeping,
staring at the shaft almost dumb with conster-
nation. But few words were exchanged, and
these in low tones, for the people there knew
that they stood above the tomb of thirty-ninc
men who went down to death. In half an hour
more they would have been out As reached
the spot men were at work repairing the shat
tered tmbers OF the shaft, and other men
were in the bucket going down the black
hole into the blacker deep below. Returning
they brought no tidings for the anxious crowd,
but soon the rumor spread that the searching
party had found at the bottom of the shaft
Dan Miller, the eager, and his son, fifteen years
old, young Timmons, trapper, and young
Clark, driver. One OF the party was quoted
as saying they found Klnney's mule blown six
ty feet out of the stables with his halter ON.
Searchers themselves would say nothing. 1t
was thought better to keep the dreadful Sc
crets that the lamps revealed below. Until a
wider search brought more definite knowledge
there could be no certainty as to the identity Of
the blackened remains. The buckets went
down and up, the men repairing the breaks in
the air shaft as they found them, the crowd
growing larger and larger, and pressing harder
on the ropes stretched about the shaft, so
eager we're people to get even a look down that
terrible shaft. A temporary fence of boards
was hurriedly put up to make an enclosure in
which the work might 60 on without inter-
ference. As soon as the shaft was sufficiently
repaired cage was put on to take down a
larger working force in the hope of bringing
up some bodies and beginning the inquest.
Coroner Jones, of Terra Alta, summoned O
jury to be present at the works. but progress
was slower than the coroner expected and the
inquest was postponed for an hour. 1t then
became apparent that there was little proba-
bility of any bodies being brought up for
several hours, and the inquest was adjourned
until O'Clock next morning. The work in the
mine will be continued through the night by
relief parties, composed in part by men who
have fathers and brothers below. The origin
of the disaster is varlously determined by the
experts, who vary In their theories. The gen.
orally accepted theory, which is that Of the
company's representatives, Is that Nick VIII
liams, who was cutting q ditch through .
brottis at the extreme end of the working 10
let the water of, knocked down door TO give
him better chance ut this work. The door
played an important part in the system Of
ventilation which was thus deranged.
Foul gas collected In great volume
and was fired by miners lamp. Mr. James
Wilson, shipping clerk, was standing fifty feet
east Of the shaft when the explosion came.
He says: 81 heard a thud which was accom-
panied with dense mass of fog and mud.
Before had time to realize the situation, in
half a minute, the second shock came. 1t was
terrific burst Of gas ripping of weather
boarding and demolishing the upper part Of
the shaft, thus covering much Of 1t, but It had
caught thirty-nine poor fellows down there
and think their doom is sealed" At the bot
tom of the shaft the scene of the wreck and
confusion was horrible, men. mules, shattered
cars and all sorts Of debris we're piled up In
confusion. Men trod on the body before they
know how near they were to the dead From
the wreck below 1t is supposed the wreck was
violent enough to blow the men out of the most
remote rooms, though experts differ as to
whether the shock would necessarily be fatal
The idea is advanced that most Of the expert
enced miners, knowing the nature Of gas II the
men were not killed at once, would have
thrown themselves on their face, there
being the least foul air on the floor.
This gives friends some grounds for
hope, but 1t is so slight that 1t Is not
encouraged. 1t is believed by some men, who
are familiar with the mines, that the rooms
in the extreme portions of the working are
comparatively free from gas, and that they
may have afforded a refuge to those in or near
them. Those CLEANS of hope are met by the
afflicted family with means of despair. The
calamity falls with terrible force on the little
town of Newburg. The recent cold weather
froze out the miners, and they could not work
for ten days, and but little money is coming to
the men who are on the death roll. Few OF
them had any savings, and their taking off
will leave their families in destitutlon.