Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-17
HOPE AGAINST HOPE,
Laboring to Rescue the Entombed
Miners at Farm Hill.
THE NINE is STILL ABLAZE
None Saved Since Yesterday, But
There is Yet a Chance of II.
PiTlFUl SCENES AT THE MINES MOUTH

FescuinB paftleS renamed a. the mouth OF the
manhole at Farm Hill mine. but their efforts
we're fruitless. and when daylight broke upon
them they were no nearer the unfortunate men
entombed in the burning mine At 5 o'clock
last evening all hope OF rescuing the impris-
oned miners alive was abandoned. Efforts
were made to enter the burning slope through
the Mahoney and the Ferguson mines. 1t was
found impossible to get near the men through
the former owing to the formation Of the slope,
and in the Ferguson pit the air was so bad that
1t was impossible 10 travel any distance. Under
these conditions the most sanguine of the
workers yielded and il was then determined
to cut OFF all fresh air and let the mine burn
itself out that the bodies of the men might be
recovered. At the first drift a solid wall of
brick well piastered was built across the open
ing. Material was wheeled down the entrance
to where the men we're at work and air fan
was set at work supplying fresh air to the
rescuers. As a worker your correspondent was
enabled to reach the point where the men were
working. Traces of fire damp still remained
IN the air, and its effects were felt in an aching
OF the head and partial loss of speech. There
was little TO be seen. Men were working like
beavers to finish the wall. The only light was
obtained from "davy" lamps There was no
wasting of breath in Idle talk. All the
strength of the men was needed in building
the barrier. Through the interstices of the wall
far off to the left could be seen a heavy cloud
of smoke, occasionally pierced by flames Back
OF tins wall Of fire lay the bodies of the work
ers relatives and companions
THE SCENE THIS MORNING
AT 10 o'clock this morning there was very lit
tie change at the mine, except that the FIRE was
fercer the smoke Dlacker and the despair of
the survivors deeper than ever before The
fight for the dead was kept up by the living all
night. but the early gray of morning only found
the rescuing party driven farther back from the
deatL chamber, and they could not penetrate
within 100 feet of the place they had reached
last night. Early this morning Martin Mar
key. pit boss of the Anchor mines made dar-
ing attempt to reach the righs driftings of the
Hi! Farm mines from the Mahoney entrance,
Ia miles across the hills. lie crawled over
drifts and fallen slate to within 100 yards OF
the fatal chambers and sounded again and
again, but listened for response in vain. The
men were either smothered or were fighting
the fire that was now steadily encroaching on
their narrow territory, and Markev cut and
| bruised, abandoned the hopeless task of seek
| ing an answer from the 100 yards OF solid dumb
slate. The sight about the pits mouth is all
the mora pitiable because of the twenty-four
hours of anguish that has rolled over the heads
| miners, and hundreds stand steadily at the
| mouth. gazing wretchedly at the black columns
OF smoke that seem to grow thicker every hour
indicating that the coal is now burning in
stead OF timber and roofing. Cries for voun-
teers to relieve the workers were constant and
responses came before the sentenc e had been
finished, for there were no idlers
TELLING SAD STORIES.
They are telling sad stories about the mine
today and one of the most touching is that of a
man named Kelley and an old man named
Hayes. The latter. it seems. had safe,y carried
Kelley from the pits in Lancashire EngIand
three successive times, and HAYES bore terrible
scars to show the fight he had with fire for the
sake of his friend. When Hayes rushed into
the mine. after the explosion yesterday TO find
his son. whose unguarded lamp had set the
damp on fire. he fell dead within a stones
throw of his boys body. Then there came
crawling in after him gaunt, blackened spec
ter. who gathered his scorched form teuderlv
IN his arms, and Kelley carried all that was
mortal OF his three-tlmes savior to the omen
air and fell burned and blind. Later reports
say the mine is in the entire Charge of Mine
Inspector keoghley and he is making strenn-
ous efforts to enter from the Mahonev
drifts. They tell the women and children that
their people may be alive in distant cham
Der, but they scarcely hope and certainly do
not believe it themselves. Coroner Holbrook
Is here this morning and viewed the two
dead bodies but refuses 10 hold an inauest
or render a verdict until the other bodies
are recovered. and no one seems to be able TO
guess when that will be. An air fan to furnish
ventilation to the mine will be put in operation
this afternoon in the Ferguson pit, as work
Will also be commenced there.
THE CAUSE OF IT.
There seems to be many views as to the
cause of the fire and the proper place, if any.
for placing the blame. Coroner Hoibrook has
appointed three miners and two citizens on the
jury. He placed the miners there because
they. were the greatest sufferers and
because they wanted show if the remedy
could be applied. The mine is so located that
flooding the fire is impossible and smothering
it means certain death to the men below pro-
vided any are living. Nearly all the mines in
this region are closed down and men. money
and provisions are pouring in on every train
rescuing party has just appeared at the
Ferguson mine and report the chambers of
that drift rapidly filling with smoke. This de-
lays If II does not entirely cut of all hopes of
reaching the imprisoned men from that side
Some slight hope was raised at noon by the
return of Walter McCleary, one of the rescuIng
party who reported that far down in the slope
he heard mule braying as if in great distress
This leads to the belief that the men may yet
be living. Great crowds are arriving on every
train and focking to the scene of the disaster
Not Mentioned.