The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-06-18
DUNBAR'S DISTRESS,
The Imprisoned Miners are
Without Any Hope.
THE SMOKE is BELcHlNG

From tho Mouth or tho sItncs...Ef
forts to Stay tho Flames Fruit.
icss..Thcrc is no Hope OF Re.
covering tho Bodies.
DUNBAR, Pa, June 17.-All nigh
long tho rescuing parties remained n
tho mouth Of the manhole a. Farm Hi
mine, but their Efforts were lyaitless
and when daylight broke upon then
they were no nearer the unfortunate
men entombed in tho burning mine.
Att o'clock last evening nll hope o
rcssuing the imprisoned miners was
abandoned, Efforts were made to ente,
the burning slope through the Mahoney
and the Ferguson mines. II was found
impossible TO get near the men through
the former, owing to the formation oil
the slope, and iu the Ferguson pit the
air was so bad that II was impossible to
travel any distance. Under these con.
ditions the most sangutne ofthe workers
yielded, aud 1t was then determined to
cut OF all fre.h mir and let the mine burn
itself out, that the bodies OF the men
might be recovered.
At the first drift solid wall OF brick.
well plasiercd, was built across the
opening. Material was wheeled down
the entrance to where the men were Mt
work, and MI air fan was act at work
supplying irceh air to the rescuerJ.
AS a worker, the Associated Press cor
respondent was enabled to reach the
point where tho men were working.
Traces OF fire damp still remained in the
air. Men were working like beavers to
finish tho wall. The only light was oh.
tanned from "Davy lamp" ;" There was
10 wasting Of breath in idle talk. All
the strength Of the men was needed in
building the barrier. Through the in.
terslices OF the wall, far of to the left,
could be seen heavy cloud OF smoke,
occasionally pierced by flames. Back Of
this wall Q. fire lay the bodies of the
workers relatives and companions.
FIGHT FOR THE DEAD.
At 10 o'clock thls morning there was
very little change in the mine, except
that the fire was Gercer, the smoke
blackcr and the despair OF the survivors
deeper than ever before. The fight for
the dead Tas KEEP. up by the living all
night, but, the early gray Of morning
only found the rescuing party driven
farther back from the death chambers
and they could not penetrate within 100
feet OF the place they reached last night.
Early this morning Martin Markey,
pit boss OF the Anchor mines, made
daring ATTEMPT TO reach the right drift.
iugs OF tho Hill Farm mines from the
Alahoney entrance, one and one.half
miles away ncross the hills. He crawled
over drifts and fallen slate 10 within 100
yards Of the fallen chambers, and
sounded again and again, but listened
for response in vain, The men were
either 'smothered or frightened at the
fire that was now steadily cncroaching
on their narrow territory. ind Markey,
cut and bruised, abandoned the hope.
less quest OF seeking IN answer from
100 yards Of solid, dumb slate.
plTIABLE SIGHTS.
The sight about tho pits mouth is all
the more pitiable, because OF the twenty
four hours Of anguish that had rolled
over the heads of the relatives and
friends of the emtombed miners, and
hundreds stand steadily at the mouth,
gazing wretchedly ut the black columns
Of smoke that seem 10 grow thicker
every hour, indicating that the coal was
now burning instead OF timber and
rcoiing.
Cries for volunteers 10 relieve the
workers were constant, and responses
came before the sentence had been fin.
ished, for there were no idlers. They
are telling sad stories abont the mine to.
day and they are touching in the ex.
treme. n
Later reports say the mine Is in the
entire charge OF Mine Inspector Kreigh-
ley, and he is making strenuous efforts
to enter from the Mahoney drifts.
There Seems to bs many views as to
the cause OF the fire and the proper
place, If any, for the placing Of blame.
Coroner Holbrook, who arrived here
this morning has appointed three
miners and three citizens on a jury.
Ue placed tho miners there because
tf,ey wanted TO show il the remedy
could be applied. The mine is SO To-
Gated that flooding the fire is impossible
and smotheripg 1t means certain death
to the men below, providing any are
living. Nearly all the mines in this re
sten arc closed down, and men, money
aud provisions arc pouring in every
train. s5. :
A rescning party has just appeared a
the mouth Of tho Ferguson mine ant
report the chambers OF that drift "a
pidly filling with smoke. This delays
II it does not entirely cut of all hope
OF reaching the imprisoned men Iron
that aide. -. ssl
ALL HOPE LOST.
Ate o'clock this afternoon the Hill
Farm pit showed but faint wreath Q
smoke, as il the firc within Tas burning
feebly. From that time. however, th'
smoke grew gradually thicker and heav
ier, until now % p. n.y. it Is belchinl
forth ltke a forrent,t ten times btacke,
than Yesterday. The reason given fo
this il that work had been com
menced in Mahoning the mines, and
70 fest had already been torn down
by the volunteer squads, which CAV
more and more ventilation to the hi
mines, as this place is honeyeomhe!
with drifts and headings. This drill
lends again TO the hope that the mel
Imprisoned have reached the extreme
limit OF the chambers, toward tn
MaLonipg mine, and are patientl!
waiting there for lie. or death. al,
There is no effort being made at tn
Hil! Farm mine to offer relief, as tn
hcat and smoke from the pit mouth i
now sunbearable, and it is expected t.
break into a flame 81 any moment whe!
the shops and small buildings surround
inr will go pt once. All efforts at rescu
are now being made at the Aahopin
mine alone, rs the Ferguson ip 80 full
rmoke that work Is impossible.
5,gl5s5 The Fire Damp.
rIrrspuRon, PA, luce l7.-By the e., es
ploeion Of fire damp In tho his.si'' y
coal mines near Monongahela City, 70
a-t :, - Il I,