Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-23
FROM A sTAFT CORRESPONDENT

Progress of Operations-The Damage IL
Repaired, However, and Work IL now
Advancing.
IFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT
DUNBAR, June 22.-It Is becoming more
and more apparent to the people that the
imprisoned miners are to-day far from being
rescued. Saturday night the course of the
cut had to be changed, and it is beginning
to dawn on the public that some bad blum
ders have been made.
Colonel Hill appeared on the scene again
this afternoon. He formerly owned the
Hill Farm mine before he sold 1t to the
Dunbar Furnace Company. The Colonel
expressed a general sentiment when he
said: "It seems to me, they ought
to have cut through the solid
that some bad blunders have been made,
and the maps of the mine must be very iIn-
perfect. Now don't pay much attention
to the operation of my mines, but have
maps at home that are so perfect that at a
moments notice can tell where every man
is working. Every room and heading is To-
Gated. It looks to me to be simple task
to get the right direction between these
mines and then finish through"
THE MAP WAS INACCURATE.
The men, as they come out, are instructed
to keep their mouths shut. So many un-
truths are told and false hopes held out that
it is feared that friends and relatives of the
imprisoned men will become exasperated.
The course had to be changed once more,
and it was discovered that the map had
been inaccurate.
The shift this morning met with bad
fall of slate, aud they had to spend their
time in timbering. No progress was made,
but about 2 o'clock they once more began
the work of cutting through, and il is a
slow job.
Inspector Evans, of the Johnstown dis
trict, in describing the situation, said:
when went in with the shift this morn
ing was very much put out. In my IS
years experience as a miner never saw
such bad fall of slate. We had to stop all
work and commence to use timber.
A GREAT HINDRANcE.
1.-THE miners had to go so far as to fall the
timbers, but it is difficult to make q iayman
understand what that means. The pieces
have to be pushed in one ahead of the other.
When you looked upyou couldn't see where
the slate came from. SO great was the height.
This threw us back greatly, but we are now
pushing on"
At this point Inspector Evans produced
map and showed where the surveyors had
blundered in thinking they had reached the
boundary line of the coal. The fact is, if
it must be said, the operators are SO un-
certain that they don't know much about it,
or when the men will be reached.
Colonel Hill feels sure the men are dead
now anyhow, though he believes that they
lived for several days after the accident oc-
CURED. Inspector Evans hopes that when
the pillar is'struck between the two collieries
that it won't be filled up with COB and fallen
slate. If it is open it will be that much less
tor the rescuing parties to remove.
Inspector Kejghly maintains that the
maps are accurate and that the men are TAX
ing the shortest route into the chamber
where the victims are. Inspector Blick, of
Pittsburg. also denies that mistakes have
been made, but says it was found imprac-
ticable to follow the line laid down by the
engineers an account OF the rocks.