Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-05-16
ENTOMBED IN A MINE
Twenty-Five Men Buried by
a Cave-in at Ashley, Pa.
BRAVE REsCUERs AT WORK.
A Desperate Effort Being Made to Reach
the Unfortunate Men.

facs-HeartrondorinE Scenes at the
Mouth Of the Pis--Th" Rescuing Party
Beaten Back Ny Coal Damp-Ssvaral
Houses Shattered and Destroyed.
WnkzaRARRr, Pa, May 16.-The oiti-
xens of Ashley, three miles from here,
were thrown into tho widest excite
mont when . rumbling sound was heard
all over town, followed few seconds
later by peroeptible shock like an
earthquake. Persons rushed into the
streets from the houses and stores. The
cause was not ascertainsd for half An
hour.
1t was then found that an area of
nearly a square mile just outside Ash
Icy over the Baltimore vein, No. 4 slope,
of the Lehigh & Wilkesbarre Coal Com
pany had sunk, oocasioning the rumble
and shock, and that % men were i'm
prisoned in the mine.
The report spread quickly and the
scene that followed was simply awful.
Women whose husbands worked in the
mine rushed out bare-headed, followed
by their children and great crowd Of
men and boys.
To the Rescue.
Division Superintendent Phillips, Con-
other officials reached tho scene within
an hour or two, and after . hasty e.
animation of plans 1t was decided to
make an effort to work way through
and over the fallen roofs inside the
mine, while at the same time gangs
of men were set to work to dig down
from the surface into some abandoned
workings that connected with the cham
bers in the upper split and through
which it was hoped the men could be
reached. Little hope was entertained
Of being able for the present at least to
reach them through the inside Of the
mine, for not only was it evident that
the gangways were being blocked, but
that they were still working" for every
moment fresh falls were to be expected.
Three 1Ien Rescued.
The resouers broke their way through
the surface and reached the abandoned
workings. Five men entered and
travelled along some distance. They
heard groans. STOPPING down they
found three mon lying PROSTATE on the
ground. They picked them up and carried
them to the surface. When the rescu-
ing party came in sight a mighty cheer
went up, which was repeated again and
again. The men rescued were John
Allen, Robert Roberts and Anthony
Frsil. They were badly burned. Roberts
is the least injured.
Heartrsndipg Scenes.
The scene around the mouth Of the
pit 10 heartrending one. Wives
and mothers crowd close up to
the dark opening and peer in - If their
loved ones would disPel the darkness
of tho fatal depths, while the cries of
the little ones calling for their fathers
make the nearer sick with pity. Tho
men who form the resouing parties are
It t.s a. tn sas
inside they will be rescued alive or
their bodies restored before long.
Had to Flee for Their Lives.
Nearly a score Of houses are .hattered
and destroyed and the families were
compelled to fee for their lives. The
latest report from the scene Of the dis
astsr il to the effect that the rsscuinR
party has penetrated to within sight Of
two dead bodies, bat the gas is 30 thick
that they were driven back to tho sur
face. The place is full of black damp
and further approach In the direction
of the victims Is impossible, even with
safety lamps.
Very Little Hope for The Men.
At it looks new very little hope 10
entertained that any of the men will b
rescued alive The oavs-in Is only .
short distance from the point whore
the six miners, John CLARK, Bernard
Riley, John Green, Daniel Green
Daniel Hawkins and william Price
were imprisoned in like manner during
the month OF April 1879, and
who subsisted on mule meat for six
days, whom they were reached by . res
cuing party and found in good health
and little the worse for their hazardous
experience.
Names Of the Imprisoned.
The following is . list of the men who
are known to be Imprisoned,
John Hanson, Anthony Franc. Michael
Schallsy, John Schallsy, John Allen,
Michael Henry, Charles James. Frank
Gallagher, Robert Roberts, Harry Jones,
Ellis Williams, Owen Williams, Daniel
Sullivan, Thomas Williams. John Penn
ing, Anthony Frale, Harry Perry and
son, Owen Perry, Thomas Clauss, John
James and four Hungarian laborera.
Writ of Error in the Archer Case.