Evening journal., 1890-07-02
ONE ONT
INTO A FIERY FURNACE.
A Daring Search for Bodies at
Dunbar.
THE FATE OF THE MINERS KNOWN

TheY Werg Bnrned 10 Deetk IL the yn%
canic Heart Of the Farm Hin Mine.
Dinner Paiis aud Blouses Were Pound
but No Bodsns.
DUNBAR, Pa, July 2.--All hope Of recov-
ering the bodies Of the dead miners has
been abandoned The burning mine may
not yield up its awful mystery for years.
The thirty-one victims met death in one
grand funeral pyre 1t is fairly wcll es-
tablished that they met their fate ia the
slope, whittier they had rushed after the
explosion, and there their ashes are now
supposed to be When the mine was
pierced the atmosphere was found to con-
tain 70 per cent. Of fire damp as well as
much smoke The impossibility Of any
one living IN such place can be imagined
when it Is known that fivc-sixths OF per
cent Of fire damp viii kill human being
who breathes Of It.
The Quest for the Bodies.
The first reseuing party returned nearly
discouraged They had been unable 70
find any trace Of the men. The smole
was oyerpowering.
At 2.30 o'clock the second exploring party
formed and started down into the pit On
its last mission. The confidence Of the
men had been shaken by the first failure
and they carried with them several collins.
At the foot Of the manway line Of sentries
was formed. Inspector Frank Keighley,
Hugh Dolan and Robert Watchorn secre-
tary Of the United Mine Workers, were So
lected 10 invade the realm where death had
held sway for many days.
A Fruitless Search.
Tying the life lines about their waists
they plunged into the abyss, facing hid
eous death to save their humble comrades
bodies These were the only three who en-
tered the mine The air was heavy and
the smoke thick, but could be breathed.
For 900 feet these three men climbed over
COB piles and through vacant rooms. Not
one sight, one sound, Of life rewarded
them They then reached the first room,
where Dan Smith and Jack Mitchell had
worked. II was vacant The men then
entered the drain room. II was expected
thnt the victims would be found here hud-
died in group This was the room the
rescuing party had aimed for and missed
Every nook and Granny was examined to
find some clew Of the workers. The search
was fruitless.
Alive Amer the Explosion.
The men had lived after the explosion
and had gathered up all their belongings
before they had started for the surface Of
the earth. There We're no messages show
ing that the men had expected TO escape.
| With sinking hearts the trio started for the
lowest part Of the mine, where the butt
heading Is located The journey was ac-
| complished under the most trying circum-
| sNinces II was here the dinner bucket of
Patrick Deylin was found Beside il lay
his blue blouse The miner had been eat
ing his luncheon when the accident oc-
Cured lie had thrown the bread back in
the pail closed the lid and rushed 70 his
death In the passage leading to the room
was found the body Of a mule. Ithad been
burst by the gases Of decomposition 10
had lived after the explosion, but not many
hours. The searchers left a chalk line on
the wall and returned. They then started
In a new direction.
The Deadly Fire Damp Encountered.
The length Of the signal line had expired.
| Tying their end TO post the three started
down towards the main place where tho
! fire was raging They proceeded slowly.
| keighley was in advance, Doran next, and
Watchorn brought up the rear, clinging to
Doran. When within "a few feet of the
fire and thirty feet Of where the men lay
they encountered firedamp. The lights in
their lamps fickered and died out They
stood In total darkness struggling for their
breath, Turning, the men started to re-
trace their steps. On and on they staggered
out Of the polluted air into the air thab
contained some oxygen. On and on into
total darkness they ran, Doran guiding
Watchorn in their course almost by in
stinct
The End of the PeriIous Task.
After losing their way several times In
stygian gloom the exhausted men at last
found the safety line Across the fiery
waste the odor Of burning human flesh sa-
luted their nostrils Then, and not till
then did this dauntless trio forsake all
hope They retraced their steps to the
drain room. In an adjoining room they
found the bucket and blouse of jack
Mitchell. 1t contained his dinner His
picks and shovels lay at the face Of the
coal He had dropped them and hurried
with his companions for the slope The
three rescuers had travelled over two miles
through the Hill Farm mine. Five work
ing rooms and nine places had been visit
ed. In some places they had to crawl on
their stomachs over falls and piles of COB.
Eyerywhere the air was foul BY nighb
the spots which they visited will be q rag
ing fire. The men could do no more.
With sinking hearts they slowly made
their way back to the Mahoning mine
opening