Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-03
Made by the Relief Committee to As
siSt the Needy Widows and
Orphans at Dunbar of
THE THIRTY-TWO BURNED MINERS.
The Hill Farm Mine Will be Hermetically
Sealed in the Effort to Smother
the Raging Fire Within.
WORK IN OTHER MINES TO BE RESUMED
Active Preparations Being Made for Thorough In
TestigatOn at the Inquest.
rrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT


DUNBAR, July 2.-TO-day the work of
closing up all known or artificial entrances
to the Hill Farm mine has been pushed
rapidly and by daylight tomorrow morning
the mine will be as air tight as human abil-
ity can make it. Inspector Keighley had
charge of the work OF stopping the cut
through from the Mahoning mine. A brick
wall three feet thick was built in the open
ing. The work was completed by noon and
Mr.. Keighley soon after departed for his
home in Uniontown. His duties are
finished, except to see that the work of stop
ping up the Hill Farm mine is done without
subiecting the men to danger. All day the
work has been pushed at the other openings.
TIE two bare holes have been plugged tight.
A brick brattice is being erected in the en-
trance from the Ferguson mine and another
brick brattice is being put up in the manway
of the Hill Farm. This manway is sepa-
rated by 20 feet from the main slope, rum
ming parallel with it.
COMBINING THE FIRE.
No fire has burst out of the manway. The
fire has been confined to the slope, out of
which the thin blue smoke has been rolling
all day long. 1t is not thick smoke, but
more like quivering heat, so that no one can
go within 40 or so feet of the pit mouth. An
engine was erected near the pit mouth yes
terday, and to-day it has been forcing COM
oir 10 4ba Thic hos dri1
back the smoke. This afternoon workmen
were able to go down for 500 feet. Here the
brick wall is being put up tonight. The
pit mouth will be filled with cinders and
earth. This will be difficult work. There
were employed in the Hill Farm mine and
on the ovens and works connected with the
mine 120 men. In the Ferguson mine there
were so employees. A majority of these men
have been employed in the work of rescue.
That being ended many were employed in
various ways about the works. The Dunbar
Furnace Company hopes to employ all in
week or two.
The Ferguson mine will probably resume
and there is strong hopes the water may
soon be got out OF the Mahoning slopes to
allow the renewal of work there. This mine
has not been worked because of water for
about 13 months. The work of pumping is
at last showing effect. There will be no
lack of work for abIe-bodied men.
ASSISTING THE NEEDY.
The Dunbar Furnace Company is feeding
the families of the lost miners at the COM
pany's expense, but they will not say how
long they will keep this up. They are not
in a condition to- furnish clothing. To-day
Levy Dewolf, manager for Mrs. Gusky,
came to Dunbar and made inquiry into the
conditions of the widows and orphans. The
families were visited by Father Malady and
Mr.. Eagan, Secretary of the local assembly,
Knights of Labor. 1t was found that
nearly all need clothing. Some have needed
it for long time. Tomorrow Father Malady
will send to Gusky list of the needy ones,
with their sizes, and Mrs. Gusky will on
Saturday or Monday have on hand complete
outfits of clothing and shoes for all. She
will attend to the wants not OILY of the
families of the entombed men, but will fur
nish clothing to Mrs. John Kane, Mrs.
Burns and Mrs. Hughes, whose husbands
have recently met death in the mines, and
Others.
A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION TO BE HAD
Four score persons have been subpenaed
to appear at the inquest next Monday. The
investigation Will De thorough. The people
in this region feel that such must be the
case. There is q general agreement that
efforts to search further for the bodies were
useless. Nobody complains because the
work was given up. People know that all
was done that could be done. The people
around the mine were not as numerous
to-day as usual. The workers have gener-
ally left, with the exception of a few men
running the boilers and pump. The guards
have been removed. The inspectors have
all gone home. Mine experts will not pre-
dict how long the Hill Farm mine will
burn after it is plugged. 1t may be only
short time and it may be years.
HAsSLER.