Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1890-05-24
THE mime THEIR Tomb.
Twenty Eight Men Imprisoned by q
Fall of Rock.
y Terrible cnve-in at Wnkesbarre, Pa
An Explosion of Fire-Da,np adds
to the Horrors.

4 Terrible cavc-ln at yynkesbarrc, Pa
An Explosion of Fire-Da,mp adds
to the Horrors.
The long serious of awful mine disastersthat
have visited Lelligh Valley within the past
year reached climax in the entombing OF
twenty.eight men in the Hartford mine OF tho
Lehigh and Wilkcsbarre Coal Company, Mt
Ashley, Pa. three miles from Wilkesbarre'
At nine O'Clock the community was thrown
into u state of excitement when the news
spread that an extensive cave-in had occur
red in No. = colliery, covering an area OF more
than ten acres. Thousands rushed TO thcscene
ofthe disaster. and found that the surface was
scanned and cracked, with long circular MS
lures. some over two feet wide. The sorrow OF
the people was intensified when it became
known that twcnty-cight of their friends VINO
had gone down the pit in the morning were
directly beneath the portion thai had caved IN
and were entombed behind the mass OF coal
and rock. That portion of the mine IN winch
the men were is known as No. slope, ana the
cave.in, If it did orerwlelm them AT once, smut
ont all means Of reaching the surface. :,
Rcscuiug parties were al once organized ana
an opening broken through into inanway
along the bed of 81 mountain stream, where me
chambers in that part OF the mine come within
few feet of the surface. All day long these
men toile% at the hard and stubborn rock,
while wives and little ones ofthe victims stood
around the opening aud rent the air with their
cries and lamentations. Gang after gang re-
lievctl one another until, NJ tive O'Clock. the
news was passed that they had succeeded IN
breaking through the chamber beneath The
cave. ! pcriod of suspense followed, while
the thousands who stood around the opening
waited for some intelligence from the men Ut
the front.
The worked OF in silence until half-past
six, when there was conlmotion at the mouth
Of The darl. opening, and the foreman crawle1
out on his hands and knees and announced
that they had found one of the victims. lie
was living at the bottom of a tifty-toot plane,
and in order to rescue him became necessary
10 lower miner down with rope This was
done and the charred and blackened form OF
Anthony Frcyne. the first of the victims. was
hcisted n the surface. He was still alive, but
his injuries are considered fatal. When the
news spread that Eroyne was burned IL look of
the deepest gloom overspread the faces OF the
old miners who were present. They shook
their heads sadly. SAYING that The fact ofFroyne
being so paddy burned left very little hope for
the safety of his companioas.
1t is supposed that Froyne wandered away
from the rest of the men, and, in his efforts to
find WAY out. fred the gas nan old chamber.
Ruin was wrought as we'll on the surface as III
the pit. Nearly Il score of houses are shat
tered and DESTROYED, and the families were
compelled to flee iortheirlivcs. The latest re-
port from The scene ofthe disaster is 10 thect-
feet that the rescuing party has penetrated TO
within sight of two dead bodies, but the gas IS
so thick that they were driven back TO the sur.
face The place is full of black-damp, and
further approach in the direction Of the vic
rims IS ip1nossible even with safety lamps. As