The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-02-25
MINERS DROWNED.
An Engineers Mistake Results
in Frightful Disaster.
Two Score of Men Perish at
Evansville, Penn.

Eighteen men entombed in watery graves
mark the result of the most awful mine
horror that has ever occurred in Hazleton
PENN coal region. Jeansville, the pretty
little mining village Of J. c. Hayden u Co.,
two miles across the mountains from that
place, is the scene of the disaster.
At 10:50 O'Clock on a recent morning two
miners, Patrick Coll and Charles Boyle, wers
at work in a breast of the mine OF j. Z.
HAYDEN & Co., at Jeansville. They were
drilling q hole and struck vast body, OF
water. In few moments. tho entire slope
was flooded, and eig ghteen men had perlsaed
in the rush Of the waters.
There were twenty-five men at work in
the slope at the time Of the accident. One
Of the seven who escaped said that at first
there was rumble like the sound OF ON ap-
preaching train. In moment there was
fierce blast of wind and the lamps were e1-
tinguished. There was cry: For COOS
sake run for your livesW
William Breslin, who escaped, said he
cried out to q companion named James
Grifiths to run. GrlHiths's light went out,
and that was the last Breslin saw Of him.
Brcsliu tried to run for the bottom Of the
slope, but made slow progress in the dark.
Then Boyle and John Nelins came running
out Of the sangway toward him. Nelinss
lamp was burning, and oy ITS sid sney
the slope. The water came on with rush,
and in less than five minutes the water had
raised 6A feet to the mouth Of the slope, the
pitch of which is eighty-three degrees
John Watkins and John Morgan also es-
capped. They heard the cries OF Boyle and
Coll to fy, and with great presence OF mind
they ran to an old air course and bursting
open brattice inside made their escape.
They dragged frightened Hun with them
and saved his life also. He was too fright
ened to make move tc escape, and with
great courage Morgan and Watkins dragged
him along at the risk of Their own lives.
BOYLE and Coll, the two miners who tapped
the deadly flood, strangely enough were
saved from death The water forced them
along, and at last, as they were being showed
past an air way, Boyle pulled Coll in and
the two managed 10 escape.
The names Of the drowned men are as fol-
lows: Bernard McCloskey, single; Patrick
Kelley, single; James Ward, wife and eight,
wife and five children; Edward Gala:
CHER, wife and two children; Samuel
Porter, single; James GriGiths, wife
and one child; Harry Ball. wife and six
small children; ten Hungarians-Waril
Frinko, single; Joseph Matuscowitz, mar
ried; John Tomasoskf Thomas Jake, John
Burns, James Balacki, Michael NTH, Mike
Palashall, and one unknown.
The scene of the disaster was in the lower
lift or working of &C. Hayden & CO. $ No.
slope The upper gangway was worked out
five years ago. and eighteen months ago the
pumps were taken out. The workings gradu-
ally filled up with water. Many of the old
miners knew Of the presence of the
water and trouble had been feared
None of the workmen had had any
idea that the lower workings were driven
so close to the water. As quick as the news
of the disaster reached the surface hundreds
of people flocked to the mine, but as there
. was nothing to see they soon left. and
the scene around the mine was totally
different from the heartreniing scenes
usually witnessed on such occasions.
1t will take at least week to pump out
the wator, the colliery owuers say, but eI-
pcrienced miners think that it will take
month. Pumps are now taking 1890 gallons
minute from the mine.
The accident is charged by some people to
the oversight of the mining engineers III not
notifying the workingmen of the proximity
of such great body of water. J. G. Hay
den G. Co. are very wealthy operators. The
same company operates mines at Mahanoy
CITY. Penn.