Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-02-07
EIGHTEEN MEN DROWNED
Overwhelmed by Water in Coal Mine
at JeanesYille, Pa
A Hole Drilled Into an Overhead slope
which Had Been Abandoned and
Flooded Five Years Ago.


A Hole Drilled Into an Overhead slope
Which Had Been Abandoned and
Flooded Five Years Ago.
A Despatch from HaRleton, Pa, says
Eighteen men entombed in watery graves
marks the result Of the most awful mine hor
ror that has ever occurred in this region.
GAINESVILLE, the pretty little mining village
off. c. Hayden & Co, two miles across the
mountains from HaEle,on, is the scene Of the
disaster.
Al II o'clock, while Charles Boyle and
Patrick Coll, of Lewiston, were engaged In
drilling hole In their chamber IN the lower
lift Of No. 1 slope Of j. C. Hayden & Co, at
Ieanesville they broke into the old No. slope
that has been idle for FIVE years and had been
Hooded 10 the mouth with water. VIM Brislin,
driver, was driving at the bottom Of the
slope when he felt the wind coming and cried
out, Boys, run for your lives or we will all
be drowned"
In moment the force Of water came, aud
Brislin barely escaped with his life. Besides
him ak others were saved.
The water rose rapidly, and before any at.
tempt could be made to rescue the rest Of the
workmen, flowed in, and In five minutes time
the slope, which is ga feet deep, was filled 10
the mouth, and eighteen men had persisted.
The news ofthe disaster created the widest
excitement and the mouth Of the slope was
soon thronged with people frantic in their
efforts TO obtain information OF the inmates
ofthe mines, When all the men who escaped
reached the surface and il was known who
the lost were, the excitement increased, and
in less than half an hour hundreds Of men,
women and children gathered around the
slope and the terrible scenes OF anguish that
ensued cannot be depicted. Wives imploring
piteously OF the miners standing by, who only
knew too we'll the fatal result, 10 save their
husbands from the terrors Of watery grave.
Little children crying for their papa who
would never return; relatives aud friends
ringing their hands in sorrow aud distress and
appealing TO a merciful Providence.
The weather, which wss bitter cold, did not
have any effect toward diminishing the crowd,
and Messrs j. C. Hayden & Co. soon had
large force OF men at work, under Master
Mechanic Rude, placing pumps In position.
One was got In working order 10 a very short
time, and black and suiphurous water was
being forced from the mouths Of the hugh
column pipes at the entrance Of the slope. A
large duplex Cameron pump was aiso in
working order by 7 o'clock, and every minute
takes 800 gallons from the slope where the
men are entOmbed The firm OF Hayden &
Co. will pump the water out as rapidly as
machinery D aced In position eau do the work.
How long IL will take is question, since ne
definite idea of the volume OF water can ba
asccrtained. Some OF the miners say il will
take four weeks before the bodies can DO
reached; others say twice as long, since all the
water tnat had collected In the abandoned
No s slope will.run into this liit Of No. slopo,
and wilt, OF course, have to bs pumped cut
Mr.. Brslin, one OF the escaped miners at
the bottom Of the slope, said: Il was waiting
at the bottom OF the slope for trip to come
out, Suddenly heard a loud noise, aud 1
thought Il was the trip coming out. Then a
frlghtiul blast OF wind came aud knocked me
down the gangway. | cried out 10 James
Grihiths. Then the wind blew his light out
a. suddenly as II did mine. / tried TO run for
the s,ope, but stumbled and tell Then John
Boyle aud John Mems came running out
Neemss lamp was burning, and through The
aid OF Neems'A light we got TO the slope. Tho
water came pouring after US As We ran We
got TO the slope and then the light went out.
We clambered up As fast as we could. and tho
water came rushing alter Us, rising very
quickly. IN five minutes the water raised
20s yards 70 the mouth OF the slope, the pitch
Of which is BSo."
The civil engineer in charge o. the Jcanea.
willie mine was man from POttsville, La
Fevre MOmelsdorf. Many theories are ad.
vanced rs to the cause OF the disaster. some
charge il 10 neglect to notify the workmen Of
the dangerous proximity OF the water. The
slope In question where the accident occurred
is new one, which was sunk from the bottom
OF workedout slope. The latter has been
flooded for ut least sixteen months, and only a
few Of the old miners knew OF the presence Of
the great body OF water aud many il time had
the remark been made that II the lower gang
way workings were driven up too near a
dreadful accident would DO the result. None
OF the workmen had any idea that the work
ings we're driven ~ near TO the water as they
we're.