The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-05
DROWNED IN THE PIT.
Twenty-Five Pennsylvania Min
ers Perish Like Rats.
EVANSVILLE sToPE oEluGED
The Unfortunate Men Overwhelmed IN
an Instant-Another Disaster
1T wiIkesbarre.

HazrI-oy. Pa. Feb. IA terrible aeci-
dent occurred az GAINESVILLE this morning.
whereby eighteen men lost their lives.
The accident occurred IN stope 10. operated
By ]. C. Hayden & Co. The working IS
situated Immediately under the old WORK
ings known as No. s, worked out some
years ago and filed with water. The
cause OF the disaster was due 10 the drill
ing of hole through q pillar. when
liberated an immense body OF water con-
fined IN the old workings, foosiing the
new workings and drowning all the men
in thai portion of the mine The dead are;
LAWRENCE REID, JAMES WARD.
HsRgY RT,Er JossPH NATsKowIrcE,
BaESEY NcsIoskEy. ParE-ek NELLY
JAMES WEASZo. NIKE SNITE.
JOHN BgRSo, Tex GLTK.
T0M ASEASKAKY, jog ASTEas
BoSro FET<Ks. THOMAS BSEko,
Two unknown HuBgzriaEs
Several OF these men are married and
have large families.
News OF the disaster created the widest
excitement and the mouth OF the Slope was
soon thronged with people. The scenes OF
anguish that followed cannot he depicted.
The weather, which was bitterly cold. did
not have any effect toward diminishing
the crowd. and il was only after the terri
tornbed men were living or could possibly
be reached until all the water was pumped
ont Of the stope. that the grief-stricken
friends OF the unfortunate men could oe
induced 10 go TO their homes.
The firm OF Hayden & Go. viii pump the
water out as rapidly as machinery placed
in position can do the work. How long It
will take Is question. since no dennite
H. - 10,
tanned. Some of the miners say 1t viii
take four weeks,
Many theories are advanced as to the
cause OF the great disaster. Some charge
it TO neglect to notify worknen of the
dangerous proximity of water.
William B-istin, one of seven men who
escaped from the mine, says he felt wind
coming when the men broke through into
the old stope. He yelled 10 his eompan-
ions TO run for their lives or all would be
drowned In moment the rush of water
came, and Bristin, Henry Gibbon, John
Moline, John Brile, Charles Boyle. VIII
lam Coyle and Patrick Cole barely
escaped. The water rose rapidly. and be-
fore any attempt could be made to rescue
the rest of the workmen the water lowed
In, and in FIVE minutes the stope, which is
III tCC- 0CCP. h&S ~ tAiC AIhO0kn. ai10
eighteen men, who but few hours before
with light hearts left the bright sunshine
and clear sky to descend into the
dark cavern, were buried in q wasery
grave
WILKEsBAERE, Pa, Feb. "A cavern oc-
CURED this afternoon IN No. Slope at the
Grand tunnel, opposite Nanticoke. Three
Poles are shut in, and as the place is filled
with water it is supposed they are
drowned.
The accident was precisely similar to
that which occurred at GAINESVILLE this
morning. A heavy blast broke hole into
an old working which was filed with
water, allowing it 10 run into No. 3. Most
of the miners fortunately managed TO
escape. The three unfortunate Poles are
undoubtedly dead.
SHAMoKrS, Pa, Feb. 4.-By an explosion
of powder at the Nelson colliery today
one miner was killed and two fatally in
jured.