The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-02-05
ANOTHER MINE HORROR.
EIGHTEEN MEN DROWNED IN
A SLOPE.


result OF the most awful mine horror
that has ever occurred In this region.
Jeanesville, tho pretty little mining
village OF j. G. Hayden & Co., two
miles across the mountains from this
place, is the scene OF the disaster
which has resulted in such appalling
loss of life and which has brought de-
ISOLATION and anguish to SO many happy
homes and dear Ones At IL o'clock
this morning, when Charles Boyle and
Patrick Coll, of lewiston, were engag-
Cd In drilling hole in their chamber
In the lower lift of No. slope of J. q.
Hayden n Co., at GAINESVILLE, they
broke into tho old No. slope that has
been idle for five years and had been
flooded to the mouth with water. VIII
liam Brislln, driver, was driving at
the bottom of the slope when he felt
the wind coming, and cried out
Boys, for Gods sake run for your
lives or we will all be drowned" In n
moment the force of water came, and
Brislin barely escaped with his life.
Besides him, six Others were saved.
John Boyle, Charles Boyle, William
Coyle, doortender, and Patrick Coll.
John Boyles laborer was drowned.
The water rose rapidly, and, before
any attempt could be made to rescue
the rest of the workmen, flowed In,
and IN five minutes time the slope,
which Is 024 feet deep was filled to the
mouth, and IS men who but u few
hours lelore, with light hearts, left
the bright sunshine and clear sky to
descend into the dark cavern of coal,
were buried in watery graves, and
their lifeless bodies, black -grmed and
maiined, arc alone left to tell tho terfi-
BILE cost OF mining coal.
GREAT ExCITEMTNT.
Tho news of the disaster created the
Widest excitement, and the mouth OF
the slope was soon thronged with peo-
pic, frantic In their efforts TO obtain
information Of tho inmates of the
mines. When all the men who escaped
reached the surface, and II was known
who the lost were, the excitement in
creased, and In less than half an hour
huhdfedS Uf men, women and children
gathered around the slope, and the
terrible scenes OF anguish that ensued
cannot be depicted. Wives implorlng
piteously of the miners standing by,
who knew only too well the fatal re-
suit, to save their husbands from the
terrors OF u watery grave; little chill
dren crying for the papa that would
never return; relatives and friends
wfinglng their hands in sorrow and
distress and appealing to n merciiul
providence to save all, when within
each breast was the certain feeling that
their prayers would be unanswered.
The weather, which wns bitter cold,
did not have any effect toward dimn-
islnng the crowd. and Ii WAS only after
the terrible result was made plain that
none Ofthe entombed men were living
or could possibly be reached until all
the water was pumped out of the
slope that the grlef-stricken friends
OF the unfortunate men could be in
ducod to go to their homes. When
tho Associated Press reporter arrived
at the scene at about 1880, J. G.. Hay
den d Co. had a large force of men at
w0rk under Master Mechanic Rude
placing. pumps in position. One was
got in working order In very short
time, and every stroke OF the pump
was watched anxiously by the on
lockers, who seemed to count the
throbs OF the mighty engine as it
forced the gallons OF black and sui
phurous water from the mouths of the
huge column pipes at the entrance Of
the slope. A large duplex Cameron
pump was also In working order by Z
O'clock tonight, and every minute
takes 1900 GALLONS from tho slope
where the insh are enlombed,
NJ. brislin, one OF the escaped min
ers at the bottom of the slope, said TO
the reporter:
Il Wastwqiting ut the bottom of the
slope fof Il Trip to come out. Sud.
denly / heard loud noise, and /
thought IL was the trip coming out.
Then frlghtful blast of wind came
and knocked me down on the gang
way. | cried out to James Grifilths.
linen the wind blew his light out as
suddenly as 1t did mine. / tried to
run foI the slope but stumbled and
TEL. Then Boyle and John Mems
came running out. Mems lamp was
burning, and through tho aid Of
Mems light we got to the slope. The
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 the water came
rushing after us, rising very quickly
In five minutes" says Mr.. Brislin
'ithe water raised POS yards TO the
mouth OF the slope, the pitch of which
Is 63 degrees" The civil engineer in
charge of the Jeanesville mine was u
man from Pottsville, LaFevre Womeis-
dorf. Many causes are advanced as to
the cause of the great disaster. Some
charge 1t to neglect to notify the work
men of the dangerous proximity of
the water.
STILL ANOTHER DISASTER.
WILKEsBARRE, Pa, Feb. 4.-Another
uolllblb tllStSlGT Ill NO.
. Colliery OF the SuSQuehanna Coal
Company, at Grand Tunnel, near
Wilkesbarre, this afternoon. The cause
was exactly similar to the horror at
Jeanesville this morning. In an aban-
doned part of the mine which was
closed, was great body of water held
as II iii large tank. In the adjoining
chamber number OF miners were
blasting or loosening the coal.
An unusually heavy charge was fired
and SO thinned the wall that the heavy
volume of water broke 1t through and
made passagewaytor its rush as wide
as the gangway itself. A scene OF con-
eternation ensued. Some of the miners
were given warning and ran for their
lives ahead Of the rushing Hood. Three
men, John Rlner, Mike Snelauk and
William Cragle, all married and men
OF family, did not hear the warning in
time, and were closed in in their chain
bers.
Nothing has been seen of them since,
and 1t is thought the water closed in
on them and that they were drowned.
IL Is not possible that they could have
escaped, and that if they did manage
10 get into other workings, siege OF
starvation and final death is ahead of
them. The subterrauean workings,
covering scores OF acres, are rapidly
nlling with water.