Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-05-14
DROWNED LIKE RATS
A Waterspout's Awful Work
in Hungary.
ONE HUNDRED MINERS DEAD,
Caught Without Warning in Their Pit
By the Dsluge.

Lower Galleries OF the mines C0mplete1y
FlOOdsd-Between 500 and 400 Mon nj
wOrk-ExaCt Loss Of Life Cannot be As
csrtaInsd Until the Shafts Are Pumped
out-Ths Emperor Sends Relief to the
Sufferers.
VIENNA, May IA. - Dispatches from
Fuenfkirchen, in Hungary, say that the
waterspout which burst over the mines
near the city and flooded them, drowned
between so and 100 miners.
The food came shortly after noon.
An hour before the waterspout burst
the wind, which had been from the
south, shifted to the east and drove up
over the mountains near Psesvarad
huge mass of clouds, at first yellowish
gray but quickly deepening to dead
black. The clouds were whirled along
the crest of the mountains by the wind,
which rose to q gale until over the noun
tains Skirting the coal fields on the north
they had assumed the form of an enor-
nous cone with its apex almost resting
on the mountain tops.
The men at the mouth of the pits
ceased work, and two gangs of men
from the pit nearest the mountain be-
came alarmed and refused to descend.
They started for their homes to wait for
the storm to blow over. Suddenly the
increased, and the cone was swept di-
rectly over the cOllerieS.
It burst a moment later and the water
came down in q deluge, sweeping the
men from their feet, wrecking the
shanties and pouring in floods down the
shafts. Large buildings were swept
from their foundations, the roofs were
IN RrYv
carried through shattered doors and
windows by the wind and water. Sew
eral men standing at the pit entrances
disappeared in the first rush of the
food and are supposed to have been
carried down the shaft with the water
and wreckage.
In the mines the full force of men
were aJ work. The total number is
said to approximate 300 or 400. They
had absolutely no warning of the com
ing disaster, as the men on the surface
had refused to descend after the water
spout began forming. The lower gal
leries In several mines are said to have
been completely flooded, although the
water did not rise to the upper galleries.
In one pit there are fifteen dead; in an
other seven; in another nine, and so on.
In other pits the woodwork and sides
were so loosened by the falling water
and debris that no careful examination
has been made and the details of the
loss are not to be ascertained.
The volume of water broke with q
rushing report that alarmed the whole
city, and within thirty minutes thous-
Rnds of men and women were hurrying
out to the scene of destruction. Volun-
teers were called for at all the pits and
men from the night shifts were sent
down the shafts which had been left
reasonably safe, to rescue their COM
rades. The first descent was made in
the mine where about fifteen men were
at work on the lowest level.
The men in the upper galleries were
found uninjured and were carried to the
top. Nobody in the lowest gallery was
alive to tell the story of the disaster.
The mine was flooded at that level and
several bodies were found floating in the
water and were sent up. No more can
be done before the pumping out of the
mine.
The whole mining colony is in the
fields awaiting the results of the work
of rescue. Women sleep with their chill
dren upon the ground, intent upon get
ting the first news as to the fate of their
husbands and brothers. The author
tiles of Fuenfkirchen have sent out fuel
and food, and big fires have been built
near the shaft entrances. A government
official has been despatched from Pesth
W AO1P Ou0 E011o1 u buOS6
rendered homeless or fatherless by the
storm.
Much of the machinery for pumping
out the mines was so damaged by the
force Of the food as to be practically use
less, and the companies have tele-
graphed to Pesth for new machines. The
Department of the Interior has received
dispatches hourly as to the progress of
the work, ana they are communicated to
the Emperor.
An imperial courier has been dis
patched to Fuenfkirchen with the EN-
peror's contribution for the relief of the
most pressing wants of the stricken fam
| lilies. This contribution is said to be
5000 gulden, and promise Of more in
case the progress of the work Of rescue
reveals greater loss of life than ia now
| apprehended.
To Absorb Sanitary Ware POtteries.