The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-20
IMPRISONED MINERS.
Seven Entombed in a Pennsylvania Pit by
Cave ln-Can Be Heard Tapping.

PoTTsvILLE, Pa. Nov 19-There was q
cavern this morning at the coal pits
worked by l.. A. Riley II Co. 1t was caused
by the running of pillar or O column of
coal that was left standing to support the
roof. Hazel Doll and Centralia colleries
are about a half mile apart, and are oper-
ated by the one firm. and the breaker
proper is called Ccntralia. These collier
les are located on the Locust Mountain
Coal Company's lands, and have been op-
Grated for many years, running back to
before the war; In consequences, there are
many miles OF old workings in which the
pillars in the sggr egate contain hundreds
OF thousands of tons of coal. For many
years these old workings laid full
of water. but by the cutting of q
half-milllon dollar tunnel over a mile
long this water was drained into Mahanoy
valley. coming out near Ashland. This
freeing of the old works of the accumulated
water gave the operators chance to take
ont all of the supporting pillars in the abnn-
doned workings of the Hazel Dell ooiliery
IL was while engaged in this hazardous
work this morning that the accident oc-
Cured. Seven men were imprisoned. They
are three hundred feet from the surface
and the cave is so extensive that n yawning
abyss now shows on the surface where be-
fore had been a culm bank. The process of
robbIng was going on at different parts of
the workings but where the accident &C.
CURED there were two miners-John Ryan
and John Ketmsn-who had taken the con-
tract, and were assisted by four laborers and
a driver-boy whose names are not known.
Two other miners working near by man.
aged to escape The accident is supposed
TO have been partly due to the accumula-
lntIon of water from yesterdays storm in
old surface breeches. The imprisoned men
can be heard tapping on the roof of one of
the chambers. and efforts are being made
TO release them.
Those who escaped say the suddenness
of the cave-in Is almost unparalleled, and
gave them no time TO do anything but fly
for their lives. Very narrow escapes were
made by Ira Rothermel and his son Will
lam, who we're employ ed as miners in the
Hazel Dell workings. Both were badly
used mp. and they told a wonderful story
to the reporter. The former had leg
broken and II otherwise injured, while
his son is badly battered. They say that
shortly before 10 o'clock they fired rather
heavy shot. which started q pillar of coal
running, and at the same time opened MP .
large body of water, bich had accumulat-
ed in a breach from yesterdays storm. AS
Though, it brought the roof with it, and mt
the same time came In 80 great a volume
that il washed Rothermel and his
son one hundred yards TO the mouth Of
the drainage tunnel, at which point they
were rescused. Tho only exit from the
part of the workings where the CAVERN &C.
Cured was at the point where the fall oc-
Cured and as the mammoth vein Is forty
five feet thick and about three hundred
feet from the surface. 1t was calculated by
practical miners that there were seven
hundred feet of coal TO be cut through
before the men could be reached. This
caused dIsmay among the friends of the
imprisoned men. At o'clock the washing
away of coal and dit had progressed 60
rapidly that the rescuers had been enabled
to communicates with the imprisoned men.
The driver boy. acting as spokesman, an
nounced that all were uninjured and well,
and waiting for rescue.
This evening all but two of the men were
taken out alive. Two of the rescued were
badly injured. Ira Rothermel. who, with
his son William was rescued shortly after
the cave-in occurred. died from his inur-
les. He had q Lex broken and was injured
internally