The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-25

DryB,n, Pa, March q. The dead
have been wrcs,od from their ,untimely
tomb, and all that remains now Is to
accord Christian burial 10 tho miners
who met their fate in the Hill Farm
minu on Juno 10, 1870. r.;
The twonty.threo bodies found last
evening were those OF john Mitchell,
Daniel Smith, John McCleery, James
McCleory, Peter Dovlln, John Cope,
Andrew Cope, James shearin, Elmer
Dewey, John Devanny, Richard Bigley,
Daniel NlcCastinon, John Herman, Mar
lin Kavanaugh, Patrick Cahill, John
Courtney, Patrick Courtney, John Dc.
Fanny, jr., James y. Ivy, Thomas Davis,
Daniel Davis, james McCupc and Will
lam Cahill, us
Yet in the tenacious grasp OF the
mine arc William Hay, Potter Eagan,
Joseph Bigley, Milton Turner, and Bar
ney Naust. These latter unfortunates
werc in tho dip at tho time OF the ex-
plOsion, and their bodies will not be re-
covered until all tho water is pumped
out
TIE LAST STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
The struggle for life on the part Of
Tie ontombcd miners was as terrible as
twas brief. They were sutTocated, not
burned or starved, and It is improbable
that any lived longer than half m hour.
There Is an unwritten law OF protec-
ton among miners by which they rush
;Ose.her at the sound OF an explosion,
inpelled By common instinct Of self
reservation, for together they stand a
better chance OF fighting for freedom.
sowas it with the Hill Farm victims.
0i:ho dead recovered, eight wcrc work.
ing in what is known as Flat No. S at
the time OF tho catastrophe. All were
found II Flat No. 10, showing that they
had rushed deeper into the mine, to
where tho crew OF No. 10 were yet work
Ing, all unconscious OF the frightful
danger until the warning cries OF tho
first eight aroused them. They
had scarcely time to drop their picks
before the scorching breath OF death
filled tho flat, choking their lungs,
bursting their veins and striking them
tothe earth. to linger in horrible tor
.ure few moments and thento die.
AWFUL SCENES AMONG THE DEAD.
Six OF the miners took refuge in one
little room. When found they were
piled on top OF each other, conferred in
chastity shapes, heads thrown back,
mouths open where the lips had fallen
away, ileshcss hands clinched and nails
soaring the bones OF tho palms-all
sickening evidences OF death which
was proceeded by torture unimaginablc.
A short distance away were three
miners, two Of whom, tho; brothers
NCCourtney, afforded al affecting spec
iacle OF love strong even unto death.
They alone were clasped in each others
arms, and their faces werc composed
even though time had ravaged their
manly forms and left holes where their
eyes comforted each other in that. last
dread hour when hope had fed.
The fourteen other miners were en-
tangled in space about thirteen feet
square. One had an open knife in his
hand, as though, in his agony,5i;he in.
tended to kill himself, but was stricken
by the more sudden death Of suloca-
ton.
THE LONG SEARCH FOR THE BODIES.
The work OF prosecuting the search
Tor the entombed miners was indeed
most tirclcss. Driven back BY fro, en-
countcring obstacles which would have
daunted many engineers, Superintend-
ent Hi, Assistant Superintendent Lang
and Mine Boss Hugh Doran kept stead
ilIy on. For weeks aiter the disaster
loving hearts hoped against hope that
Tho miners might yet be alive, but
gradually all became convinced that
death alone must exist in that dark pit,
yet the company kept on. Steadily,
inch BY inch, foot by foot, piercing
burning walls, fighting fire with water,
and then pumping out the latter, which
IN Its turn became an obstacle, the
company forced its way toward the
place where its employees had been at
work. To-day human perseverance, has
conquered, and the secret OF tho Hill
Farm Mine has been revealed.
The bodies were in an excellent state
OF preservation, considering the circum-
stances, making recognition possible in
some cases, even without the aid of the
clothes, Tho town is now becoming
greatly excited, and hundreds OF per.
sons crowded around the mine this al
ternoon. $50 -