Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-27
SCENES OF DISTRESS
At the Mouth Of the Mine Where the Great
Disaster Occurred.


LONDON, Aug. 27.-AM through the night the
explorers in the Parkslip coal mine at Aber-
kenfg labored for the rescue Of the imprisoned
miners. Crowds of men, women and children
remained about the pits mouth, eager and
sleepless, waiting for the news Of the fate Of
the loved ones below. Women with babes at
their breasts refused to go home when urged,
and while the little ones sleptdn the mothers
arms the mothers watched and waited. During
the night there was nothing to raise the hopes
of the watchers. The explorers were driven
more than once to give up their work. They
were met by suffocating gas. which made
some of them narrowly escaped as
phyxiation. Still the thought o the
anxious ones above and Of those who might be
living below stimulated their energies and pre-
vented their courage from sinking Stupen-
dous falls in the mine increased the difficulty Of
the work and retarded progress. As the night
wore on and daylight began to dawn without
anything from below to encourage hope many
Of the watchers went away. 1t was noticed,
however, that not one of the wives and mothers
sought rest. They watched on beyond the
dawn and at length about 10 o'clock in the
Gus shout from below. Nineteen miners had
been found alive and were brought to the sur
face. The men were in weak and ex-
hausted condition, but conscious. The
scene that ensued was most pathetic.
Joyous cries mingled with tears "a
women and children, fathers, sons and brothers
recognized the members Of their families.
Friends Of those who had been saved fell on
their knees and offered up prayers of thanks,
while others prayed, between hope and fear,
that their dear ones, too, might be saved.
There was an evident revival of courage after
this episode Then soon after, came sadder
scenes and about a dozen bodies were brought
to the surface. These were the remains OF men
who had evidently not been killed by the gas
explosion. 1t was evident that after the explo-
sion they had made a rush for the crank shaft
and had been overtaken and suffocated by the
deadly gases. The work is still in progress.
THIRTY-NINE MEN SAVED.
LONDON, Aug. 27.-At l 80 O'Clock this after
noon another dispatch was received from,
Bridgeden stating that thirty mine of the i'm
prisoned miners had been rescued and brought
to the pit head. The scene when they
reached the surface was indescribable.
mothers or sweethearts they were frantically
embraced and kissed again and again.
Their arrival at the surface, though il
brought Joy to many hearts, brought
deep sorrow and despair to others. 1t
was painful to witness the looks Of hope
the women and children when they saw that their
husbands and fathers were not among the
rescued. Sadly they turned away and with
heavy hearts walked toward their homes Their
despair was not hopeless. however for the
rescue OF the thirty-nine led to the belief that
perhaps others in the far workings
of the pit had escaped and were
awaiting the coming Of their rescuers.
The work Of clearing the galleries is being
pushed as rapidly as the poison-laden atmos-
phere Of the pit will permit. Another
miner was rescued today. making total Of
forty saved today