Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-04-06
LAUREL HILL FLOODED.
A LARGE BODY OF WATER BREAKS
INTO THE COLLIERY.

On Monday the announcement was
made that a terrible accident had oc-
Cured at the Laurel Hill coliery, Halle
ton, owned and operated by Pardee &
y Co. In short time, says the Plain
Speaker of Tuesday, a large crowd of
people gathered about the mouth of the
slope and the widest rumors were cir
culated as the number of men who were
entombed with no possible hope for
their escape. Fortunately these rumors
were without foundation, as the only
men who are now entombed are
Richard Williams, Thomas Hudson and
William Trimbeth These men were
working in the fifth lift and the pro-
liability is that the water broke through
with such force as to bury them under
the debris and coal before they could
realize their periious position.
Excitement ran high at the top of the
slope as one by one the entombed miners
were brought to the surface on the mine
car and each man was Immediately
surrounded by crowd eager for the
information concerning the condition of
the mines and the probable fate of their
companions. General Manager Frank
inside foreman, was one of the first men
to descend into the mines, and to his
well directed efforts is due the prompt
rescue of the unfortunate victims.
One of the victims, Godfried Brandes,
reached the surface at 1.l5 o'clock p. m.
and was seen by reporter to whom he
gave the following account of the acci-
dent:
81 was loading car in the lower lift,
when heard noise like an explosion
of gas, the report of which almost stunned
me. | told the boys there was something
wrong, but before we could make move
a second shock occurred and the water
began rushing in. l swan two breasts
and was half way to another, but had.to
go back to Spencer's place. Water was
raising and rushing all the time. A
father and son swan along side of me
without any clothes on. | was at this
place from $50 in the morning until l
O'Clock in the afternoon Edward Ed
wards was with me and was rescued by
Frank Pardee and James Durkin I
saw young Conners on piece of timber
for rope to help him, but | did not
have any means of reaching him."
About thirty men were in the flooded
parts and all except the three above
mentioned were rescued after more or
less thrilling experiences.
The entombed miners are well and
popularly known in this section. Rich
ard Williams, familiarly known as
"Dicky" Williams, is well known
sportsman and pigeon shooter. He is a
single man about 36 years of age. and
formerly lived at Oakdale. Both Hud-
son and Trimbeth are married men with
families. Hudson and Trimbeth live on
Walnut street, Hazleton.
Looking for the Men.
The work of rescuing the unfortunate
men is being pushed as rapidly as cir
cumstances will permit. The east gang
way is full almost to the roof with mud
slush and debris, carried down by the
torrent. The real force of the water was
not realized until Tuesday, when it was
discovered that the solid pillars of coal
which supported the roof between the
breasts ad been broken down and
crumbleG to pieces.
The II ends of the entombed men
still hop Tor the best, and not until
to the surface will they believe all is
over. The arrival of each car to the
surface is eagerly looked for.
The task of the rescuers is a dangerous
one and the work is progressing slowly.
This is partly due to the presence of
black damp in great quantities and the
foul gases which have come down with
the water from the old workings
of No. 3.
The gangway, too, is so choked that
mule-power cannot be brought into use
and the removal of the deris has to be
done by the workmen.
1t may take until tomorrow before the
gangway will be cleared, but some
miners are of the opinion that it will
take much longer Unless the unfortu-
men are found covered in the debris be-
fore this is done their fates will not be
positively known before then.
Two Others May BE Entombed.
A rumor was current at Hazleton on
Tuesday that two others besides the men
named are also imprisoned. These men
are Hungarians who worked as gangway
laborers and have not been seen since
the accident occurred. Henry Hawk
stated that when he was struggling for
his own life he saw the two Hungarian
laborers behind him. He was positive
that they had not reached the foot of the
slope when he did
vigorous search for these men failed
TO reveal any traces of them, and the
company's officials deny the loss of the
Hungarians.
The Officials Reticent
The officials are still very reticent and
refuse to make any statement as to the
cause of the disaster. The maps and
drawings of the openings are locked up,
and no one knows just how near No. 8
workings were to the Laurel Hill. The
i've pumps now employed in removing
the water from the mine are running to
| their fullest capacity and have all thay