The representative., 1894-02-14
KILLED IN A MINE.
Thirteen Workmen Crushed to
Death by Cave-in at Ply
mouth, Pa.
ALL ATTEMPTS AT RESCUE FAIL
eitiful Scenes at the Shaft Where
the Widows and Children
Assembled.

WnKEsBARRE, Pa, Feb. 14.-The
mining town of Plymouth is in mourn
ing over terrible accident that occurred
in the Gaylord colliery during the
morning. Thirteen men, ali citizens of
that town, lost their lives while in the
discharge of their duties. All the vic
Tins with the exception of two leave
families. One of these lost his wife only
q month ago and four little children
survive them. Consequently the disas-
ter throws II widows and 36 children
on the worlds charity.
The Gaylord mine is operated by the
Kingston Coal company. The best
coal in the mine was taken out years
ago. Then it was abandoned because it
could not be operated with Profit.
About three weeks ago the company
Decided to Resume Operations
and party of expert miners was sent
to make an examination. They found
matters in bad shape, but gave 1t as
their opinion, however, that the mine
could be put in good condition again
with small outlay Of capital.
The company decided to go on with
the work at once. Monday morning a
large number of expert miners entered
the mine and began the work of clearing
up the old gangways and propping up
the roof. They had not been at work
long until squeeze" came which COM
PEELED the men to retrace their steps.
Foreman Plcton, with IL selected min
ers, volunteered to go down the shaft
and see what could be done. Picton's
object was to get as near as possible to
the most dangerous part or where the
''squeeze" was the greatest, in order to
stay its progress by beaming the roof
with heavy timber. In cases Of this
kind the men get as near as possible to
the cave-in, and, by the insertion of
cogs and props, endeavor to break off
the mass of rock overhead to certain
point, thus
Relieving the Pressure
on other portions of the mine. It seems
that in this instance the efforts OF Picton
and his men did not prove success. as
the cavein extended for beyond the dan
ger limit and much greater distance
than where the men expected to be safe
If they retreated at the first Indication
of heavy fall. This is shown by the
vast area of the cavein. No one is left
to tell the story. The supposition is
that the men were busily at work tim
bering, when the rocky roof came tumb-
ling down upon their heads crushing
them out of sem blance to humanity and
putting wall of debris between them
and the mouth of the shaft 400 feet in
thickness. At first there was some hope
that it the men could be reached in a
reasonable time they could be saved.
This was false hope, however The
rescuing party had been in the mine
only short time when they were
Obliged to Retreat
on account Of further caving. A second
rescuing party went down the shaft
during the afternoon, but soon came
back thoroughly disheartened, and at 3
o'clock all hope Of rescuing the men
alive was given up. The news of aban-
doned hope soon spread, and the wives
and children of the men in the mine,
who had assembled at the mouth of the
shaft, expecting any moment to see
their loved ones brought up alive, set
up most pitiful cry of distress. Moth
ers wrung their hands and tore their
hair, and little children wept bitterly.
Two of the women tainted and had to
be carried away by friends. Even
stout hearted men, who had gathered
at the entrance of the mine, wept
almost as bitterly as the fatherless
children.
The disaster is the worst that has oc-
Cured in the anthracite region since
1885, when % men perished in a 1avein
In mine No. of the Susquehanna Coal
company at Nanticoke The mine, it is
believed, is total wreck.