The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-02-14

Wilkesbarre, Feb. 13.-The mining
town of Plymouth is in mourning to-
night over a terrible accident that oc-
CURED in the Gaylord colliery this
morning.
Thirteen men, all citizens of that
town, lost their lives while in the dis
charge of their duties.
Their names are: Mine Foreman
Thomas Picton, Thomas Jones, Rich
ard Davis, John Morris, James King
dom, Thomas Merriman, Thomas Cole,
George Olds, Daniel Morgan, John
Hammer, Peter G. Mclaughlin, Mich
ael WEIGH and Thomas Leyshon.
All the victims, with the exception
of two, leave families. One lost his
wife only month ago and four little
children survive them. Consequently
the disaster throws ten widows and
thirty-six children on the worlds char
ity.
The Gaylord mine is owned by Dan
iel Edwards, one of the wealthiest OPP
orators in the anthracite region. 1t is
operated by the Kingston Coal COM
pany, of which Edwards is president
The best coal in the mine was taken
y
because it could not be operated with
profit.
About three weeks ago the company
decided to resume operations and a
party of expert miners was sent into
the mine to make an examination.
They found matters in a bad shape
The last men at work in the cOlliery
had robbed the pillars supporting the
| roof until they were very thin. A
great many falls had taken place, the
passages were blocked by debris and
. the air current poor The mining ex-
) perts gave an opinion, however, that
> the mine could be put in good condi-
ton again with "a small outlay.
9 The company decided to go on with
: the work at once. On Monday morn
ing, a large number of expert miners
carrying safety lamps, entered the
: mine and began the work of clearing
: lup the old gang ways and dropping:
9 from the roof
b They had not been at work Ions
until squeeze" came which com
lpelled the men to retrace their steps
Foreman Picton, with twelve selected
n miners, volunteered to go down TIL
Ishaft and see what could be done.
:, The descent was made at 10 o'clocl
d last night. Picton's object was to ge
g AS near as possible to the most danger
ous part, where the squeeze was tn
}, greatest in order to stay its progress
II tby beaming the roof with heavy tim
e Der.
c The efforts of Picton and his men di
d not prove a success, as the cave eX
It tended far byond the danger limit an
a much greater distance than wher
the men would be safe if they re
treated at the first indication of
10 heavy fall. This is shown by the vas
- area of the cavern.
le No one was left to tell the story, BIT
Z the supposition is the men were 9
z, work timbering when the rock roc
es came tumbling down on their head
r crushing them out of all semblance
o. humanity and putting a wall of debr
n between them and the mouth of tt
Id shaft four hundred feet in thickness.
w At first, there was some hope that
sr the men could be reached in reason
On able time they could be saved. TIL
was a false hope, however. The rescl
ling party had been in the mine on
: a short time when they were oblige
he Ito retreat on account of the furth
Is, lcaving.
e. A. second rescuing party, under Su
to lerintendent James w. Wise, went dow
ad the shaft this afternoon, but soon can
ey back, thoroughly disheartened, and
BIZ Is o'clock all hope of rescuing the mt
mt alive was given up.
ngl The news that hope was abandon
he soon spread and the wives and CHI
ed dren of the men in the mine who h;
assembled at the mouth of the sha
expecting any moment to see the
loved ones brought up alive, set up
VS.: most pitiful cry of distress. Two W
mt men tainted and had to be CARR
"a laway by their friends.
,tu There was one way the men mi
W.. WI have escaped instant destruction, b
us only to meet death in another form
ns by Imprisonment and starvatic
80 Opening from the gangway are nul
io' Der of cross headings, leading 10
&C. old gangway If the men had a fl
moments warning, they are possit
Da in these workings, awaiting for he
81 The distance to this old gangw
bbS ,, from the foot of the shaft is about
,os feet through closed-up passag
~; which must be reopened and retimb
~ ed before they can be travers
ins Gangs are working with fever
haste. and it is hoped they will
through by midnight. 1t is thous
there is a possibility of their havi
elal had time to escape in another dir
on ton, into other workings, and effo
de- to reach these places are being ma
liza. Superintendent Picton, whose son v
to- lin charge of the missing party, ST
lez. he will not give up hope till the d'
bodies are brought out