New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-25
NEW-YORK MEN IN DANGER.
THRILLING ADVENTURE OF A PARTY
OF COAL DEALERS.
A BOILER EXPLOSION IMPRISONED THEM IN
CLIMB TO sAFETY-sOME PAINTED


SHAFT 1000 FEET DEEP-A PERILous
CLIMB TO sAFErY-soME TAINTED.
But no ONE WAS INJURED.
Philadelphia. May PA dispatch to "Tne
Telegraph" from Wikesbarre says that the
whole city was thrown into excitement this morn
Ing when word spread that one OF the boilers at
the South Wilkesbarre shaft had exploded Al
8 o'clock l25 members of the New-fork Retaii
Coal Exchange now on visit mere hau s'ar'eu'
under guidance OF Superintendent b. H. L@"ai
and other officials Of the Lehigh and WilKesoarre
Coal Company. to inspect the workings OF tne
South Wikesbarre shaft and breakers Ihis
shaft has an output Of 10000 tons OF )al month.
and the great breaker has a capacity OF 4Oco
tons day Nine OF the party had descended the
shaft. which is 1000 feet deep Nine others were
ON the carriage 500 feet down. Others OF the
marty. including the superintendent, were waiting
TO descend
AT that instant a fearful conclusion shook the
air One Of a nest Of eighteen boilers had eX-
ploded It tore away the side apd top OF 'he
boiler-house and the huge cylinder went sah-
ing high over the heads Of the party. Ihe
boiler struck against the tracks Of the Penn
svIvania Railroad 500 feet away. Crowds rusheo
70 the boiler house expecting to hnd dozen
QeaQ men, Dut thc wv A'~''-~
were unhurt.
IN, y nevv and terrible danger appeared. There
were 400 workmen inside the mine. and the e~-
n,os,on had naralvzed the holsting power and the
biq ventilator The high pressure boilers were
urinured but they only furnished power Tor NO
2 shaf, 300 fect away. The mines are the NUS
gaseous I'm the world. and haf an hour lnSlue
meant death with the fans ssopPeu ynr,< men
riage descending with nine Of the New orN i,s1l
had sfuck 800 feet down. The workmen ihsiue
at once noted the stoppage OF the ar cu,i cur en' H.
They rushed TO the foot OF the shai. "'o ot,r,h
structed the visitors that they must c"nio
straight I'D the crlbbng to the surface 49,,
Some demurred. thinking 1t 70 be certain ueain IN.
but others grasped the crossDars haiea na 80, W -,
side timbers and toiled slowly up l'Vuo leeI ~
tho surface assisted and encouraged oy tne M
miners Ropes were lowered TO heip tne pDis parIS
on the carriage 10 get up. A thousahu peop,.
had collected around the shaft AS .he M, mn
hnn,p to swarm out the crowd cheered wildly.
expectlng however, 70 hear that some one na'
lost his hold and fallen to be crushed u snap
loss mass. But all had clung fast' some iaIlSe. %
- "a,, az thev reached the surface. AT noon
All tho New-York men were safely out, ana al
! but a few miners. while workmen were ouSy 'e-
pairing breaks in the steam pipes . .,o
Among the New-Yorkers who went do"n Ine
shaft were A +. Rice. II. Lucas, F. H. Ranerty'
" ! Cunningham. N. Stats. Philip BurKs'
Frank Burke. T. f. Farrell, Patrick curtis, w.
f. Moller. John Gait. John Mayford. WiI''ah, a,d
brennan and H. Lange The Burkes are olu
| men and heavy, and they got up WIN ullhcu.l!
| LANCE another old man. gasped. as he reached
thn surface. Telegraph my family I'm sate'
and then tainted Brennan. very stout man % hau
great difficulty In getting through sn.a S,n o'v
in the ascent. laborer who passed MN gay ,
him slp Of coffee at the peril OF his own lite,
/ holding on with one hand. Brennan said ne
would have given half his fortune ior d soo"
| drink Of whiskey on the way UP.
The party coal dealers isft this city at SoeE
VV.vrn,d FOR the Pennsylvania coal regions. Iney
ara on the annual excursion OF the members OF ts
! pe,au Goal Exchange George Elt1. OF 20. oI'
| West Ffty- -fourth-st acted as manager OF tne e1
crslon Among others in the party were James %
fntbroo LANES b. Lacken. Joseph Gora0n. Shars r.
a., 2ewis Mueller Char.es Leonard CharIes "a
ys George Leonard 6 W. cl,e DsfoTS ora Rice Rha
It tho home Of Mr. Etz. No. lS West oIhy-
0rst-s Il was said last evening that ye,esrai,
ha1 been received saying that the CoaI fNOianse "a &
nsr,v was safe and that II would return 20 NeM ~
! York by midngh, tonight Other menoers. se. o' tue
,i,riv sent similar te.egrams 10 their riehdS'