The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-02-14
PLYMOUTH IN MOURNING.
A Grief-Stricken Mining
Town in Pennsylvania.
Thirteen Coal Miners Meet a
Terrible Fate.
Buried Alive While Earning Bread
for Their Families.
Ten widows and SO Orphans Thrown on
the Worlds Charity by tho Dis
aster-Pitiful Scenes
of Distress.

By the Associated Press.
WnKEsBARRE, Pa, Feb. IS. - The
mining town of Plymouth is in mourn
ing tonight over the terrible accident
that occurred in Gaylord's colliery this
morning. Thirteen men, all citizens of
that town, lost their lives while in the
discharge OF their duties. They are
Mine Foreman Thomas Picton, Thomas
Jones. Richard Davis, John Morris,
James Kingdom, Thomas Merriman,
Thomas Cole, Joseph Odds, Daniel Nor
gan, John Haamer, Peter S. McLaugh-
lin, Michael Walsh and Thomas Ley
shon. ALI the victims, with the excep'
ton 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-s six children on the world charity.
The Gaylord mine is owned by Daniel
Edwards, one of the wealthiest operators
in the anthracite region. 1t is operated
by the Kingston Coal company, of which
Edwards is president. The beet coal in
the mine wac taken out years ago. Then
it was abandoned because it could not
be operated with profit. About three
weeks ago the company decided to re
sumo operations and a party OF expert
miners was sent into the mine TO make
an examination. They ionnd matters
in bad shape. The last men st 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 was poor
Mining experts gave the opinion, now
ever, that the mine could DO put IN good
condition again with small outlay OF
capital. The company decided to 20 on
with the work at once.
Monday morning large number OF
expert miners, carrying safety lamps,
entered the mine and began the work OF
clearing up the old gangways and prop
ping the roof. They mad not been at
work long until ''Rqueeze" came which
compelled the men to retrace their
steps. Foreman Picton, with IL selected
miners, volunteered to 80 down the
shsit and see what coul1-be done. Tho
descent was made at 10 O'Clock last
night. Picton's object WAS to get as
near ss possible to the most dangerous
part where the squeeze" was greatest,
in order to stay it's progress by beaming
/ the roof with heavy timbers.
The efforts OF Piclon and his men did
not prove success as the cave extended
Ear beyond the danger limit and much
greater distance than where the men
expected to be safe il they retreated at
the first indication OF heavy fall. This
/ is shown by the vast area OF the cave-ln.
No one is left to tell the story. The
! superstition is the men were busily at
work tmbering when the rock roof
came tumbling down upon their heads,
| crushing them out of the semblance to
humanity and putting wall of debris
between them and the mouth OF the
shaft, 400 feet in thickness.
At irst there wae hope that ii the
men could be reached in reasonable
time they could be saved This WAS a
! false hope, however. The rescuing party
had been in the mine only a short time
when they were obliged to retreat on &C.
count OF another caving.
A second rescuing party, under Super
intendent James w. Davis, went down
the ehaft this afternoon. but soon came
back thoroughly disheartened, and at 2
O'Clock all hope OF rescuing the men
alive was given up.
News OF the abandoned hope soon
spread, and the wives and children Of
the men in the mine, who had Assem-
bled at the mouth of the shaft expecting
anv moment to zee their loved cnes
brought up siye, get up most pltitul
cry OF distress Two women tainted and
had to be carried away by friends.
There was only one way the men may
have escaped instant destruction, but
only to meet death in a slower form by
imprisonment and starvation. Opening
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