The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-30
While the Walls Continued to
Crumble Rescuers Bravely
Descended.
soMEoF THE WORKERS ESCAPED
Touching Scenes While Bodies of Vic
tins Were Being Brought to
the Surface.

BREWSTER, N. Y, Nov. 29.-NIneteen
years ago fifty tons of rock fell into the
open pit at Tillie Foster mine, killing six
miners and manning three others for life.
The six who met death were so horribly
crushed that their bodies were taken up In
shovels, thrown into canvas sacks and
hoisted TO the surface.
From that time until to-day the hanging
walls, which rise 400 feet above the work
ing level of the pit, have undergone daily
inspection. If this inspection revealed
any crevice or other sign of danger, work
ing below was abandoned until the threat
ening rocks had been dislodged. The ex-
treme caution exercised prevented many
accidents.
This afternoon about thirty men were at
work on the 400 level breaking ore
and loading the cars sent down by the
cable. About $50 o'clock the entire
northwest wall, apparently containing
over 100 tons of rock, fell into the pit,
killing not less than eleven men and in
fiicting serious injuries upon nine others.
William Aspell and four others ran, they
knew not whittier and escaped. Five
Italians also got out alive. The cable and
its car was not injured. Aspell and his
companions as soon as the powders
stopped rolling down the slope looked over
the wreck. They saw Patrick H. Murtha
struggling to get up. He was pinned fast
by rock. They assisted him. The cable
car brought down three Italians who rem
dered further assistance. Murtha was
placed on the car, hoisted to the surface
and taken home, where he died thirty
minutes later.
Just as the rescuing car started on the
return trip more rock fell and it is reported
that one of the three Italians mentioned
was killed The second downward trip
brought Patrick II. Kelley and James Nc
Glnn. They organized the miners left in
the pit. secured tools and began to take out
the bodies. Rocks were thrown off the
bodies of Michael Cannon, Thomas Den
mis-, John Pagan, an Austrian, and two
Italians. All were dead and horribly
mangled.
Mark Critchley, who seemed to be
suffering from a fracture of the spine,
probably fatally hurt, was taken home,
as was also Patrick Burns, who will re-
cover.
Superintendent Tomkins and Foreman
Lynch received the bodies upon the sur
lace ana SuOnltteQ them 10 Lne view OF
the Coroner and a jury. Then under
takers cared for them as the relatives and
friends directed. Darkness came on rapidly
and the falling of rocks continued to
threaten the srescuing party, when Mr..
Tomkius ordered all hands to the surface.
The work of taking out the bodies will be
resumed at daylight tomorrow morning.
The bodies believed TO be in the pit are
those of James Fox, better known as
James Smith; James Clark, stranger,
who began work on November IS, and
four Italians, mum bers 13. 56, 331 and 234.
a great crowd fiocked to the scene of the
disaster. First came relatives OF those
who lived in the hamlet and then followed
hundreds from Brewster and Carmel.
AS the car raised body after body to the
surface the walls and means of the
bereaved ones brought tears to the eyes
of the strong-hearted men of the rescuing
party and touched with sorrow the hearts
of hundreds of onlookers. The mine is
owned by the Lackawanna Iron and Coal
Company OF New York and Scranton, Pa.