The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-11-30
NINE HORROR
Many Men Buried Beneath Tons
of Earth and Rock.
THIRTEEN OR FOURTEEN KILLED.

Warning, and But Few Were Able to
Reach Places of safety-Bodies of the
Victims Terribly Mangled.
CARMEL, n. Y, Nov. 3O-An accident
resulting in the loss of thirteen or fourteen
lives occurred at the Tilly Foster mines a
little after 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
Foreman Murtha was descending into the
pit to take the time of two gangs of Ia
borers, numbering thirty-flvo men, who
were working at the bottom, when vast
weight of earth and rock slid with the
force Of an avalanche from the mouth of
the pit to the bottom, distance of 300
feet. The earth crashed over the men with
tremendous force. Out of one gang of
eleven only five came out alive and three
of the men employed in another gang were
were taken out dead.
Among those known to be dead are:
Michael Cannon foreman; Patrick H.
Murtha, foreman; John Pagan, boarding
house keeper; Thomas Dennis, James
Smith and an Austrian known as No. 234.
The names of the others killed are at pres
ent unknown.
The bodies believed to be in the pit are
those of James Fox, bachelor, better known
as James Smith; James Clark, a stranger,
who began work on Nov 13, and four Ital-
ians, Nos. 13, So, 331 and 234
An Austrian known as No. 1894 received
a fracture of the skull, and will probably
die Several of the workmen were seri-
ously injured
The first intimation to those below was
the low rumbling sound which preceded
the fall of the mass But the shock came
so suddenly that few were able to reach
places of safety. Half dozen of the work
ers who were directly under the ledge
from which the mass of earth fell
were buried under tons of debris The
fall was tremendous, for great pieces of
rock and ore were carried along in the
avalanche.
One of the first to be brought to the sur
face was Foreman Murtha. He was found
near the top, pinned down by a huge piece
of rock. The rescuing party dug him out
and bore him, still alive, to the fresh air
Murtha was badly mangled, and his
clothes were almost torn from his back
He was taken to his home, but a short dis
tance away, but died almost Immediately
after reaching there. Murtha was married,
and his wife along with the wives of other
unfortunates stood at the top of the slope
while the rescuers were at work.
All of the bodies were horribly mangled,
the sharp edges Of the rock and iron tear
ing through their clothing and peeling the
flesh from their faces and bodies. One by
one the bodies were brought out and car
ried to the carpenter shop where an awe
stricken crowd of people looked upon the
remains and uttered exclamations of woe
when the identity of the victims was made
known. Some Of those assembled sought
anxiously after a friend or relative sup
posed to be in tho ruins in the pit
William Ospell and four companions
succeeded in getting away by running
Five Italians also got out alive. One of
the Italians who came near the cable car
for the purpose of rendering assistance
was killed by "a second fall of rock. Despite
the dangers, Patrick H Kelley and j. Nc
CHM descended the mine in the car and
succeeded in organizing the frightened
men who had not been killed outright, Sc
cured tools and commenced to remove the
bodies.
The cavein caused the greatest excite
ment, but as soon as possible gangs of
men were set to work to remove the bodies
of those known to be under the masses of
earth. Darkness prevented the continu-
ance of the work of rescue, and it was not
until this morning that further effort was
resumed to clear away the ruins.
1t is thought that all the others in the
pit are Italians and Austrians. There was
some difficulty experienced in Identifying
several of the bodies, owing to the terrible
Disagreement they had undergone.