Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-12-06
IS LIVES LOST.
Mine LabOrerS Buried Under a
Mass Of Earth.
STRUCK WITH GREAT FORCE.
1t Fell From the Mouth to the toI-
tom Of Pit at the Tilly Foster
Mines, a Distance Of 800 Feet
Crushing the Men Out OF
All ReOORnItion.

An accident resulting In the loss Of thirteen
or fourteen lives occurred at the Tilly Foster
mines. near Carmel, N. T., little after tnree
o'clock in the afternoon. Foreman Patrick
Murtha was descending into the pit to take
the time of two gangs Of laborers, numbering
about thirty-fve men, who were working al
the bottom, when a vast weight Of earth ana
rock slid with the force Of an ayalanche
from the mouth of the pit to the bottom,
distance of 800 feet. TIE earth crashed over
the men with tremendous force. Out OF one
gang of eleven only five came out awe, ana
three of the men employed in another gang
were taken out dead.
The cave-in caused the greatest excitement,
but as soon as possible gangs OF men were
set TO work to remove the bodies Oh thOSe
known to be under the mass OF earth.
The accident occurred at Tilly Foster,
small town located near Carmel. The nrst
intimation to those below was the low rum
bling sound which preceded the fall ot the
mass But the shock came 50 suddenly that
few were able to reach places Of safety. Han
dozen of the workers were directly under
the ledge from which the mass of earth fell,
and they were buried under tons OF debris.
The fall was tremendous, for great pieces OF
rock and earth 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 huge piece oi
rock. The rescuing party dug him out ana
bore him, still alive, to the fresh air. Murtha
was badly mangled, and his clothes were al
most torn from his back. He was taken to
his home. but short distance away, but
died almost Immediately after reaching
! there. Murtha was married, and his wife,
along with the wives of the other unfortua-
ates, stood at the top of the slope while the
the rescuers were at work.
All of the bodies were horribly mangled,
the sharp pieces Of the iron and rock tearing
through their clothing and peeling the flesh
from their faces and bodies. One by one tho
bodies we're brought out and carried to the
carpenter shop, where the awe-stricken
crowd of people looked upon the remains
and uttered exclamations of woe when the
identity of the victim was made known.
William Ospell and four companions sue
ceeded in getting away by running. Five
Italians also got out alive. One OF the ltal-
inns, who came down on the cable car for
the purpose of rendering assisance was
killed by second fall of rock.
Despite the dangers Patrick H. Kelley and
J. McGinn descended the mine in the rear.
They succeeded in organizing the frightened
men who had not been killed outright, &C.
cured tools and commenced to remove the
bodies
The accident is supposed to have been
caused principally by the heavy rains, which
opened creyices in many places.
The mine is owned by the Lackawanna
Iron and Coal Company of New York and
Scranton, Pa. Clinton Stephens is the con-
tractor in charge, and the men killed and in
iured were in his employ.