The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-07-02
100 MINERS KILLED.
THE ROOF OF A MINE CAVED IN
AT PITTSTON, PA.
Foundations of Many Buildings
Shaken and Windows Rsttied-Peo-
pie Thrown From Their Beds
Sad Scenes at the Shaft.

WnKEsBARRE, Pa, June 20--While
100 miners were at work in the Red Ash
vein Of the Twin shaft at Pttston the
roof caved in, and, it is belie7 ed, that
all Of the men perished. About 80 OF
the imprisoned men were English
speaking miners, the others foreigners.
The names of the former are:
M. j. Langan, inside superintendent
J. II. Linnott, inside foreman; Alex.
Mccormick, fire boss Robert Has.
ton, machinist; Thomas Murphy,
driver boss The following miners
Michael Costello, J. II. Kelly, Michael
Gaudhan, John Hart, James Daley,
Michael Connell Daniel Ward, Frank
Kehoe, James Cleary, Edward, Buck
ley, John Casey, Edward Rogers, Jas.
Kehoe, James Mcdonald, Edward De-
laney, Cornelius Mcclure, James Col
den, NJ. O'Brien, Michael Hughes, Ed.
ward Kilday, James Burke, Patrick
Ruane, Thos. Tenpenny, Michael Gaff-
ney, Thos. Doing, Anthony Kane, ]. W.
Murphy, Owen Lee, Anthony Gordon.
James Wall, - Wall, his son Dom.
mick O'Malley, Peter Martin, Michael
Ford. Timothy Durbrick. Thomas
Dempsey, Thomas Carlin, Patrick Glib.
bons. John O'Boye, Peter Joyce, An.
thony Gordon, married; John Gill, sim
gle; John Gaffney, single; Daniel
Gavin, single; z. s. Kelley, single, 85
years old ; - Holstrich, married A.; Jos.
Zurindo, married; Tony Tollaski, mar.
ried Peter Savoskiz, married.; Andrew
Slovinski, married Simon Maskovitz.
married John Cadanizky, single.
Aside from these, there may be other
English speaking miners among the un.
fortunates. Thirty Polanders and Huns
were entombed, and it is. thought
that the total number of bodies in the
mine will reach 100.
The men were at work propping up
the roof when the fall occurred. The
alarm was Immediately given by the
ringing of the fire bells, and rescuers
wero put to work without delay.
More than two.thirds of the victims
We're married men and leave families.
Among them were Acting Mayor Lam
gan, who was inside superintendent of
the mine, and J. II. Lynott, ward
councilman.
About two weeks ago the surveyors
reported to General superintendent
Law that the mine was Squeezing"
and that unless steps were Immediately
taken to timber it o cave.in or fall
might be looked for. Superintendent
Law lost no time, but at once put
number of timbermen at work to brace
the falling roof. The squeeze" con-
tinued, however, and the situation be.
came alarming, and big crowd of ex-
perienced IN n were put to work.
The men retreated before several falls
until the final fatal fall came.
1t is supposed, however, that the men
were not all together, but some near the
| II 1. 1lN,1, H.. a Il.
cline when the fall occurred. The
falling rocks and GOAL filled up the slope
and the adjoining gangways, complete
ly shutting off all avenues of escape.
1t is still possible, however, that lv-
ing men may still be behind the fall,
although it is extremely improbable.
Even if they escaped being crushed by
the falling roof, the possibility of their
being alive for any length Of time in a
gaseous mine is remote.
The alarm was first given by Water
carrier John Sheridan, who, with Will.
lam Richard and Thomas Gill, were the
only ones to escape of the whole party
who entered the mine. He was on his
way up the slope to get some fresh
water for the men, and when about 100
feet from the foot of the shaft, was
knocked down by the concussion. He
was badly cut and burned by flying coal
and rock. He lay unconscious for ten
minutes and then came up tho shaft.
Sheridan thinks there was an ex-
plosion of gas which blew down the
newly erected timbers and caused the
cave-in. When he left the mine to go
out the slope and get water, those in.
side had no apprehension of fall or n
squeeze. Everything was working
nicely, and the men expected to be out
of the mine within few hours.
! The concussion was so great that it
was heard for miles around. The
foundations of nearly every building in
Pittston were shaken, and windows and
doors ratified as in tornado. In the
houses nearer to the mine persons were
thrown from their beds.
The first thought was that great
earthquake had occurred and the in
habitants rushed pell nell from their
: houses. The ringing Of the fire bells
: and the shrieking Of the big mine
whistle told the story.
. Fully 1000 people crowded around
the mine shaft. Frantive women and
girls who had husbands and fathers in
the mine knelt on the ground and
prayed, and others screamed and
tainted. Rescuers to the number OF
100 went to work.
All hope of finding any person alive
has been abandoned. Superintendent
Lathrop of the Lehigh Valley Coal com
pany, who is an authority, says it will
be ten days before the bodies are
reached,
Another fall in the slope has occurred
which drove the recuers back. The 90
feet of ground they had gained was
thereby lost. ,ss'z,