The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-06-30
ALL HOPE IS ABANDONED.
Bodies of the EntOmbed Miners May
Never be Recovered.
THE MINE FILLING WITH WATER.
Even Had They Escaped Being Crushed to
Death or Asphyxiated the Unfortunates
who Risked Their Lives for Bread
Could Not Escape Drowning.

W1LKESBARRE IA, June 5u-lt is al
most n settled fact that of the small army
of men which entered the i'll fated Twin
shaft at Pittston on Saturday night not
one survives. Not only is every approach
to their dark tomb barricaded ~ enormous
masses of rock and debris, but it is known
that in the mine there is large quantity
of water, which is increasing in volume
with every minute. Thus the chances of
recovering their bodies are more remote
than ever.
The slope is choked up to the shaft with
debris, and the efforts of the gang of res
cuers are confined to keeping the shaft
clear. The work of making another open
ing in order to reach the entombed men
began in earnest yesterday by the making
of a bore hole near the Clear Spring col
liery, which adioins the Twin shaft. After
reaching below the surface work was be-
gun in driving a hole with diamond
drill from the Clear Spring to the foot of
| the slope where the men are supposed to
be under the fall This hole is to be driven
diagOnally for 120 feet. 1t is an expert
ment to learn whether there is gas or
water below, with view of ascertaining
the feasibility of driving an airway from
Clear Spring to the foot of the slope. The
drill will go through a pillar of coal eighty
feet thick, but as it will pass through di-
| agonally it will be necessary to drill
through about 1870 feet
Prominent officials say that after this
airway has reached the point referred to,
weeks or months may be consumed in
clearing away the fallen coal in order to
reach the bodies of the victims A mine
superintendent of thirty-flve years ex-
perience thinks the unfortunate men have
met the same fate that befell the twenty
six miners who perished in No 3 slope Of
the Susquehanna Coal company in De-
cember, 1885. These men were caught in
a rush" of culm and water from the sur
face Their bodies were buried under a
mountain of coal refuse Three hundred
men labored for more than two weeks to
rescue them, but the more debris they
| took out the more rushed in from the sur
face opening AS the task was a hopeless
one, 1t was finally abandoned and the por-
tion Of the mine where the men died was
closed up A wooden monument now
marks the spot, on the mountain of coal
dirt under which lie the remains of the
| twenty-six victims.
The supposition that there is water in
| the Twin shaft is well founded Both the
| Laclawanna and Susquehanna riversr run
in close proximity TO the shaft, and from
| the surface to the point where the rock
| begins there is at least river wash to the
depth of 40 feet. From this point down
TO the bottom, or the level, where the men
are there was, previous to the fall, 2S0
feet of rock. When the fall occurred the
2SO feet of rock mentioned must have
been shattered, allowing the water to pour
into the mine in large quantities The nat
ural consequence of this is that if the men
did not lose their lives under the mass of
rock they must have died by drowning If
this be the case it will be impossible to re-
move the bodies from the mine.
Mine Inspector Hugh Mcdonald has is
sued the following statement:
$50 far as my knowledge of the work
ings of the mine goes and the manner in
which the work was conducted, l do not
believe the accident was due to any Grim
inal carelessness, but | cannot say def
nitely that it was not until / make thor
ough investigation. This cannot be done un-
til we find themen OrabandOn the mine"
In an interview the mine inspector said
81 made an examination of the Twin shaft
about month ago. At that time found
the mine apparently safe. The officials
gave me no intimation that it was other
wise Iregret very much that l was not
informed on Thursday or Friday of the
great danger Had l been so informed
believe now there would have been no loss
of life. You can say that all hope of re-
covering the men alive has been abap-
doned, and it looks as if it was going to be
difficult to recover the bodies,
"In all my experience in the mines
have never known of "A case where men
took such a foulhardy risk as in this one.
The rule is to work from a place Of safety
toward the danger, and cover the retreat.
In this case it is evident the men went di-
recUly to the greatest point of danger and
attempted to hold up the roof that would
soonest come down"
1t has developed that there was some
trouble in getting men to go into The mine
last week. Two remarkable instances are
known. The sons of Superintendentll Lam
gan and Inside Foreman Lynott went into
the mine ON Saturday afternoon to work.
Their duties were tOassist the timbermen.
They became afraid, and told their fathers
they were going toquit, Aquarrcl ensued,
but the boys were determined and went
out Of the mine Their resolution saved
! their lives.
John Hughes, brother of Michael
Hughes, who is in the mine, saved his life
in the same way. He heard the rumbling
brother he would not remain in the rotten
mine minute longer, He tried to per-
suade Michael TO accompany him, but the
latter said mo, John, l won't go your
mother needs all we can earn; you had
better remain here" But John would not
stay.
1t is feared that Mrs. Wall, whose hus-
band and two brothers are in the mine,
has lost her mind permanently.
There are surface indications that the
| slope and main gangways of the mine are
! packed tight with falling coal and rock.
! In other words, late falls" have COM
/ pletely wrecked the inside workings Of the
colliery. Some take the view that itwould
| be better to let the bodies remain where
! they are and devote the money that would
have to be expended TO Omen the passage-