The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-06-29
BY A FALL OF GROUND
Ninety Coal Miners Meet Death in q
Tremendous Cave-In.
1T SHOOK THE WHOLE TOWN
Acting Mayor Of the City Of Pitts-
ton included In the Llst-wives
and Listers of the Entombed
Men Frantic with Grief.

WAke2-BarTe, Pa, June 2S.-While 90
miners were at work In the Red Ash
vein OF the Twin shaft, at Pittston.
about o'clock this afternoon, the roof
caved In, and 1t Is believed all Of the
men persisted. About 40 of the imprls-
oned men were English speaking min
ers, the others foreign.
The names of the former are: NJ. i.
Lanigan. M. J. Lynett, Alex McCor-
mack. Robert Hastin, Thomas Murphy,
Michael Costello. ]. H. Kelly. Michael
Gaudhan, John Hart. James Daily,
Michael Connell. Daniel Ward, Frank
kehoe, James Cleary. Edward Buckley,
John Casey. Edward Rogers. James
kdnoe. James Mcdonald, Ed Delaney,
Cornelius Mcclure. James Gold, Nj.
OBrien, Michael Hughes. Edward Kill
DAY, James Burke, Patrick Ruane,
Thomas Tenpenny, Michael r. Gaffney,
Thomas Doing. Anthony Kane. ]. w.
Murphy, Owen Lee, Anthony Gordon,
James Wall, - Wall, his son; Dominick
O'Malley. Peter Martin, Michael Ford,
Timothy Burbrick. Thomas Dempsey,
Thomas Carlin. Patrick Gibbons, John
o. Boyle. Peter Joyce.
Aside from these there may be other
English speaking miners among the
unfortunates. Thirty Polanders and
Huns were entombed, and IL Is thought
the total number of bodies in the mime
will reach l00
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
We're put to work without delay. At 3
o'cltck this afternoon the first bodies
were found In the slope some distance
from the place in which the men had
been working. More than two-thirds Of
the victims were married men. Among
them were Acting Mayor Landgan,
who was inside superinl lendent.
About two weeks ago the surveyors
reported to General Superintendent
Law that the mine was Squeezing"
and that unless steps were Immediate
ly taken to timber II q cave-in or fall
might be looked for at any time. Su-
perintendent Law lost no time. but at
once put number Of timbermen at
work to brace the falling roof. The
squeeze" continued, however, and the
situation became alarming. In the aft
ernoon a slight fall occurred and the
men who were at work had to retreat
before 1t. A consultation OF mine on
GERS was then held and VI was decided
that heroic measures would have to be
resorted to to prevent heavy damage
to the mine. inside Superintendent
Lanigan gave orders that the most ex-
perienced miners should be secured
and that the party would go down the
mine at Z o'clock. Expelu tlnibermen
put In an appearance ait that hour and
were soon lowered into the workings.
They made their way to Red Ash vein,
$50 feet down the slope. The work Of
proppipg proceeded rapidly until II
O'clock, when arother fall occurred. It
made low. rumbling noise and the
flying coal and debris drove the men
back. Then the squeeze eased again
and the men thought It was safe to
resume work. They labored on until
3.20 o'clock when, Vt In presumed, the
roof fell in without warning. making a
tremendous crash. 1t is supposed,
however. that the men were not all
together but some near the slope and
these probably ran up the incline when
the fall occurred. This Is the only way
the finding of Mayor Lanigan's body
in the slope can be accounted for. II
the men received any warning they
had time to run up the slope. but not
to any great distance.
The falling rock and coal filled up
the slope and the adjoining gangways.
completely shutting of all avenues OF
escape. 1t was at first supposed the
men escaped being caught and that
they were imprisoned behind the de-
bris. but the finding OF the two bodies
would go to disprove this. 1t Is possi-
BILE. however. that living men may still
be behind the fall. although 1t Is ex-
tremcly improbable. Even II they es-
capped being crushed by the falling roof.
the probability 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
Thomas gill and another man, were
the only ones to escape out OF the whole
party who entered the mine last night
Sheridan 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
conclusion. He was badly cut and
bruised by flying coal and rock. He
lay unconscious for IL minutes and
then came up the shaft. The concus-
sion was so great that IL was heard for
miles around. The foundations of
nearly every building In Pittston were
shaken and windows and doors ratified
rs In q tornado. In the houses nearer
to the mine, persons were thrown from
their beds. The first thought was that
q great earthquake had occurred and
the Inhabitants rushed pell nell from
their houses. The ringing Of the fire
bells and the shrieking Of the big mine
whistles told the story.
Crowds Of people gathered about the
OF the shaft and numbered thou
sands by daybreak. Stalwart men
stood appalled, and frantic women, who
had husbands or sons In the doomed
mine. waited In despair. One mother
cried out that she had two sons below.
was the wife or widow of
some OF the unfortunate ones and had
nine helpless children at home. Many
knelt on the ground. and in voices
broken In sobs. implored the Divine
Providence to restore their loved ones
alive. When 1t was given out that
there was little or no hope OF rescuing
the men alive women and girls tainted
and were borne away.
The rescue work was promptly be-
gun. The best miners who remained on
the surface Joined voluntarily in the
hazardous task. for hazardous 1t GER
tainly was. IL was the constant men
ace OF another fall or explosion Of fire.
damp. Special efforts were made to
keep the air tanning in order that II by
any chance. the men were alive. they