The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-29

Between seventy and eighty human
lives were blotted out early yesterday
morning in the Twin shaft at Pittston
by q cave-in.
1t is the most appalling mine disaster
that has occurred in this portion of the
anthracite coal field since the mine fire
at Avondale on Sept. 9, 1869, when los
mine employees surrendered up their
lives. The Gaylord mine disaster of
Feb. l, 1894. at Plymouth. when thirteen
men were killed and the accident at
West Pittston fifteen years ago when
twenty-six men were lost. sink into in
significance in comparison with the lat
est dark spot on the history of anthra-
cite coal mining.
So great is the loss of life and so fright
full the suddenness with which the har-
dy mine workers were cut off that ii Is
hard even for the people of Pittston
whose dear ones are in the ill-fated
mine TO realize the full force Of the
terrible disaster. They stood about the
mouth of the opening yesterday after
noon as If benumbed and tried to find
comfort in the hope that after all the
men might be brought out alive. Ev-
cry man who came out of the pit was
pulled aside and asked the prospect
but the answer was always the same,
they We're merely timbering about the
foot of the shaft and had not been any
where near the spot where the men are
supposed TO be.
| The grief depicted on the counten-
| ances of the relatives Of the entombed
miners was heartrending. Although
most of them We're induced to leave
| the vicinity of the shaft early in the
morning there We're some for whom
suspense was more agonizing than a
knowledge of the worst, and all day
long a little group of a dozen or more
| sad-faced women sat on pile of mine
props and anXiously watched the car
riage as it made it's noisy ascent from
the pit below. At first their express
sions of grief were terrible in intensity,
but as the hours passed they subsided
into stiflcd sobs, broken only OCCASION
ally by the louder wall Of more poig-
nant suffering as keener knowledge
of the terrible cate which had befallen
her husband forced itself on the mother
of some fatherless child. Among the
little group was one eet-faced wo-
man, younger and seemingly more del
icately- -nurtured than the others. whose
grief was too deep to vent itself in
sobs.
Silently, while the others conversed,
she watched the work of the men and
listened to the ominous rumbling noise
of the carriage as it descended to the
that was dear to her, husband to
whom she had plighted her trOth but a
little over year ago. BY her side sat
another woman with babe in her arms;
yet even she with her fatherless infant
was not the object of more heartfelt
sympathy than the bride of yeai
whose grief was heightened by what
would, had not the terrible calamity oc.
|
joy.
The portion of the mine affected by
the fall comprises the fifth and sixth
veins, the outer portion Of the fall de.
scribing fall with a slope connect.
ing the two veins near the rim Of tn
circle.
l.. l.. Fuller of this city, secretary
) of the Newton Coal company, which
operates the mine where the disaster
occurred, said last night to Tribune
reporter: "This accident IL an awfu
blow. Since the moment we heard O.
It we have been using every energy t.
reach the men who We're entombed b!
the fall and have not given up hope!
Of getting at least portion of then
out of the mine alive. For the presen
we are compelled to conflne our atten
ton entirely to making the place SAT,
about the foot of the shaft and tina
will be accomplished before midnight
We can then press on toward the poin
where the men are and hope to maxi
. good progress. The work will be prose
cuted just as rapidly as possible yol
can depend upon that"
At midnight the rescue party wa
working near the head Of the slop
which is about 1,1oo feet from the poin
where the first gang Of men were "A
work. The cracking and squeezing he.
almost subsided. fr
n resumed however ahout An thl