The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-06-30
MANY MN ENTOMBED
Frightful Diaster in a Pennsyl.
vania Mine.
CAUSED BY BIG FALL OF ROCK.

Is Believed That They Were All In
stantly Killed, Although Rescuers Are
Hard at Work I'm the Hope of Saving |
Some of the Entombed Men-How the |
Disaster Occurred.
WILKEs-BARRE, Pa, June 30.-One
hundred miners were caught Sunday
morning under fall Of rock in the Twin
Shaft mine at Pittston, nine miles north
of here. 1t is believed that all perished
| instantly, but there Is possibility that
| some are imprisoned in the drift between
two cave-ins. In that case they are con-
| fined in small and almost air tight space,
80 that even the powerful fans cannot sup
ply air enough to sustain life until the
searchers can cut through the walls Of the
debris. II 1t proves that the men are dead
sixty-three women will be left widows and
200 children be fatherless. This Is the
most terrible mine accident which has oc-
CURED in the anthracite region since the
great disaster at Avondale, this county, In
1859, In which 100 lives were lost.
| How the Disaster Came to Pass.
The Twin Shaft operated by the Newton
Coal company, the principal stockholders
of which live in Philadelphia, Is an old
mine, but the output has always been
large. Some two weeks ago N was noticed
that the mine was squeezing" that Is
| to say, the surface was pressing hard on
the props and pillars. Steps were at once
taken to stop It, Heavy timbers were put
In and every precaution was taken to pre-
vent cave-in. Friday 1t was thought
that the squeeze" had been arrested, but
Saturday IL began to 'work" again The
principal trouble was in the red ash or
. lower vein of coal 1900 from the foot OF
the shaft There were two heavy falls on
Saturday afternoon and II was thought
dangerous to enter that part OF the mine.
At 3 o'clock in the evening Inside super
intendent Langden concluded that some
thing would have to be done and done
quickly If it was hoped to save the Inside
workings from destruction.
Knew the Risk They Ran.
Accordingly he issued orders to get ,
lparty OF the most expert miners together
10 prevent further damage to the mine
, Calls were sent out and at o o'clock tina
night about 100 miners had gone dowr
the mine. Nearly all of them new tn
great risk they were running but they ar
gued thus: 1.-The superintendent and fore
man are with us; If they do not hesitate Il
go in why should we?" The men worked
hard and faithfully until n little after
o'clock Sunday morning, when, probabl!
without warming the roof on the iOOO-foo
slope where the men were at work fell In
The concussion was 80 great that 1t wa
felt for u distance of four miles. Tn
\ foundations of nearly cyery housc ir pitts
| ton were shaken, and the citizens frs
thought a violent earthquake had taker
| otal aftar the QRcidQnt 0C
Cured there was a call for volunteers
Two hundred men responded at once
and despite the great dangers sure to b.
encountered, entered upon the work o
| rescue The men were divided In relic
gangs OF forty each, for the work is yer.
tedious, as the roof has to he propped "a
| fast as the men work their way through
the debris.
Rescuers in Great Danger.
The danger from fire and choke damp
is incredibly great, as the Twin shaft
known TO be subject to these gases excep
under favorable conditions of ventilation
ANY minute may thrust the rescuers int
a pocket Of flre-damp and result in terr
BILE explosion The greatest excitemer
prevailed about the mouth Of the shaft n
day. The relatives of the imprisoned me
gathered in large numbers and their gri'
was pitiable. 90, my dear husband
go. my poor papa" were the cries OF a
guish heard Many of the women swoon'
| and had to he carried away. some kne
on the wet ground and prayed that the
their loved ones might be brought o
alive. At last the excitement became
great that special police force was swo
in to keep the crowd back. People FRO
ALL over the valley went to Pittst
Sunday by train, trolley cars, earring
and bicycles. At 1928 O'Clock there
another fall in the slope 1t drove
rescuers back The twenty feet OF grou
they had gained was thereby lost.
Mine May BE Flooded.
The rescuers In the mine Monday aft
noon encountered new difficulty. v
ter Is pouring into the slope and threat'
TO drive out the men at work. Super
tendent l. aw thinks it is water from
surface and that IL will soon cease to fl
into the mine. Others think the wa
comes from the Susquehanna river, wh
is nearby. II IL Is river water the wh
mine will be flooded In short time, q
It will be months before the bodies can
recovered. A party of newspaper arti
received permission from Superintend
| Law to go down into the mine TO ms
sketches, but Mine Inspector McDon
protested, and said he would allow no m
TO enter the mine who was not practi
miner. "There are enough lives lost nov
he continued, 'and there Is no use In
| crea sing the number.