The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-07-02

night. 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 concus,
sion. He was badly cut and burned by
oil and rock. He lay unconscious for ten
minutes and then came up the shaft. 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 Il tornado.
The first thought was that great earth
quake had occurred, and the inhabitants
rushed pell nell from their houses. The
ringing of the fire bells and the shrieking
of the big mine whistle told the story
Crowds of people gathered about the
mouth of the shaft and numbered thou
sands by daybreak. Stalwart men stood
appalled, and frantic women who had hus-
bands or sons in the doomed mine waited
in despair One mother cried out that
she had two sons below. Another was
the wife or widow of some unfortunate
and had nine helpless children at home.
Many knelt on the ground and in voices
broken with sobs implored Divine Provi-
dence to restore their loved ones alive.
When it was given out that there was
little or no hope of rescuing the men alive
women and girls tainted and were borne
away senseless. The work of rescue
was prompt and efficient. The best min
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voluntarily in the hazardous task-for
hazardous it certainly was.
There was the menace of another fall
or explosion of gas damp. Special efforts
were made to keep the air fan in good or
der, 50 that if by any chance the men were
alive they should have fresh air to breathe.
The blocked slope and gangways held
out little hope of the air reaching them.
The rescuers were divided into three re-
lays of forty men each under the direction
of Mine Foreman Alex McMullin. The
men worked as they never worked before,
clearing away the debris in the slope.
They made good Roadway, considering
the difficulty they had to contend with,
and at 3 o'clock this afternoon had clean,
ed the slope distance of 600 feet.
Young Sheridan, the water boy. who
had such narrow escape, tells a thrilling
tale of the disaster. He thinks there was
an explosion of gas which blew down the
newly erected timbers and caused the
cavern. When he left the mine to go out
of the slope and get water those inside had
no apprehension of a fall or squeeze
Everything was working nicely, and the
men expected to be out of the mine within
another hour.
The report of the fall" says the boy,
was like hundred cannon. and the force
of it blew me fully twenty-five feet. l
was hurled against the side of the slope.
A piece of rock hit me on the back of the
head, the wound commenced to bleed, and
then | tainted"
Richards and Gill, who were ON their
way out after timber, concur with what
Sheridan said, that the conclusion was
terrific They were knocked off their
feet and banged against some brattice
work. They can not conceive the posi-
bility of anybody being in the wreck and
escaping with his life.
Superintendent Law says: Nobody re-
grets this dreadful occurrence more than
| do. 1t is too early to give any reason
as to the cause of the accident, but | can
assure you if | thought there was any
danger in the work not single one of
| hn oil tn A
the mine. | don't care for the damage
to the mine: it is the great loss of life that
gives me so much sorrow"
The breaker of the Twin shaft burned
down three years ago. There were over
one hundred in the mine at the time of
the fire. but nearly all escaped. The first
disaster in the anthracite region was i'll
September. 1863, when 100 men persisted
| in the Avondale mine. The breaker over
| the mine caught fire and all the men i'll
the mine were suffocated. 1t makes little
difference how many openings there may
be they can not escape. even If spared by
the fall in the latest disaster.
At II o'clock tonight the situation at
| the lll-lultu ullHS WAS i liz
rescuers were hard at work but making
little progress.
Superintendent McAIillcn has given
orders that the rescuers must proceed
with great caution now. as the rock they
are laboring under is working" more
or less There is danger that in hurry
ing the work other lives may be lost.
A conference of prominent mine supcrin-
tcndents from all over the Mahoning
valley was held tonight and the situa-
ton discussed. The conclusion was
reached that to prevent further loss of
life the work of rescue must proceed
with care. 1t is also the unanimous be-
lief that the mine is now a tomb and it
will be some days before the rescucrs
reach the bodies.
At 1925 o'clock there was another
fall in the slope. 1t drove the rescuers
back. The POO feet of ground they had
gained since s o'clock was thereby lost.
At midnight the crowd at the mouth of
the shaft had dwindled down 10 about
500.
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