The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-07


yesterday would tend to show that the
furtherance of the work of rescue is
by no means the least object of their
mission.
The miners are perfectly satisfied
wiwth the. makeup and policy of the
commission and place every reliance up
on the governor insisting on a thorough
and fearless investigation. There was
some talk among them of suggesting
to the governor that the commission be
increased to nine membes, three in
spectors. threee mining engineers and
three business men, but the proposition
was not generally favored, the ma
jority of them advising that it is best
to let well enough alone.
The theory of the mine officials con-
corning the rappings heard Saturday
night has been proven correct. They
We're made by one of the rescuers, a
relative of one of the entombed men
for the supposed purp1s of encouraging
the rescuerS who he thought We're be-
coming disheartencd. The mystery was
explained in rather unexpected way
Sunday night. Foreman Evans while
passing along a portion of the gangway
where no one happened to be at work,
heard ranpings nearly similar to those
which have caused so much talk during
the past few days. Stealing cautiously
behind a large pillar where Nne sounds
seemed to emenate he came upon one
one of the driver boys, Thomas Lee,
brother of Owen Lee, one Of the victims.
industriOusly rarplng on the face Of
the coal with a large piece of iron.
The foreman Immediately sent him
out of the mine and gave Instructions
that he should not be allowed to enter
again. Another boy who was suspected
of making the metallic raps that on
Saturday night were first supposed to
have been made by the entombed men
tapping on the rail, was taken to the
Office and -when-ciosely- questioned viz
tually admitted his guilt by making a
very weak denial.
THE BOY MEANT WELL.
1t afterwards came to light that he
did the rapping not to deceive the
rescuerS but as an experiment of his
own, it having occurred to him that no
one had thought to attempt to signal
the entombed men by rapping on the
pipe which runs to the pump. He was
discharged but afterwards reinStated.
as the foreman of the shift became con-
WINGED that the boy did not mean any
deception. Another relative of one of
the entomhed men had to be ordered
out of the mine because of his threats
to set off the gas unless he was per-
mitted to explore the fall in advance
of the rescue gang The rescuers are
now talking of insisting on all of the
relatives of the entombed men being
kept out of the mine as they feel it is
not safe to work with them on account
of their half-frantic condition.
The general relief committee appoint
ed at the public meeting of the citizens
of PittstOn met yesterday afternoon in
the board of trade rooms on Main
street. and proceeded to organize. There
were present William Connell and G. ID.
Simpson, of this city; Isaac Long, of
Wilkes Barre, and the following from
Pittston: X. J. Ross, c. &. Bowman.
Rev. John Finnen, Rev. N. G. Parke, u.
D., Andrew Dryden, Joseph Langford,
benjamin Harding, William Drury, M.
a. Kelly. r.. l.. Thorpe. A. l.. Dryden,
Theodore Strong, NJ. NJ. Donnelly, S.
b. Bennett, Thomas Mangan. J. L.
Cake. =. n. OBoyle, c. +. Bohan, DR..
Reap and Thomas English.
X. J. Ross was chosen president, c.
c. Bowman. secretary and Rev. John
Finnen, Rev. DR.. Parke and Andrew
Dryden, vice presidents. These per-
manent officers We're entrusted with the
selection of committee of five which
with the chairman and secretary, are to
comprise the executive committee. j.
II. Foy. C. f. Bohan. Joseph Langford.
Andrew Dryden and $. B. Bennett were
settled upon as the committee. c. ID.
Simpson. of this city. and w. \. Lath-
rope, of Wilkes Barre. were nominated
as members of the committee but at
the suggestion of Mr.. Simpson they
were replaced by Pittston men it being
felt that to give proper attention to the
duties of the committee one should nee
essarily be resident of Pttston. The
selection of treasurer was postponed
until the next meeting, when it is eX-
pected the executive committee will
have prepared an outline of the duties
of the office which will enable the
general committee to act more intelli-
gently in selecting a man and will
give the prospective treasurer an un-
derstanding of what he is expected to
take upon himself should he assume the
office.
Ii was decided to secure charter
and draft a constitution and bylaws.
containing the scope and plan of the
committee. The board of trade COM
mittee which drew IN the appeal sent
out by that body was instructed to
draw up an appeal for the general conf
mittee and report at the next meeting
which will be held at the call of the
chair.
The first time that any newspaper
man has entered the mine since the
Sunday of the cave-in was yesterday,
when q Tribune reporter and repre-
sentatives of the Colliery Engineer and
Wilkes Barre News Dealer accompan-
led the inspectors on their first tour of
investigation.
The Tribune reporter has spent a
good portion of the nine days since the
accident occurred, about the Twin shaft
(Continued on Page 81