Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-29
MANY BURIED ALIVE
Miners Caught in the Gangway Of
q Nine.
EFFORTS OF TIE RETUERS FUTILE
Workmen Went Into Certain Peril
to Strengthen Supports.
STORY OF THE SURVIVORS

special telegram from Pittston, Pa, to
the Philadelphia Times. dated last night,
says: Ninety men are imprisoned tonight
In narrow strip of earth six hundred feet
beneath the ground on which this city is
built. Some ere dead and some are alive,
but all will be dead within the next forty
eight hours. They went down into the
red ash vein of the twin shafts Of the
Newton Coal Companys mine at o'clock
last evening to fix some props in the main
gangWay, the roof of which was crushing
in. At o'clock this morning three sharp
explosions awoke the city, and those who
rushed to the mine to see what the noise
meant found that thousands Of tons of
earth had closed the gangway.
The list ay reach a hundred when the
full truth is known, and some estimates
made tonight exceed even that figure.
The men who are lying in the wrecked
gangway of the twin shafts tonight
knowingly faced death when they entered
1t. Two weeks ego the surveyors reported
to General Superintendent Law that the
mine was in bad shape, and that the walls
were Squeezing The superintendent S
own inspection confirmed this report, and
he began at once to organize a band of
skilled timbermen to enter the mine and
brace the threatening roofs. A consulta-
ton of mine officials was held, and it was
decided that the condition Of affairs was
SO grave that heroic measures must be
be saved.
Inside Superintendent Largan, who was
as brave and popular man as Pittston
ever knew. took charge Of the job, and
selected as his assistants the nerviest and
most experient ed men he could find. They
were all old miners, familiar with every
phase aid condition Of underground dan
gers, and they took all possible .precau-
tions In advance. Large quantities of lum-
Der and other necessary materials were
lowered into the mine during the pas:
week. and it was planned to push the work
to completion in the shortest possible space
of time. 1t was thought that about one
full day would be required
At o'clock last night Superintendent
Langan and his small army of helpers
were lowered down the shaft. They made
their way along the slope to the red ash
vein, fifteen hundred feet from the bottom
of the shaft. and began timbering the
gangway with heavy props. Several times
sections Of the roof fell in, driving them
back in disorder, and there was evidence
of contiI uous and steady squeeze" on
every hand. At IL o'clock there was
very heavy fall, but the men stuck to their
work with persistence and courage wor-
thy of better cal Sc.
The Explosion.
A few mirutes after 3 O'Clock in the
morning all Pittston was awakened by an
explosion in the depths Of the mine.
Houses were shaken by earthquake.
and when two other sharp reports fol-
lowed in quick suco esson the faces OF
citizens were blanched With the horror of
the conviction forced upon them. In less
time than 1t takes to write it hundreds OF
half-clothed men, women and children were
raShng toward the mine, from which
sounded the fierce scream of steam whis-
ties and the changing Of the fire bells.
They all knew what the alarm meant, and
to many the price of their knowledge had
been dear experience.
When the hreathless crowd reached the
mine they found Superintendent Law and
a number of other officials surrounding the
only three survivors of the catastrophe.
These We're John Sheridan, boy employed
as water carrier. and William Richard
and Thomas Gill, miners. The boy told his
story in frightened gasps. He was on his
way up the slope to get some fresh water
for the men, and when about one hundred
feet from the foot of the shaft was knock
ed down by the conclusion. He was badly
cut and bruised by flying coal and rock.
He lay unconscious for ten minutes, and
then came up the shaft
Knocked Out the Supports.
1t was learned that an explosion of fire
damp far down the slope, and very near to
where the largest of the gangs was work
ing. had swept away both the new and
snapped like matches, letting a mass of
earth down into the gangway that filled 1t
for distance hopelessly and terribly long
Whether any of the men were buried in the
debris were simply shut in to die like
rats in a trap will not be known until the
rescue gang has burroWed it's way through
the obstruction.
The report of the fall" says the boy
Sheridan, was like hundred cannon and
the force CT it blew me fully twenty-five
feet. l was hurled against the side of the
slope A piece of rock hit me back of the
head, the wound commenced to bleed and
then l tainted"
Richards and Gill, who were on their
way out after timber, concur with Sheri-
dan that the conclusion was terrific. They
We're knocked off their feet and banged
against some brattice work. They cannot
conceive the possibility of anybody being
in the wreck and escaping with his life
and it is their opinion that one of the gangs
was caught direC thy beneath the fall. When
they left their fellows everybody was in
good humor, and although there had been
several warnings the men did not antici-
pate either an explosion or cavern.
Cropping Their Way Out.
The two men who escaped had an ex-
perience that almost unbalanced their
minds. Their naked mining lamps had been
hanging on their boot legs, but these were
extinguished by the gust of air, and they
they could in the darkness to the foot of
the shaft. 1t was a difficult task. The air
was filled with dirt and dust and almost
suffocated them. All along the main gang
way leading to the shaft timbers had been
thrown down, blocking the way. They
managed to crawl over these, and fright
ened and exhausted they made their way to
the opening, and were drawn up to the sur
face to tell their frightful story to the en-
gineer. the only person who was on duty
when they came up.
In the crowd which quickly gathered
were scores Of relatives of the entombed
men, and these grew frantic as the full
horror Of the situation dawned upon them
Men rushed about half-crazed and women
tainted. Wives and daughters Of the
miners sat on the damp ground in the early
morning benumbed with anguish, and little
children, too young to know what it all
meant, stared with frightened eyes at the
strange scene From all directions people
poured into the open space which surrounds
the main shaft.
Scene of the Disaster.
The scene of the disaster Is but a few
steps from the Union station of the Le-
high Valley and the Delaware, Lacka-
wanna and Western roads at PHtston
Junction, and about mile above the bust
ness center Of the city, though within