The news boy., 1896-07-04
ONE HUNDRED MINERS
instantly Killed or Entombed Alive
Without Hope of Rescue.
The Accident Caused by Cave-in 49,
companied by an Explosion Hun
dreds of Feet Fellow the Surface
VAIN Efforts at Rescue.

companied by an Explosion Hun
dreds of Feet Below the Surface
vain Efforts at Rescue.
WnKEsBARRE,P Pa. June 2s.-At three
o'cock this morning the city of Pitts
ton, nine miles from here, was thrown
Into the widest excitement by three
severe, distinct and separate shocks,
accompanied by rumblings resembling
an earthquake disturbance. They
were so strong as to disturb the slum-
bers of the people throughout East
and West Pittston.
Immediately afterward an alarm
took possession of the entire popula-
tion, which was considerably added to
by the wild alarm whistle OF the
Twin shaft at Pittston Junction, ac-
companied by repeated fire alarms.
Hundreds Of people, experimenting
serious results, rushed in mad haste
to the Twin shaft, operated by the
Newton Coal Co., from which the dole
full alarm came, only to find that the
shock was due to an extensive cave-in,
accompanied by an explosion which
had occurred in the sixth or lower
vein of the shaft. Their apprehen-
sions were by no means too great, for
upon close investigation it was found
that no less than a hundred men and
boys were imprisoned in this horrible
death-dealing pit
The distressing news spread with
lightning rapidity and by s o'clock this
morning the head OF the shaft was
thronged by groups of men, women
and children, the latter wringing
their hands and uttering hcartrend-
ing cries for their beloved ones who
were imprisoned in the pit.
The hour following the alarm was
one long to be remembered by those
witnessing the sights-the anxious
suspense of the workmen, the grief of
the friends and the tender sympat thy
for the afflicted ones by the spectators.
The foreign element in particular. in
their piercing harangucs and their
wild demands for their friends, made
the narrowing scene peculiarly pain
full.
Efforts were made to quiet them by
rendering them the little encourage
mothers, daughters. sons, brothers and
sisters reasonably feared the worst,
and upon the first information re-
ceived their fears were found to be
we'll grounded.
The first to come to the surface from
the shaft below after the explosion,
was John Gill, who was at the bottom
engaged in labor. The force of the
conclusion threw him with terrific
violence to the wall, and with intense
fear and more dead than alive he crept
to the foot and with great difficulty
signalled to the engineer at the sur
face to hoist the carriage.
When he was brought up his story
gave to the listeners little encourage
ment as to the safety of any of the
men and boys below. From him was
! secured the first information of the
| number who were in the shaft and the
positive knowledge that another OF
those fearful disasters frequently oc-
| curing in the anthra cite coal fields had
| occurred. lie said that not less than
one hundred workmen had suffered a
| horrible death and that the number
was probably larger.
just at this period word came from
| the pit that more men were ready to
be brought up, Momentary only was
the hope of the anxious ones. Tor when
John Kicker, Il runner boy, Jacot
Adams and Frank Sheridan, company
men, were brought to the surface,
they retold the frightful story
1t appears that several days ago the
| officers discovered that the rock be
! tween the fifth and sixth veins had com
menced working" and to prevent q
continuation of this, all day Saturday
and Saturday night the full compile
ment of day men and such others a.
could be pressed into service from of
the streets were set at work pillarine
and propping the sixth vein SO as to in
sure the safety of the workmen wh'
were to 60 to work on Monday.
Saturday night the regular nigh
force were working at point abou
three thousand feet from the shaft a
the foot of No. 8 plane under what i
generlly known as the flats, littl
east of the Coxton railway yards
The force was under the supervision
of Supt. Langan and his assistant
Michael Linott. Orders had gon
forth that about midnight as man
men as possible should be sent dow
to assist in this dangerous work, a
constant cracking and splintering G
the roof gave indication that the pos
sibilities of danger were most strongl
founded.
In accordance with this order bt
tween ~ and 1 o'clock Sunday morr
ing about thirty additional workme
went into the mine. This new fore
was placed at a point beyond that G
the night hands and the news brougl
to the surface by the three men VIII
may be the only ones to live to tell tn
tale, was that all of these hundred G
more men had been caught and eithe
crushed to immediate death or impri
oned to perish by starvation.
After hearing this discouragin
news the large throng in waiting b'
came more demonstrative. 1t wa
found, to the CONSERVATION of tn
workmen present on the surfac,
that all the mine foremen, superinteI
dents and bosses who had gone to S,
pervise the work had also been caugf
below. This left the work of relic
without systematic head, but the re
cuers, providing themselves wit
safety lamps. hurried on the min
carriage and were lowered 1,0(
feet to their mission of relief. The
were: John Doyle, John Daley, Cha,
Mcdonald and James Tenyon. Afte
half hour of suspense they returne