The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-06-30

wILKEsBARRE. Pa, June 2s.-The
excitement at the Twin shaft in Pittston
where nearly one hundred miners are
entombed, either dead or alive, contln-
ued to-day.
At the mouth OF the shaft. besides the
wives and children OF the entombed men
there were hundreds OF persons not resi-
dents OF Plttston alone. but visitors from
Kinston. Scranton and MilkesbaTre.
The grief OF the stricken families was
Intense Wives and children, many OF
whom have noi left the mouth OF the
shaft since the terrible accident, stood
near the opening to the death chamber
and urged the rescuerS 10 greater ef-
forts.
The situation Is almost the same as
that reported last night; practically
nothing has been accomplished toward
the recovery OF the men. There IS
scarcely an old miner about the mouth
oE the mine who does not believe that
the men are all dead.
ANY suggestions advanced as to the
probable time the men Will be reached
are mere guess work. as all depends
upon where the slope Is completely
chOkeL up with debris or not, II not.
the rsscuers may possibly be able to
reach the men within the next twenty
four hours, otherwise II may be two or
thres. days The resculng party IS two
thousand feet from where the cave-in
occurred.
A survey OF the interior Of the mine
this morning shows that the main slope
is badly blocked. II is blocked even
worse than the officials are willing to
admit. II is known positively that fully
sixty feet that had been cleared up yes
terday afternoon is blocked again by
another fall that occurred before
o'clock this morning. Before any at
tempt can be made to clear this part of
the slope, II will be necessary TO do eX-
ira propplng and tImberIng. This will
consume a great deal OF time. A few
of the more hopeful who believed that
there might be possibility OF the en-
tombed men being alive have now sur
rendered and no one can be found who
Is willing to admit that there Is any life
underground.
Hope OF finding the men alive and un-
injured. by the older miners, was aban-
doned last night, because they knew the
ventilation was bad, and that even II
the men had escaped the fall they could
not live twenty minutes In such an at
moSphere.
The damage to the ming is estimated
at $4,000. and the expenses OF getting
the bodies out will not fail short OF
$4,000.
The rescuers In the mine this after
noon encountered new difficulty. Wa
ter Is pouring into the slope and threat
ems to drive out Che men at work.
Superintendent Law thinks It is wa
ter from the surface and that It Will
soon cease To fiow into the mine. 9th
ers think the water comes from the Sus-
Quehanna river. which is nearby. u It
Is river water, the whole mine will be
flooded IN short time and 1t will BE-
months before the bodies can be gotten
out.
A numebr Of newspaper artists re-
celyed permission from Superintendent
Law to go down Into the mine this morn
ing to make sketches, but Mine Inspector
Mcdonald rOtestcd and said he would
allow no man 10 enter the mine who was
not q practical miner. There are
enough lives lost now" he continued.
"and there Is no use In increasing the
number" one Of the artists offered to
donate 800 to the relief fund II allowed
to go down the shaft. but the offer was
refused.