Evening journal., 1896-06-29

Gus 1t certainly wass There was tho CON
stant menace Of another fall or an explo-
sion of fire damp Special efforts were
made 10 keep the air fan In good order
so that IL by any chance the men wero
alive they should have fresh air 50 breathe.
The blocked slope and gangways held
out little hope Of the air reaching them.
The rescuers wero divided into three relays
Of 40 men each undor the direction OF
Mine Foreman Alex. McMullin The men
worked rs they had never before worked,
clearing away the debris in the slope with
the energy that springs out OF the knowl.
edge Of dear lives Behind 70. They made
good Roadway considering the difficulties
they had to contend with.
it became necessary to swear In extra
policemen to control the crowd around the
mouth of the shaft. II had Increased TO
fully 600 Ropes were stretched around
the shaft, and only mine officials we're al
lowed to enter the ineIosure.
Water Boys Narrow Escape.
Young Sheridan, the water boy, who
had such n 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 cave
In. When he left the mine 10 go out the
slope and get water, those inside had no
apprehension Of fall OF squeeze. Ev-
erything was working nicely and the mon
expected to be out Of the mine within an
other hour
'The report Of the fall, says the boy,
twas like 100 cannon, and the force OF 10
blew me fully 90 feet. was hurled against
i tho side OF the SLOPE A piece OF rock hit
me back of tho head the wound COM
menced to bleed, and then tainted. Z"
Richards and Gill, who were on their
way out aftor timber, concur with Sheri-
dan that the conoussion was terrific. They
| wore knocked oil their feet and banged
against some brattice work They cannot
conceive the possibility OF anybody being
in Tho wreck and esoapiRg with his life.
| Superintendent Law says Nobody re-
| grets this dreadful occurrence moro than
| do. 1t is too early yet to give any reason
ns to the cause of the accident hut ! can
assure you that if had thought there was
any danger in tho work undertaken by
the men not a single one OF them would
have been allowed to enter the mine with
| my permission. / do not care for the dam.
age to the Minis 1t is the great loss of life
that gives mo so much sorrow.
superintendent Law has given or
ders that the roscues must proceed with
great caution now, as tho rock they ar,
iaboring under is working more or less
There is danger that in hurrying the work
other lives may be lost
an Hopc Abandoned.
Superintendent Iathrop of the Lehigh
Valley Coal company, who IS an authori
ty, says it win be ten days before the bod
les are reached. lie says thcy are under q
heavy fall All hope OF finding any oil
them alive has been abandoned.
conference of prominent mine super
intendents from all over the Wyoming
valley was held and the situation in tn,
mine was discussed. Tho conclusion WA
reached that to prevent further loss Of lif'
the work of rescue must proceed with care
II Is also the unanimous belief Of the su
perintendents that the mine Is now {
tomb, and that it viii DO somc days bcfor,
the rcscuers reach the bodies.
THE breaker OF tho Twin shaft burned
down three years ago There were Owe
100 mon ia the mine at the time, but al
escaped through a second opening.
The first great disaster in the anthracite
region was in September, 1869, when 12l
men perished in the Avondale mine, thi
county. The breaker over the mine caugh
fire. and all the men In the mine were suf
focated This great catastrophe caused th
legislature TO pass a law compelling mine
TO have two openings But when cave II
occurs in q mine and the men are sur
rounded on overy side by debris, it make
little difference how many openings ther
may be- They cannot escape, even If sparel
by the fall.
Sc Pnurs sob"ut f'enio.