The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-29
PROVIDENCE. r. t. MONDAY. JUNE 20 1896


soon lowered into the workings. They
made their way TO Red Ash vein. 1900
feet down the slope. The work of prop
ping proceeded rapidly until IL o'clock.
when another fall occurred. II made a
low. rumbling noise. and the flying coal
and debris drove the men back.
Then the squeeze" ceased again. and
the mes thought II was safe TO resume
work. They labored on until 1920 o'clock
when, so IL is presumed. the roof fell in
without warning. making tremendous
crash. The falling rock and coal filled
UP the slope and the adjoining gang
ways, completely shutting off all ave-
nues OF escape. 1t is still possible.
however. that. living men may still be
behinI the fall, although II is extremely
improbable.
The alarm was first given by water
carrier, John Sheridan. who, with Will
lam Richards and Thomas Gill, were the
only ones to escape of the whole party
who entered the mine Saturday night.
Sheridan was on his way up the slope TO
get some fresh water for the men. and.
when about 100 feet from the foot of the
shaft, was knocked down by the concus-
sion. He was badly cut and bruised by
lying coal and rocks. He lay uncon-
scious for 10 minutes and then came up
the shaft.
The concussion was so great that II
was heard for miles around. The foun-
dations of nearly every building in Pitts
ton were shaken and windows and doors
ratified, as I'm a tornado. In the houses
nearer to the mine. persons were thrown
from their beds.
The first thought was that a great
earthquake had occurred, and the in
habitants rushed pellmell from their
houses. The ringing of the firebells
and the shrieking of the big mine whistle
told the story.
Crowds OF people gathered about the
mouth of the shaft, and numbered thou
sands by daybreak. Stalwart men stood
appalled,. and frantic women, who had
husbands and sons in the doomed mine,
waited in despair. One mother cried out
that she had two sons below. Another
was the wife or widow of some unfor-
tunate, and had nine helpless children at
home. Many knelt on the ground. and
In voices broken with sobs. implored
divine providence TO restore their loved
ones alive. When it was given out that
there was little or no hope of rescuing
the men alive, women and girls tainted,
and were borne away. senseless.
The work of rescuing was prompt and
efficient. The best miners who remained
OH the surface. joined voluntarily in the
hazardous task. There was the con-
stant menace of another fall. or an ex-
plosion of flredamp. Special efforts were
made TO keep the air fan in good order,
so that IL. by any chance the men were
alive, they should have fresh air. The
blocked slope and gangways held out lit
tie hope of the air reaching them.
The rescuers were divided into three
relays of 40 men each, under the direc-
ton OF Mine Foreman McMullin, The
men worked as they had never before
worked. 1t became necessary to swear
in extra policemen to control the crowd
around the mouth of the shaft 1t had
increased to fully 1000. Ropes were
stretched around the shaft, and only
mine officials were allowed to enter the
enclosure.
Young Sheridan, the waterboy, who
had such narrow escape tells thrill
ing tale of the disaster. He thinks there
was an explosion of gas, which blew
down the newly erected timbers and
mine to go out the slope and get water.
these inside had no apprehension of
fall or squeeze" Everything, was
working nicely, and the men expected
to be out of the mine within another
hour "The report of the fall" says the
boy. twas like 100 cannon, and the force
OF il blew me fully 25 feet. 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
tainted"
Richards and Gill. who were on their
way out after timber. concur with Sheri-
dan that the concussion was terrific.
They cannot conceive the possibility of
anybody being in the wreck and escap-
ing with his life.
The breaker of the Twin shaft burned
down three years ago. There were over
100 men In the mine at the time. but all
escaped through a second opening.
The first great disaster In the anthra-
cite region was in September. 1869, when
l2O men perished in the Avondale mine,
this county. The breaker over the mine
caught fire. and ell the men in the mine
were suffocated. This great catastrophe
caused the legislature to pass law COM
pclling mines to have two openings.
Up to 9 o'clock last night no bodies had
been found. At that hour all hope OF
finding any of them alive had been
abandoned.
Superintendent Lathrop OF the Lehigh
Valley Coal company who is nr author
ity. says it will be 10 days before the
bodies are reached. lie says they are
under a heavy fall.
During the late hours of the afternoon
the searchers made but little progress.
because the part Of the slope upon which
their energies were bent was working" :"
The heaviest timbers were like matches
under the heavy pressure from above
During the evening the excitement con-
tinued at fever heat.
At midnight the situation at the Ill