The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-19
BOYS TERRIBLE
FALL DOWN A SHAFT
Lost His Balance on the Carriage 10 the
MI. Pleasant Mines.
WENT THERE TO LOOK FOR WORK
Was Unsuccessful in Securing IL and
About 100 Got on IA Carriage to Go
to the Surface--Not Accustomed to
Being Raised or Lowered Into
shafts. lie Could Not Remain on
Ills Feet and Toppied over

Patrick Gallagher, Is years of age,
a son of Martin Gallagher, of Elm
street, fell from a moving carriage in
the shaft at the Mt. Pleasant colliery,
West Scranton, shortly after I.3o
o'clock yesterday morning and when
the mangled body was taken from the
bottom life was extinct.
Gallagher was not an employe at the
colliery. lie was going to the surface
after having failed to obtain employ
mcnt in the mine when the dreadful
fate overlook him.
Just how he fell from the carriage
can only be known from the statement
of James Mangan, a young man who
was on the carriage when young Gal
lagher fell
That statement. i'm Mangan's own
words. is given below. Gallagher had
never before entered the mines. After
concluding his school days he worked
at the South steel mill of the Lacka-
wanna Iron and Steel company. Yes
terday morning at o'clock he left
home with the intention of securing
employment i'm the Mt. Pleasant mine.
He was permitted to go into the
mine and saw George Mawson, the
driver boss. No employment could he
given Gallagher and the boy left for
the foot of the shaft
THE FATAL RIDE.
After 80 o'clock, according to Man
gan, several loaded cars had been
hoisted when the carriage came down
empty.
This was fer the reason that at the
Mt. Pleasant colliery loaded cars are
hoisted at intervals from the landing
to the dump" at the top of the break
er. The empty carriage which now
reached the bottom was to ascend to
the landing where q hoaded car was
in readiness to be put on.
Gallagher and Mangan were waiting
to be lifted to the surface. Mangan,
who is 20 years of age, also having
been unable to secure employment.
The boys had never met before.
The footman directed the two boys
to take the empty carriage. Gala
CHER. according to Mangan, was stand
ing in the middle of the carriage when,
the signal having been given, the cage
| began to ascend.
Mangan had clutched the iron sup
port on the carriage and saw young
Gallagher sink to his knees. He
]
failed. In an instant the carriage was
in the middle of the shaft and neither
having a light, Mangan did not know
of Gallagher's fate until the carriage
reached the surface and daylight.
Then he found himself alone on the
carriage.
BODY BROUGHT TO SURFACE.
Mangan informed the workmen of the
! boys fate and in a short time the dead
! body was brought to the surface
/ Afterward the remains were removed
! to Galagher's home. Coroner S. p.
! Longstreet was notified of the fatality
and last evening the remains were
viewed. The head is terribly crushed.
No inquest will be held pending the
return to the city of Mine Inspector
Henry owen Prytherch, who orders all
inquests on mine fatalities.
Patrick Gallagher was one of eight
children of Martin Gallagher, a mill
worker. Mangan, the sole witness
lives with his parents on Brook street
South Scranton.
Here is his story of the occurrence
written last night for The Tribune:
l met this Patrick Gallager at the foot
| of shaft. | was standing waiting to &c
| up when the cage came down with an
| empty car. The foot man asked me ii
| was going on. | got on and so did Gal.
| lager. l asked him If he was down tC
the barn. He said no. Just then the cage
| started and with the jerk and swiftness
of it the boy ovCrbalanced and went head
long between the abutmcnt and the cage
/ tried to catch him hut missed, but
did not know whether he fell or not til
| got up.
l gave the story TO the headman AMI
he told the engineer. | waited there unit
the boy was brought up. l looked at hin
and the time keeper came and / gave
him my name and address. l might have
i have experience.
We had no lights so I did not see any
thing after the boy tumbled. They were
to get the cage up to the landing to pu
on loaded car. l did not know the boy
and never saw him before.