The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-02

Scending a a furious speed. They We're
powerless and nothing could be done.
They prepared themselves the best
they could to meet the frightful inevit-
able. 1t came with tremendous crash
that could be heard all over the mines
"a crash that shattered the happy
homes of thirteen brave miners, and
made fatherless many little innocent
souls. 1t was q heartrending scene.
When assistance came to the rescue,
it WAS discovered that several souls
had already taken flight to their eter-
nal homes, and while the thirteenth
was conveyed to his home his soul also
took it's final farewell. Only four were
left to tell the trightful tale-W. }.
Thomas, the present honest and able
select councilman from the Fourth
ward; Hosie Davies, who died several
years afterwards, and John Ct. Jones
and owen Haggerty, both of whom died
recently, thus leaving Mr.. Thomas the
only survivor of the terrible catastro-
phe. These four unfortunate men were
badly shattered ana We're incapacitated
for many months from doing any work,
and even Mr.. Thomas was so terribly
injured, that had it not been for expert
medical attention, and the magnificent
nursing of devoted wife, he
also, would have fared the same
fate as his more unfortunate
companions. He was confined to
his room for seven weary months
His worse injuries We're of an internal
nature, although he had to wear knee
caps and also have his body bandaged
for several years afterwards in order to
give the necessary strength to pursue
his daily occu. stion; and even now, in
cold weather, he suffers pain in his
limbs from the effects of the terrible
accident, but he still works in the
mines. Being a prominent citizen of
the West Side, and leading council
man, it would not be out of place to
give q short sketch of his career
since he arrived in this country
thirty-siX years ago. He has always
worked in the mines. He was born at
Merthyr Tydvil in the year 1S43. He
came to this country in May 7, 1859. His
first American home was at Dover, N.
j. He remained there few years, and
then came to Scranton, where he has
resided ever since. He married his
wife, who is the daughter of the late
Mr.. Messech Weeks, a sturdy old citi-
zen in his day, in May, 1864, and nine
children have been born unto them.
Three of the children are dead. They
buried bright and estimable son in
October, 1886, in his seventeenth year,
which caused the family much grief.
Mr.. Thomas is very popular in and
around the mines, and also in the ward
in which he resides. He represents the
Fourth ward in the present select coun-
Gil and is distinguished for his unflinch-
,,tt
served "a term also in the common coun-
Gil with the same distinction and hon
est purposes. "Bill" Thomas Gas he is
Familiarity called by his friends) word
is as good as his bond, and woe to the
man that approaches MIN on any mat
ter having the slightest taint of crook
edness. He is rugged Republican and
one of the noblest Welsh citizens of
Scranton.
THE VEN. ARCHDEACON PRYS.
The Ven. Archdeacon Prys-for by
that name he is best known in Wales,
or Archdeacon Merwnydd-was born at
Gerdi Bluog, in the parish of Clandecyn,
in 154l. He was educated at st. Johns
college, Cambridge, and after having
received holy orders, was instituted to
the rectory of Ffestiniog, 1872 was
1916, and canon of st. Asaph in 1902.
He was a learned divine, and a dis
tingulshed poet. He was the author of
the metrlcal version of the Welsh
psalms still in use; in the preface of
DR.. Morgan's Bible the archdeacon is
mentioned as one who had greatly as
sisted in the first translation of the
Bible into Welsh. II is said this YER
sion of the psalms was brought about
in this way: In his time there was no
collection of hymns for the use of
churches, and to introduce singing to
the service of his church he versified
one psalm regularly for every time he
had a Welsh service in his church until
the whole were sung there before they
We're published, His version OF the
psalms were first printed in London in
1921, Archdeacon Prys was as we'll ac-
quainted with the rules of Welsh poetry
as any man, and he says with regard to
the texture and versification of our best
poems, mo bards in any language ever
surpasses the Welsh"
"Of all the tissues ever wrought
On the Parnassian hill,
Fair Cambria's web. in art and thought
Displays the greatest SKILL -