Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-08
HALTED HIS PEN.
STORY OF THE MINE HORROR TOLD
BY A VICTIM.
Foreman Hill Died PrnyinE-His De-
tailed q of the Race With
Death Which Overlook Him M
He Wrote His Farewell.

One chapter of the details of the holo-
caust in the Van Storch mine slope at
Scranton, Pa, comes as a message from
the dead, one of the six mel who lost their
lives by the terrible fire that ragged in the
shaft having written in his living tomb q
chronicle of the events Immediately pre-
ceding his death.
OF flame and smoke that drove back these
who risked life to save them. What the
imprisoned miners did from the time they
found themsslyeS hemmed IN Is iTb tUIu IN u rhe
and where his story breaks off. as he top
pies over to die of suffocation. 1t IS taken up
10y Joseph Yamkoski, who was taken OFT
of the burning pit alive.
Foreman Hills memoranda, furnished by
Superintendent Ziegler. say: Il was az
the boss shanty at 1850 on the night OF
on the 3Oth was coming out. Could not
make any further than the gate known
iey.1 All we'll at 2:15. All well and In
good spirits at 80. All alive at 3:25. We
are beginning to get discouraged now. 1ried
10 ger out ut 3:l5. Pretty near gone. Nc
Dcnnen and Moran came and helped US
out. Came to assist at Tulley's gate. II
they had not come to our assistance we
Went out HA With black damp. All alive at I;
hut have small hopes. All alive at S. All
feeling sick. All alive at g., Was out at
but more smoke. At 10 o'clock still living;
feeling little better than We were at ..
Was at Tulley's at Il: Smoke s nnprsd we w,
miner named Mof1tp.
The final message was posted on a board.
on which VAS chalked: We ave gone TO 10
new Diamond vein. in which water accum-
ulated. and which the men were working on
to to-, keen Tsmt elsaf. W Wons r disd on the the plane dln
that led from the Diamond to the Four
foot; Moran died at the foot of the plane.
and tie four others within the next nifty
on Hill was also found a letter to his
wife and four little daughters. written at
$50 in the morning telling them there was
no hope of his ever again seeing them
alive: that death was but a short way on;
He babe them an affectionate farewell. and
told how his heart ached at the dreadful
parting. He said he would die praying for
them. and he probably kept his word. for
he was found with clasped hands on bend
Yamkoski says Foreman Hill. after the
retreat from the slope fire. started with
the men for the plane leading to the four,
of 300 feet. but were forced back TO the
Diamond vein by the smoke. Had they
gottsn into the four loot vein they would
were ladders leading back to the Diamond
ut Il point beyond the fire and from which
they could have reached the shaft and been
saved. They made repeated attempts to
scale the plane. but failed. Then they
plugged the cracks. bit the smoke forced
this and they retreated into Mofitt's cham
Der. trying the same means to keep out
the smoke. Then the effort to reach the
Dip" was made.
Yamkoski alone got there. and getting
hold of the hand fan. he created an air
current that sustained him until his res
cuers arrived. He had. at intervals. now
ever. gotten to various miners boxes. Sc
curing small bits of food and oil. He also
got a quantity of oats. and these he stored
near his fan. and felt prepared to fight off
death for several days. He said just before
the men succumbed they were joking with
escf, other about what they would first do
when they got out. and that their final
greeting as they fell was "Good-by. But
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