The sun., 1897-10-31
NINE MEN DEAD IN A NINE.
sUFFooArED M sMOKE IN a SLOPE
SCRANTON, PA.
Cut or by Fire. They Are Unable to Escape-
Nineteen Men Got out sareiy-A Cnvo.In
Aner the Fire IL EHtinGaiahed Prevents
n.n.nh "a. ~ nnnnIcn Of tho Nlctlmn

Cut or by Fire, They Are Unable to Escape
Ninetaen Men Got Out snreiy-A CHVo.in
Arer tho Fire IL EHtingaiahed PreVonts
Search for the Bodies OF tho Victims.
SCRANTON. Pa, Oct. 30-Nino men, part OF
the night shift Of twenty.cight VINO were at
work in > onstorch slope OF the Dcia"are anu
Hudson Coal Company in the northern part OF
this city, woro sufTocatcd to-day by hrc In tho
main Rangway. Those who lost their lvos
were: Thomas Hill, foreman; Thomas NC
Donnell, company hand; John fankowsKi, Ia
borcr; John Moran, track layer; John d. Far-
rell, pump runner; John Walsh, Thomas tlan'
merry of Kciscr avenue, and two Poles, names
unknown.
Tho fro started about o'clock this morning
In tho shanty on the sopo where tho vein
branches off, and soon had set the umbers ana
the walls of coal ablaZc. A column OF smoke
swept on down the slope 1,500 feet TO inc pig
Clark vein. Pump Runner Edward simpson
smcllcd 1t, and calling the fro boss, MCCARTHY,
started out to investigate. They were iorceo
back into the slope by tho dense smoke, but up
the incline they COULD SEQ the light OF the blaze
Mccarthy pulled the signal wire. and through
the speaking tube told tho men In tho engine
house that a fire on in tho slope Ihcn,
whilc outside assistance was being summoned,
he and Sipmson hastened to alarm the men or
in the far workings.
Nineteen Of these were reached and hurried
out through tho shaft about 1000 feet away,
but the men in the distant part of the diamond
vein could not be reached because 1t was i'm
possible to go through tho ovcrpowering smoke
to them. Chief Hickey and some OF the city
Fire Department were carly on hand. The
Chief led force of nine fremcn down the slope,
with n line OF hose to cxtinguish the flames.
They had gone short distance when the sut,
focatlnR smoke forced retreat. Foreman
g ,rdon of the Excelsiors, one Of the city Coun-
cilmcn, was overcome and fell behind; lie
mas n% wner yhe % PARTY hred e IN TO
rescue him: lie was carried out Unconscious,
and some time elapsed before he revived.
that they bclchcd out OF the mines mouth n
distance OF 800 feet, setting the trcstlc leading
to the breaker on fire. There was a great crowd
most burned itself out. great volume OF
w%F na nS %S ha found @G ha
of the men had been suffocated.
The men who escaped alive from the mine
Myoski and Pete Snvitich. In the rush to save
themselves from the sutTocating smoke that
from their fellows and for q time they were
al IL loss what to 90. Then it occurred to Fad
den that there was cross heading that Leo into
! OF the diamond and getting his bearings along
the timbers he soon reached this. The Poland
tie eros crossing. % It w was ' the % work @ Of only only a
w minutes 10 tear away part of the barricade
tnat was in the way, and they soon emerged
into the nd jacent lift. where the air was good.
They went some distance, and getting TO II
pace they considered safe, awaited events.
| Here they were found by II party OF rcscuers
headed by Inside Foreman I3irbcck, Superin.
tcndcnts Zeglcr and Ross. and other men who
| had volunteered to 20 into the slope when the
| fire had been subducd. The men were re.
| moved by way OF the air shaft and the several
| hundred waiting persons there sent up shout
| Of joy.
| An extensive cave occurred in the slope just
| as Il party T rcscucrs were ready to enter and
bring out Il Q dead bodies This has completely
| blocked the way, and il Is said by officials this
! afternoon that it will be several days before
| the bodies can be secured