The record-union., 1899-12-24

Taper. He was unconscious, and was
lifted out and restoratives applied with
out avail. He gasped once or twice
and then died, victim of after damp.
Fourteen men were rescued by the
bucket and rope. All were sick, and
some half fainting. They were given
restoratives and sent to their homes,
several having to be carried. AS no
more men appeared at-the foot Of the
airshaft, attention was turned to the
main shaft, from which the after damp
was pouring out in thick volume. The
fan was crippled, and the cages would
not work. The first thing to do was to
start the fan This was accomplished
by 1870 a. m. and the after damp be-
gan to force it's way out of the ventil-
ating shaft.
The brattices in the mine which guide
the air through the workings had been
~
the force of the fan was lost. Gradu-
ally the air around the main shaft be-
came purer, and at o'clock the first
body of rescuers descended, the cages
having been temporarily repaired.
When they got within ten feet of the
bottom the cage stopped. A mass of
wreckage was piled up at the bottom of
the shaft. With their faces blackened
and burned; and their bodies distorted,
laid seven men. The rescuers started
to clear away the debris, but it was
slow work, as the force of the explo-
sion had been terrific.
Pit Boss Thomas and three men went
back a hundred feet to find the source.
They think they succeeded, but did not
have time to investigate, as they were
overcome by the after damp. Other
members of the rescuing party hastily
brought them above ground, where they
were given brandy and coffee. Thomas
was about dead, and tonight is indeed
suffering severely.
When the first party was worn out
and nearly poisoned, another took it's
place. and the work was kept up with
out moments cessation The res
cuers found the carcasses of five mules
that had been killed outright
AT 10 o'clock tonight the work of
rescue had progressed SO far that Super
intendent Blower expected to have
some bodies out by midnight Mine In
spector Henry Louttit is working away
in the wrecked main shaft at the head
# gangs OF pick ID men, allo art strain
ing every nerve to save the survivors,
if there are any.
Mine Inspector James Blick, who
reached the scene tonight, said: 81
would not like to say there is no hope
for the men in the pit, but I doubt
whether a single one remains alive. The
fan is running, but the big part of the
mine remains unventilated, and is prob
ably still choked with deadly after
damp, in which no human being can
live. If the men have not been able to
contrive to save themselves from the
after damp, I fear that they are dead
One of the mine officials, who spent
almost the entire day working in the
pit, said: "The havoc wrought is al
most complete. and I have little hope
that the men are alive
AS the night grew blacker the scene
at the shaft became more sorrowful.
The rain came down in pitiless tor
rents, and each moment the air was
more chill. Back of the fateful pit
rose solid mass of mountainous dark
ness. In front, but far across the rail-
road tracks, We're the Pickering lights
of the homes of the miners At one
side of the mouth of the shaft, some
huge Jumps of coal made a blazing
camp fire and around were seated a
score of workers
No complete list of the dead can be
compiled tonight. The managers of
the mine have the pay roll, but it has
been impossible for them to discover
all the survivors. But there is a gen.
eral opinion that from thirty to thirty
five men are entombed About half are
Americans and the balance are Huns
or Slavs The list as obtained is: JOS
eph Wagroyer, single; Joseph Butts
chame, 40, wife and three children; AL
bert Meese, aged. ID; Samuel Meese, his
father, pit boss; Peter Oris, 36, mar
ried, has FIVE children; Henry Hager,
So wife and children; James Thomas,
married. Carl Hobidski was hauled up
from the bottom, the rope being tied
about his wrists. In twenty minutes
after the rescue he appeared on the
scene as calm as ever
Soon after the extent of the accident
became known undertakers were sum-
moned from Brownsville, and a new