The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-07

Dread the Gazing in of Earth.
Scores of Men Have Been Entomb-
ed Many Days-Rescuing Parties
Work With n viii, But often
without succesS.
From the Washington Post.
Accounts of the terrible explosions in a
Utah coal mine on Tuesday have brought
10 mind forcibIy the preearious existence
that the miner leads beneath the earth.
But of ell the accidents which threaten
the life Of the anthracite coal miner none
is more feared than the deadly cavern.
1t is far more liable 20 cause death than
explosions or floods, runaway cars or falls
down ,he shaft.
Dozens and dozens Of men are crushed
TO death every year by it, and the re-
ports of the mine inspectors show that a
large majority Of the fatal accidents of
the year are due 10 it. Witness the great
accident at the twin shaft, Plttston Pa,
a few years ago. when. ffty-nine men were
shut in or crushed to death. and the fall
at No Il, Plymouth. Pa, where thirteen
men were killed. None of these victims
were ever found nor is there much PROB
ability of any trace OF them being dlscov-
cred
Sudden and horribly fatal as they are,
the caves give warning of their approach.
A short time ago the writer was in an
affected gangway There was constant
and menacing noise, which is almost in
describable. II was like the distant muir
muir of a thunderstorm or the deep rum
be of faraway breakers. For hundreds of
feet above and around the rock and coal
was working" It was moving and roll
ing and crushing Itself, grooming under
the immense weight II bore, staggering
nobly 20 sustain il and giving evidence in
every fiber that the remorseless load would
very soon oblterate the gangway in which
we stood.
A Scene OF Terror.
Massive timbers. eighteen inches in d.
ameter, were being crushed and splinter
ed. bulged and cracked; the car tracks
were distorted in a hundred different ways
and all the time, from roof and Sides 1T
tie splinters OF rock and coal were flying
with sufficient force to cut the hands or
face. Al points the roof had sunk two or
three feet and at others the sides of the
gangway were bulged in and threatened at
any moment TO burst, like overripe fruit
Big mine rats, wise as the miner. were
lowed their example. A minute In the
gangway seemed as long as an hour on
the surface.
But with all the warning it gives the
cave too often proves to be the deathbed
and grave of the miner who Is rash enough
20 try to save his company what nature
is reclaimiEg as her own. So il was in
the two great accidents previously men,
toned. Valuable chambers of the mine
threatened TO cave and thousands of tons
of coal would be lost. AT Pittstcn Supt
Langan started, on q Sunday night, with
sixty-hve men to place massive timbers
under the affected roof, hoping TO avert
the threatened destruction. SO awful was
the noise and so near did death appear
IN those trembling passages that seven
men, Supt Pangan's son among them, re-
fused to work and went back.
The superintendent and the fifty-eight
labored for an hour or so; then suddenly
many tons of rock and coal fell. and in
an instant nature had constructed for them
an immense sepulchre. Whether they
were instantly crushed to death, shut in
and suHoeated or slowly starved will prob
a bly, meyer be known
or weeks men as brave as the fifty
rtne lafored at the work of rescue a
eat. but unavailing struggle, Torn. sha-
ken and trembling from The shock of the
first fail, which dragged upon the other
portions OF the mine like massive chains
drawn by monster. working after work.
ing collapsed hour after hour for some
GAYS h7fore II all settled quietly and
the dangers of the rescuers were fully as
great as these the entombed men had
confronted. There was but one practical
bic way of getting at the victims. ana
that was down long slope at the foot
CT VIII oh 1t was expected the unfortunates
W. ld be four O.
Hemmed in by Earth.
-Four hundred feet was clear space: the
remaining 400 was blocked to within a few
ipches Of The roof by the fallen masses
OF rock 1t was through these 400 feet
that the rescuers had TO force their way
Volunteers were numerous, the most able
m ming experts in the region directed the
Operations, and the work went on day
and night. AT first good progress was
made, and then, as they advanced foot
by foot the danger and the fficulties In
creased. Some Gays they would gain
twenty or thirty feet and then be driven
back some distance. only 10 attack the
living mass again with magnificent cour-
age and endurance.
1t was In the midst of this work that
the writer saw them. Some ninety feet
had been gained through the fall The
WHOLE s'ope. some nine ( eft in width, had
not been cleared, but. narrow passage
four feet wide had been driven through
the ceDter or II. This was propped and
strengthened BY great tinbers, for there
was constant danger OF the roof coming
dewn. The gos Yves heavy and safety
lamps had to be used so the light was
dim and uncertain. The moaning of the
mine was stll to be heard and had a
most weird effect. as If breasts and gang
ways were mourning for their victims.
The men worked in shifts CT half dozen
each, three hacking erd pecking at the
face" OF the fall with their picks and
three shoveiing back the debris to others
behind them. who passed it out in line.
CIR at masses OF rock had to be shat
tered with drill and hammer, for II was