The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-04-23
Big CAvE-IN
AT MAYFIELD
LARGE AREA OF THE TOWN Sc
vERELY DISTURBED.

Two Veins of Erie's Glenwood Col
1iery Collapse and Do Considerable
Damage to the surface-Twenty
six Houses Feel Effects of th
Fall-Greel Church and School Sc
verely shaken-water Mains Burs
and Flood Low Flats-Child In
! inred by Being Thrown Down.
Mayfield experienced another serious
cave-in last evening. No. 9, the lowe
vein of the Hillside Coal and 1ror
company Glenwood colliery. begai
settling a week ago yesterday. anc
just at 6 o'clock last evening. 1t col
lapsed causing the upper vein Il
also give away. and allowing the sur
face to settle in some places as mucf
as five feet
The disturbed area extends from the
Delaware and Hudson station on the
north, to Mendelssohn's store, on the
south, distance of three hundred
yards. and from the Main street, par
alleling the Delaware and Hudson
tracks. on the west. to the top OF
the hill at the eastern extremity oi
the town. an everage distance of two
hundred yards.
| This particular portion of the town
is populated by Russians almost ex-
clusively, and is closely built up
Nearly every building in this large
area was more or less affected, and
twentysiX Of them were very notice.
ably damaged. The water mains We're
bI oxen in half a dozen places and the
| low lying properties were flooded.
The Greek Catholic churc was in
the immediate center of the disturbed
| district. and suffered considerable
| damage. The stone steps were sep
| arated from the building, the iron
fence s,lrmounting the surrounding
parapet wal! was badly twisted
| and the candle-sticks and other fur
| niture of the altar were thrown to the
| floor.
TRACKS DISTURBED.
The Delaware and Hudson tracks,
which extend through the center of
the caved territory, were moved in
some places four inches to the right or
left, and in other places were caused
to sink several inches, while all along
the road-bed, large fissures appear at
every few yards. The up-bound 6
o'clock train came along while the set
tling was going on, and halted a short
distance below the lower limit of the
territory in which the flssure ap-
peared. When the settling subsided
the train was allowed to proceed cau-
tiously. and went over the cave-in
without incident. A large gang Of
trackmen from Carbondale worked un-
til late at night, Strengthening out and
levelling the tracks.
The cave was accompanied as is
usual, with loud report as of a cam
non. followed by reverberations and
then rumblings, which continued for a
minute or so. Occasional cracklings
were heard during the whole fifteen
minutes that interviewed between the
collapse and the subsistence of the set
tling.
The people rushed from their houses
in terror, and for an hour or so the
greatest CONSERVATION prevailed. Many
of them, especially those whose houses
were thrown considerably out of plumb,
refused to re-enter them to sleep, but
instead took away their portable be-
longings and sought shelter with
friends in other parts of the town.
How severe We're the vibrations is
attested by peculiar and sad accident
which the cave-in caused. A two-year-
old child of Hotelkeeper David Dcz-
woncyk, was left sitting on a pool table
in a room in the rear of the barrOom.
The shock came and the child was seen
to topple over the edge of the table.
Before the father could save it, the
little one fell to the floor and when DR..
jackson came to examine 1t he found
one of it's ribs broken.
EXCITEMENT IN SCHOOL.
The children in the Russian school
had an exciting experience. This school
is in session from 4 to O'clock to per-
nit the Russian children to attend both
the English and their native schools.
They were about to be dismissed when
the cave-in occurred. The school tilted
first one way and then another, and
for a minute OF so rocked and tossed
in every which way. The children and
benches We're thrown about promiscu-
ously and plastering from the ceiling
fairly showered upon them. None OF
them We're hurt. but as soon as they
could get footing they rushed from
the building and never stopped running
till they had firmly gripped their
mothers skirts. One little fellow, who
went through the exciting experience.
gleefully told Tribune reporter of
how "the teacher, him ketch hold the
desk and den hees legs go every way"
Two months ago when the first cave
in occurred, Mr.. Waschefski's house
was thrown three feet out OF plumb.
Yesterdays settling set tine house
straight again. Its floors are now as
level as when first laid.
The first cave-in came without warm
ing and caused the death of Larry
Cantwell, a carpenter, and the serious
injury of seven of his fellow workmen.
Yesterdays collapse was heralded by
a squeeze which was first noticed Il
week ago. 1t continued to grow worse
day by day and at noon yesterday all
the men and mules We're taken out of
the mine.
Sunday night meeting of the prop
erty holders in the threatened territory
was held and a committee appointed
to petition the company to do some-
thing to avert the cave-in. Each man
present contributed quarter to hire
an attorney to represent them.
The mine Is practically worked out
in the caved-in portions and the loss
to the company is. consequently, insie-
niflcant