Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-11-03
TEN MEN DROPPED
TO DEATH


many years ten men we're dashed into |
eternity at the No. l shaft of the |
Auchincloss colliery at the d. l.. q !
W. Coal Company at NantioOke this
morning.
The manner of the accident is in
many ways mysterious and neither the
officials of the company nor the en-
gineer are able IN any way to explain
the cause which leads up to it.
The accident happened at 40 a NJ.
and the engines were manned at the
time by Jacob Fine, one of the most
experienced of the COmpany's en-
ployes. Ten men were aboard the cage
at the time mentioned and were being
dropped to the bottom Of the shaft
when the frightful tragedy was en-.
acted. The shaft is the deepest in all
the coal regions being 1900 feet from
the surface to the bottom of the mine
The list of the dead is as follows:
William Ashton. John Cook, Toe
Monk, Frank Shyzlock, Joe Goshen,
| John Iganatovitch, John Konlin, Alex.
Balantofski, Johu Kempa, Joe Kason.
The injured are: John Konockadale,
teeth Knocked out and arm broken.
Harry Vermont, struck with a flying
| plank, laceratioGs of the head and
body David Hosten, severe injuries
| to his arm.
| There are three veins in the shaft,
| while under the shaft at the Red Ash
vein is a sump which has three hun
dred feet of water in it. When the
cage with its load of human freight
was being dropped to the bottom. sud
denly and without warning the engine
it appears, refused to work and the
cage was speedily lowered to the bot
tom.
When the cage was between the
Baltimore and the Ross veins the cage
broke, the bottom falling out of it,
with the result that the ten men were
thrown to the bottom into the fathom-
ed depths below.
The death was almost Instantaneous,
because when the bottom of the cage
fell out the men dropped go feet to
whele the water was in the sump. The
fall without striking any obstacle
would have been sufficient to cause
death and this accounts for the fact
that all were dead before the water
was reached. Portions of the cage fol-
lowed the men in their mad plunge
down the shaft aud this killed what
ever hope there might have existed
for getting few of them out alive.
The dead as far as is known by the
officials of the company were all min
ers and mine laborers For a time it
was impossible to find out who the
men were bat upon Investigation by
Col Phillips the names of those who
had met the awful end were soon re-
vealed amid the heartrending cries of
those who had been waiting auxi usly
for the sad news upon the surface
At first it was thought that several
others had been killed by the drop of
the cage and the commotion it caused
in falling down the shaft, but upon
investigation it was learn that none
of those believed to have pcrished were
even injured in the least.
Thousands gathered at the head OF
the shaft and it was not until the
names of the victims were learned thai
. the demonstrations ceased. The friend
and relatives of those who were OF
d the cage became frantic when the list
was announced and it required tn,
services of several of those engaged il
the work of rescue to pacify the grie
= stricken people. The bereaved wives
mothers, and the childrea of those whc
had been dashed into eternity present
r ed sight which would make even tn,
hardest of hearts melt.
The officials of the Delaware, Lack.
awanna and Western IN charge of Col
| L
edy in an hour aud fifteen minutes AZ.
, ter the frightful occurrence They
were brought to the mine on "A special
train from Scranton and along with
them were physicians to care tor the
! injured aud nurses to assist them. Or.
{ ders were at once given to get at Ga q
| ~ Of ha al fr
certain if possible the condition of IT.,
men or whether they had all been kill.
ed.
The investigation in charge of Dis
trict Superintendent Davis was be gun
and in a short time the names of the
victims and the place where the bod
les we're situated was ascertained. All
eyes were anxiously turned 10 the top
of the shaft where the crowd was eager
to learn the true circumstances. Wild
rumors were ahoat and for time IL
was impossible to learn the true state
of affairs. Excited minds dwelt on the
scene ready to kindle the slightest cir
| Cumstance into DlaZe oil discovery
At the Ross vein it was the intpn
tion of those in charge of the work to
construct a large platform aud then
proceed TO make the shaft rs safe as
possible. When this has been done the
cage will be taken out and removed TO
the head of the shaft in order to give
the workmen a free hand. Then a
bucket will be used and this will be
devoted to getting out the bodies.
Whether this Plan will work or not IL
is hard to tell and it may happen that
the water will have to be hoisted out
of the shaft
Whether the bodies will be recover
ed tonight or not remains to be seen.
Col. Phillips stated that the mine Is