The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-18
TWGnB-Gight Men Are Shut Into 2 Living Tomb By
 Mud and Water
II IS NOT YET KNOWN
 WHETHER ANY IRE DEAD
Sounds of Digging Are Heard by the Rescuers Who Are Working in ~ Three Parties to Save the Lives
 of the Men Entombed.


 PottsVille, Pa. February 17.-Twenty- eight miners were imprisoned in the Mid Valley eolliery neal Mount Carmel this morning by the breaking of a dam of water. which had formed in a drift which caused rush of mud into a hangway where the men were at work. All day long a party of rescuers endeavored to reach the entombed men and shortly after o'clock tonight they were given en- couragement by sounds of digging from the inside. Later shot was also heard indicating that the men were at work to effect their own rescue, and also giv- ing assurances that the air is good.
 Among the men entombed are num- Der of experienced miners and it is be- lieved that it will be possible to effect the rescue of all the men unless some of them should have met death by being smothered in the rush of mud when the dam broke. Seven of the number are Americans The men had been employed in No. drift of the east side gangway. driving a heading to the surface. The heavy rains and thaw Of the last few days had caused a great dam of water to accumulate in No. 20 breast of No. ts that it finally broke through and a great sea of mud flowed into the gangway, where the men were at work. It filled it for a distance of about $50 feet and it will be necessary to dig through this great barrier of mud to get at the work men from this direction.
 Three Rescuing Parties.
 Three different rescuing parties have been put to work in an endeavor to re- lease the entonabed men. One force is digging away the great bank of mud which fills the gangway, another gang is engaged in driving a heading from an adjoining gangway, while a third force has been put to work at the point where the entombed men were to have driven the heading to the surface from the gang way in which they are now imprisoned. It is believed that the last named gang will be the first to reach the entombed men, and it is hoped to be able to get them out give them food and drink by tomorrow morning.
 The work of rescue is under the direc- ton of Mine Inspector O'Donnell of the Fourteenth district, assisted by Inspector B. l. Evans of the Fifteenth district O ODonnell has a force of 100 men work ing under him and they are taking turns in regular relays of two hours work and four hours rest
 The noise of men working with picks inside gave the rescuers great encourage ment and it is believed that the ma jority of the men entombed are alive, although it is scarcely possible that all of them were fortunate enough to have escaped the great rush of mud when the dam broke.
 Crowds Gather.
 Great crowds of people have gathered around the mouth of the slope, and have announced their intention of remaining during the entire night They include the families of the entombed men.
 During the day women and children were gathered about the mine. having rushed there from their homes at the first alarm of the disaster. They could not be prevailed upon to go home, but insisted upon remaining about the mouth of the slope After the rapping was heard from the entombed men these fear stricken ones were greatly treasured and many of them returned to their homes, while others built big bonfires with the intention of camping out during the night. The miners about the eolliery were form ed into a temporary police force, but later in the afternoon a squad of state constabulary appeared on the scene and performed excellent service keeping the crowd back.