The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-18
2S MINERS ENTOMBED Colliery in Pennsylvania
 Caves In. MANY MEN WERE IN MINES They Immediately Quit Work and Offered Their Services. MIae Inspector o'DonseII. With om- cisi. of the Company, Were S Hurried to the Coiliery- z Details are sfeagre.
 

Pottsviiie, Pa, Feb. 17.--Twenty- eight miners were imprisoned fin the Midvailey .Colliery near Mount Carmel, this morning by the breaking of a dam of water which had formed in drift which caused rush of mud to the gangway where the men were at work. All day long a party of rescuers endeavored to reach the entombed men and shortly after 6 o'clock tonight they were given encouragement by sounds of digging from the inside. Later a shot was heard indicating that the men were at work to effect their own res cue, and also giving assurance that the air Is good.
 Among the men entombed are q number of experienced miners and 1t is believed that 1t will be possible to eff feet 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 driv- ing heading to the surface. The heavy rains, and thaw of the last few days had caused great dam of water to accumulate in No. 20 breast of No. drift and the pressure became so heavy that # finally broke through anu d kESAt Hcd VI Al00 A1NS0 tAeo the gangway where the men were at work. It filled it for a distance of about $50 feet and 1t will besnecessary to dig through this great barrier Of mud to get at the workmen from this direction.
 Three different rescuins parties have been put to work in an endeavor to release the entombed 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 waugway in which they are now tnpfisonsd Ft Es believed that the last named gang will be the flrst to rcach Che entombed men and 1t is hoped to be able to get them out or give them food and drink by tomorrow morning.
 The work of rescue Is under the de reetion Of Nine Inspector James A. O'DonneIl of the Fourteenth District. asssted by Inspector B. I. Evans, of the Fifteenth District. o'Donnell has a force of 100 men working 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 encour- aeement and 1t Is believed that the ma jority of the men entombed are alive. although 1t Is scarcely possible that all of them were fortunate enough to have escaped the great rush of mud when the dam broke.
 Great crowds of people have gath cred around the mouth of the slope and have announced their intention of re- mainingr during the entire night. They include the families of the entombed men. ss-
 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 reassured 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 colliery were formed into a temporary police force but later sn the afternoon squad of state constabulary appeared on the scene and preserved excellent service keeping the crowd back.