The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-25
Fourteen Miners Drown

s IIniontown Pa, July 24-caught like
= s in a trap when water rushed into
the man-way of Superba No. mine
at Evans station. three miles north of
UnIontown, this afternoon, after cloud
burst. ls men were lrewned and 81 es-
capped after narrowing experiences.
The men were drowned about 1900 feet
from the mouth OF the mine. their only
avenue of escape Although the list
given out by mine officials includes 10
names, 1t is reported at least one more
victim an unidentified foreigner, will be
added. He was passed by other men in
the mine when they escaped, refusing to
accompany them to safety.
| The majority of the victims were mar
ried and had large families. about 30
children being deprived of their bread
wir ners. The men who escaped were
forced to half swim and half walk TO the
pit mouth through water ranging in depth
| from their waists to their necks. Sew
eral of those who escaped were knocked
down by timbers shot down the mine
with great velocity In the raging cur
rent. Many men were being carried back
| into tho mine to certain death when res
cned by their companions.
Difficult to Clear Mine
| 1t was stated tonight by officials of
| the superba company that 1t will take
at least go days to clear the mine of
water and until that time bodies must
remain in the water
Superintendent w. j. Buttermore was
the first man to see the high water
start In the manway. He gave the
alarm. and all the men on the outside.
rushed into the mine yelling loudly as
they went In that manner more than
half Of the miners were saved.
Relatives of the miners and mine driv-
ers when the alarm was raised. rushed
| to a large hole made by the water at
the manhole and frantically threw sticks
stones, bushes, poles and whatever other
timber they could find into the water in
futile effort to stop It's rush into the
mines. Women and children remained
at the mouth of the slope late tonight
refusing to return home until an at
tempt had been made to rescue their
husbands and fathers.
The water rose so quickly after the
cloudburst that It practically destroyed
ell railroads and street railways in Fay
ette county.
Nothing could be done to avert the
catastrophe. A dam that had been built
| around the man-way day or two ago
when the water was high, was washed
away and the water rushed into the
mine so rapidly that the pit was filleo
| In less than % minutes.
Other Mines Flooded
Three men lost their lives in Lemont
No. 9 mine OF the Fl. c. Frick Coke con-
| pary. about a half mile from Superba
mines but 81 others who were caught
/ in the food there escaped.
Andy MacHack. a driver in the mine,
when he realized that water was rush
| ing in with such rapdity as TO flood the
entire mine, cut loose the wagon and
while hanging onto the chains was drawn
TO safety by the two mules. when II
was certain that the 10 men had persisted
In the Superba mine the survivors per-
sisted In forming rescue party, but
officials OF the mine refused to allow
them to risk thes lives. The mine Is
flooded so that 1t would be impossible
to erter IT more than 100 yards without
risking death.
The wife Of Andy valco. left win
FIVE little children Oldest aged s. dashed
into the mine. going some distance down
the slope before being overtaken. She
tore her clothes in her anguish when
refused entrance at the slope, Mine In
spector l. c. Robin. who was soon on
the scene, said that as far as he could
ascertain the catastrophe was unavoid
able.
Dams Swept Away
Milwaukee,. July ga storm ap-
preaching a cloudburst swept through
northern Wisconsin during the last "a
hours. causing floods, which swept
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