The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-08-01
DROWN IN A FLOOD.
Miners Caught in a Coal Mine Like
Rats in a Trap.

Ase~>S - ~
Caught like rats in a trap, when
water rushed into the man-Way OF
Superba No. mines, at Evans Sta
ton, three miles north of UniontoWn,
Pa, Wednesday afternoon, after a
cloudburst, 13 men were drowned
and 81 escaped after a most harrow
ing experience. The men were
drowned about 1000 feet from the
mouth of the mines, their only ave-
nue. of escape.
1t is reported that at least one
more victim, as unknown foreigner,
will be added to the list of dead. He
was passed by other men in the mine
when they escaped, refusing to ac-
company them to a place of safety.
The majority of the victims had
large families and about 80 children
are deprived of the breadwinners by
one of the worst catastrophes that
has ever visited Fayette county. 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, on their way to safety.
The majority of the miners were
knocked down by timbers that were
sent down the mine with great veloc-
ity in the raging current. Several
men were being carried back into
the mine to certain death when res
cued by their companions, who risk
ed their lives.
1t was stated by officials of the Su-
perba Company that it will take at
least sixty days to clear the mines OF
water and until that time the bodies
must remain in the water where they
perished.
Superintendent J. w. Buttermore
was the first man to see the high
water start in the man-way. He
raised the alarm and all the men on
the outside rushed into the mine yell
ing loudly as they went. In that
manner more than half of the miners
were saved.
Relatives of the miners and mine
drivers, when the alarm was raised,
rushed to large hole made by the
water at the man hole and frantically
threw sticks, stones, bushes, poles
and whatever other timber they could
find into the water in a futile effort
to stop it's rush into the mines.
Women and children remained at
the mouth of the slope, refusing to
return home until an attempt had
been made to rescue their husbands
and fathers. The water rose so
quickly after the cloudburst that it
practically destroyed all railroads
and street railways in Fayette coun-
ty.
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 filed in less than 80 min
utes.
Three men lost their lives in Le-
mont, No. 2, mine, of the H. c.
Frick Coke Company, about half
mile from Superba mines, but 81
others who were caught in the flood
there escaped.
Andy MacHak, driver in the
mine, when he realized that water
was rushing in with such rapidity as
to flood the entire mine, cut loose
the wagon, and while hanging on to
the chains was drawn to safety by
the two mules.
When it was certain that the thir-
teen meen had perished in the Super
ba mine, the survivors persisted in
forming a rescue party, but officials
of the mine refused to allow them to
risk their lives. The mine is flooded
so that it would be impossible to en-
ter into it more than 100 yards with
out risking death.
The wife of Andy Valco, left with
five little children, oldest aged eight,
dashed into the mine, going some dis
tance down the slope before being
overtaken. She tore her clothes in
her anguish when refused entrance
at the slope. Mine Inspector |. G..
Robin, who was soon on the scene,
said that as far as he could ascertain
the catastrophe was unavoidable.
Tho Aikon cOunty hOSDital aSSO-