Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-03-14

ONE TAKEN OUT DEAD
Rescuers Dig Through Forty-Ei@ht
Feet of Coal in Order to Reach I'm
prisoned Companions.

Tamaqua, Pa, March IA Two
thlillers in mines, about 40 miles
apart, kept rescuers busy Thours :ay
night and today, with the result that
three out of four men, entombed in
pairs, were rescued alive, and the
fourth was found crushed to leath.
His comrade, taken out barely alive,
S dying with a crushed skull, but
has been able to tell how the fatality
occurred.
John Keske, land Peter Bega,a,
miners, of Summit Hill, near here,
were entombed by a fall of coal at
the Lehigh Coal and, Navigation Com
pany's No. 4, colliery, at 5 O'Clock
Thursday evening, and although 1t
waS thought the men were killed, a
determined party of 30 set to work
20 reach them.
The work had not proceeded far
when rappings were heard, signify
ing that the men were alive.
Gargs then worked necessarily un-
til s o'clock yesterday evening, cut
ting through As feet Of coal. when the
two imprisoned men were reached,
having escaped practically uninjured
despite their borrowing experiences.
Forty-eight feet of coal had, to be
cut thrc,rght to reach the men, buried
alive for 25 hours.
Over iat the Susquehannah Coal
, Company's Hickory Ridge Colliery
near Shamokin, two other buried min
! ers were less fortunate By far, though
their rescuers were quite as valorous
and vigilart. A grewsome discovery
was maze by these rescuers yestSt,
day. when Paul Poplaski was founc
in a dying condition in the No.
vein, while John Moraski was dead.
The men were engaged in driving
a breast and did not quit as early a:
usual Thursday afternoon. A fire
! boss in charge Of the workings went
| to their place of employment, lnqulr'
! ed why they delayed quitting, an'
| was informe: that they were PUTTING
away their tools aud would leave al
once.
Taking the men at their word tht
official left the mine, satisfied tha
! the two workmen would go home.
! Before leaving their work Thurs
day morning Moraski told his wife
that he would return early, having
planned to attend the mission .
St. Stanislau's Church last evening.
! When he did not appear his wife wa
/ not alarmed; but when he failed u
return at 10 o'clock at night, Mrs
Moraski requested several young mel
TO investigate, and they reportea tn
rNstery to the colliery officials.
g.! A number of men were summone'
from their homes, and, in charge c
the inside foreman, and several hr
Lhosses. entered the mines to searcI
for the missing men.
They proceeded to where the mss
;nv men were known to have been a
work and upon arriving at the breas'
heard a man moaning. Hurrying in
10 the working place the rescue pat
tv was confronted, by heavy ia
of coal.
Later in low heading, half burle
IN muck and water, they found Pope
Il ski suffering from terrible lnJur'e
about the body and head.
Some distance away the body Q
Moraski was found lying in the gan
way. Popolaski having directed tn
rescuers to the point yesterday.
Popolaski said they had met wit
fall, Of coal and his partner wa
Instantly killed. while Popolask's
skull was crushed and his lungs wer
pierced. -,
Hugh Green, 81 years old, of Gil
ar:ville, was fatally injured at Pact
l or Colliery, No. 5, yesterday. He wa
> caught under a foil Of rock. Hu;
.ried to the state hospital at Founta'
!, Springs. he died an hour later.
4 Three foreigners crushed oy
fall of rock at the Lykens vale
shaft, were taker TO the PostsvAi
Hospital.