Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-01-14
Still Hope For Rescue OF
Four In Cave-In Near
Scranton, Pa.
20 ACRES SINK IN
Ground Had Long Been Undermined
by Anthracite Operations-finally
Gives Way

Scranton. Pa, Jan. 13.-Large
gangs of men continued late tonlght
cIawing desperately at the tons OF
earth, rock and debris covering the
approaches to what was, few hours
ago, the Dunmore vein OF the Glen
Aide Coal Company's National NINE.
Somewhere in the pits below that
wreckage are four men, prooaoly
dead. but on the chance that they were
caught, uncruShed, in pocket OF the
shaft the fight for their release goes
on
The four are the men who failed TO
escape with their comrades when
section of the earth'S surface equiv
aIent to about 20 acres gave way WIN
a roar which was heard for miles ana
crashed into the space below from
which in long years OF mining the
GOLFERS had extracted numberless tons
of anthracite. Cave ins are not un-
known hereabout.
They happen 50 regularly that the
State Legislature has passed meas
ure aimed to prevent the companies
from undermining dwellings, but IL
is still before the courts for rnterpre-
tation.
This. however, is the most dis
astrous of the accidents of this sort
which Scranton has suffered. For
tunatcIv the area affected is some dis
tance south of the city, and the dwell
ings affected are small and scattered:
There are shafts below the city OF
Scranton so numerous as to money
comb the entire substructure, and IL
was in the early fear that the collapse
had taken place within the city that
a city school was hastily dismissed
and silk mill shut down for the day.
Early in the day one of the men
reported to Foreman Edgar Hughes
that there was a squeeze coming.
Hughes joined the work gang at
that noint and was examining the
seams Of the rock and coal wall Of the
passage, preliminary to having the
dangerous spot braced up, when the
"souceZe came without further warm
ing. With yclls of terror the gang
started for the nearest exits, racing
through the narrow runwayS ana
shouting the alarm to other miners
in nearby tunnels.
The first squeeze" trapped Hughes
and three companions, but 1t was loi-
lowed by succession of slides ana
crashes so rapid AS to make the
startled people mile away think 1t
was one continuous collapse. Houses
shook, windows crashed and flssures
opened in the walls.
A few minutes later the. shaft
mouths began bclching the fugitive
miners who for the most part stag
gered out few yards from the tun-
ncls and fell sprawling on the snow
covered ground until they could re-
gain their breath. The stampede
spread to the storage houses on sur
face and through the settlements of
huts in Dunmore vein territory.
Out of this swarm Of men the COM
pany officials swiftly selected the
veteran miners and in Il short time
they had reformed their men into
three gangs. Aided by volunteers
from town and armed with new wreck
ing equipment; they set to work at
three points to tear away the debris
and tunnel their way toward the
pocket where Hughes and his compan-
ions had been caught.
The gangs are still at work late to
night, fresh men relieving their weary
comrades in short shifts. From time
to time attempts have ben made to
signal through the walls TO the i'm
nrisoncd men. but there has been no
response. Although it is believed that
all are dead the work of rescue goes
on unchecked.