Year: 1871

these words chalked upon the wall OF the West
Pittston mine, just outside of the barricade
which the terrified miners erected for their
defence against the fire. After the tumultuous
excitement that first followed the warning OF
their peril they hastily but earnestly discussed
their chances of escape, and, mindful OF the
lessons of the Avondale disaster, decided to
build wall between them and the threaten
ing flames. They worked on the barricade as
for life, some of them falling before it was
finished into . deathlike stupor on the ground.
The solemn scene which ensued can never be
forgotten by the survivors. Perhaps more
vivid narrative than theirs of face-to-face
encounter with death has never been given.
Psychologicaly it is Of the deepest inte-
rest. Imprecations and dying groans,
mingled with prayers and sacred songs, and
tender farewells exchanged between fathers
and sons, brothers and friends. But these
poor fellows did not leave all hope behind
when they took refuge on the other side OF the
barricade which they had erected. They felt
sure that the most strenuous efforts would be
made by their comrades and neighbors, and
the inscription which they chalked on the wall
indicated this confidence in the brave and
generous hearts of those who were already
seeking to rescue them from death. The courage
and humanity of the volunteers who eagerly
risked their own lives to bring up,
dead or alive, their unfortunate brethren
cannot be too highly praised. Twenty
one out of the thirty-seven miners were
brought up alive. One died shortly after
coming ont of the mine, and sixteen corpses
were recovered. Although 1t is feared that
several of those who came up alive may yet
die from the effects of the dreadful disaster,
yet in point of numbers the loss of life Is not
to be compared with the Avondale tragedy,
which counted one hundred and eight victims.


But the anguish Of the widows and orphans
Of the victims is no less poignant in the former
case than in the latter In both cases, more
over, the weight of responsibility is equally
heavy, whatever may have been the dispropor-
ton in the numerical results of the catastro-
phe. The same sympathetic liberality will be
manifested by the public in behalf Of the
families bereaved by the West Pittston dis
aster as was manifested in behalf of those
bereaved by the Avondale disaster. The
indignation which led the public to
ask who was TO blame at Avondale
will provoke the same question as
to West Pttston. The Avondale jury found
nobody to blame particularly, and contented
itself with declaring that the system of venti-
lation was dangerous, and recommending that
ings in order to secure means of escape in case
of accident. The people, however, as our
Wilkesbarre correspondent says, supplied the
omissions of the jury, and unanimously agreed
that cupidity and reckless disregard of human
life on the part of the Avondale mine led to
the terrible results. This decision has never
keen reversed.


The West Pittston jury may be expected to
arrive at more definite verdict than the
Avondale jury. II cannot overlook the facts
that the immediate causes Of the West Pittston
accident were not only gross carelessness.
but also criminal violation of the Mine Venti-
lation bill passed by the Pennsylvania Legisa-
ture. That bill, expressly to prevent repetition
Of the Avondale horror, provided that no
mine could lawfully be worked without having
prohibited the employment of more than
twenty men-ten miners and ten laborers-at
one time in any mine which had but single
outlet. The jury will have to inquire how a
mine inspector could have investigated the con-
dition of the West Pittston mine only two days
before the fire occurred and reported every
thing satisfactory" when he must have known
that the provisions of the law had not been
complied with, and that the same shaft which
caught fire not long ago chad not been con-
sidered entirely safe in its running gear for
some time" 1t will have to inquire how far
the miners themselves must share the blame
of there being thirty-seven men in
the mine at the time Of the accident, whereas
the law strictly forbids more than twenty to
be employed at the same time in mine with
resumption of work ''the mine has been driven
to its full capacity in order that the benefit of
the increased price of coal might be realized
by the proprietors." The latter cannot evade
their responsibility for putting many more men
at work than the Mine Ventilation bill allows
But the men themselves, 1t appears, have not
been altogether blameless in the matter, for
an instance is cited by our correspondent, in
which they Indignantly protested against an
official notification that the mine in which they
worked 'was employing number of men
contrary to law" and declared that they
would work, law or no law. They thus mani
tested the recklessness which is as character
istic of miners as of sailors, and which has
occasioned so many dreadful accidents In the
English collieries


Whatever may be the omissions of the West
Pittston jury the public, as in the case of the