Pike County Democrat, Volume 27, Number 8, Petersburg, Pike County, 3 July 1896 — Page 7

One hundred miners Instantly Killed or Entombed Alive Without Hope of Rescue. {■ ' i fk« Accident Caused bjr a Care-In Accompanied by an Explosion Hub* drrds of Ftyt Below the Surface rValn Efforts at Rescue. Wn.KESBAKiu:.l>a.,June ~8.—At three ©’cock this morning the city of Pittsten, nine miles from here, was thrown into the wildest excitement by three severe, distinct and separate shocks,, accompanied by rumblings resembling an earthquake distutbanee. They were so strong as lo disturb the slumbers of the people throughout East and West Pittston. Immediately* afterward an alarm took possession of the entire population, which was considerably added to by the wild alarm whistle of the Twin shaft at Pittston Junction, accompanied by repeated fire alarms. Hundreds of people, apprehending

serious results, rushed in mad haste to the Twin shaft, operated by the Newton Coal Co., from which the doleful alarm came, only to find that the •hock was due to an extensive cave-in, accompanied by an explosion which bad occurred in the sixth or lower vein of the shaft. Their apprehensions were by no means too great, for upon close investigation it was found that no less than u hundred men and boys were imprisoned in this horrible dea th-dealing pit. : [. The distressing news spread with lightning rapidity and by 8 o'clock this morning the head ol the shaft was thronged by groups of men, women ahd children, the latter wringing their hands and uttering beartrend-j Idg cries for their beloved ones who i wjere imprisoned in .the pit. I The hour following the Alarm was one long to be remembered by those witnessing the sights—the anxious dispense of the workmen, the crief of j tbe friends and the tender sympathy f«j>r the afflicted ones by the spectators. The foreign element in particular, in their piercing harangues and their Wild demauds for their friepd*. made , the harrowing scene peculiarly pain-. fjii. | KfTorts were made to quiet them by j tendering them the little encouragement possible,tujt were unavailing, the ] idothers, daughters, sons, brothers and ; sisters reasonably feared the worst, ajnd upon the first information received their fears were fouud to be •tell grounded., i The first to come to the surface from the shaft below after the explosion,! was John Hill, who was at the bottom etogaged in labor. The force of the -cioncussion threw him with . terrific \ ijiolence to the wall, and with intense fjear and more dead than alive he crept 5 to the foot and with great difficulty • signalled to the engineer at the surface to hoist the carriage. When he w as brought up his story gave to the listeners little encouragement as to the safety of any of the j men and boyA below. From him was ; secured the first information of the

number who were in the shaft and the positive knowledge that auother of tin sc fearful disasters frequently occuring in the anthracite coal fields had Recurred, lie said that not less thun iue hundred workmen had suffered a horrible death and that the number was probably larger. rr«lust at this period word came from ^he pit that more men were ready to he brought up. Momentary only was the hype mf the anxious ones, for when John Kicker, a runner boy, Jacob .Adams and Frank Sheridan, company men, were brought to the surface, they ret..id the frightfai st-»ry. It appears that scveral days ago the Officer- discovered that the? ri ch 1**t ween the fifth and sixth veius had cot®incnccd^‘working,*’ nnd to prevent u roOtinuation of this, all day Saturday and Saturday night the full complement of day men nnd such |others as bcaj»id l>e pressed into service from off ihc streets were set at work pillaring ‘'and propping the sixth vein so as to insure the safety of the workmen who were to go to work on Monday. Saturday night the regular night force were working at a jtoint about (three thousand feet from the shaft at [the foot of.No. 3 plane undeir what is geuerlly known as the fiats, a little" cast of the Coxton railway yards. The force was under the supervision of >upt. Laugan and his assistant, Michael LiuotL Orders had gone iforth flint about midnight as many i men asr possible should be sent down | to assist iu this dangerous work, as constant cracking and splintering of ; the roof gave indication that the pos* I sibiiit ics of danger were most strongly founded. In accordance with this order between 12 and 1 o'clock Sunday morning about thirty additional workmen went into the mine. This new force was placed at a point beyond that of the night hands and the news bn ught i to the surface by the three men who [ may be the ouly ones to live to tell the tale, was that all of these hundred or more men had been caught and either crushed to immediate death or imprisoned to perish by starvation. After hearing this discouraging news fhe large throng in waiting became more demonstrative. It Was found, to the consternation of the workmen present on the surface, that ail the mine foremen, superintendents and bosses who had gone to supervise the work had also been caught below. This left the work of relief without systematic head, but the rescuers, providing themselves with safety lamps, hurried on the mine carriage and were lowered 1,000 feet to their mission of relief. They were: John Doyle, John Daley, Chas. McDonald and James Tenjon. After a half hour of suspense they returned with the sad story tba; the cave-in .had become extensive, that the search | party faced almost inevitable death, and that no news had been secured of the unfortunate victims. However, they again went down to the loot of tha shaft with other omb

land made heroic efforts to obtain further information, hut had to re- | turn again baffled and discouraged. For a third time (now 2 p. in.) with more men, they went beneath the surface into the pit and tried by the counter gangway to reach, by a circuitous route, the unfortunate prisoners. After a journey of nearly a thousand feet they met obstructions innumerable, the force of concussion haring created havoc with brattice work, pillars, air conduits, doors, cars and top rock, all piled promiscuously so as to interfere with all efforts that could be made by any human beiug. Then, to add to the trouble, gas was accumulating in such quantities as to eu-° dauger any and all efforts to reach the imprisoned miners. Not subdued by the obstacles, they again made the

descent. General Manager John B. Law, who has been for several days seriously ill, arose from his bed and labored untiringly to give direction to the work of rescue. Special messengers called to the shaft all the compauy workmen. It was certain that the mine was still caving in near the foot of the shaft thereby f' endangering and making it practically impossible to continue the labor without propping up the way as the rescuers went in. Carriage after carriage of props were sent to the bottom, and under charge of Foreman Ldgau, of the l’hcenix mine, Messrs. Moloney, of the Haven's shaft, and McMillan, of the Barnum shaft, much progress was made in this work, and soon 50 men were pushing their way to the foot of No. ;< plane, the scene of the extensive cave-iu. La ter on hope was again revived to some extent when wora come up from the rescuers that they had found several of the mules employed iu the mine, running about UDiiarmed. This led to the belief that there had not been an exlplosion, but that the sounds heard had been caused by the rush of air. compressed by the sudden and extensive cave-in of the workings. General Manager Law also asserted emphatically that there had not been a gas explusioil. The hope thus created, however, was short-lived, as the work* accomplished by the rescuers made it almost certain that it will require a long time to reach the imprisoned men. This evening the aspect is as gloomy as it was early this morning. Mine inspector McDonald is on the ground” and went to the foot of the shaft where he made a most thorough investigation. lie used the knowledge of ( his 25 years' experience and determined that no rescue could then be made and in his report confirmed the stories of his predecessors in the vv.ork. j Fortunately the fan-house had suffered no injury, and so far as travel j was possible the air currents were perfect. This fact gave hope to tiiose in eoutrol that pernaps a' sutlieieut voi- j utue of air could be forced to the rear ; of the cave-iu by sending it iu u roundabout way. This appar- ; ently was one of the successful ef- j

furls ui the early morning', but Inis I afternoon, at a consultation of the j leading superintendents of Laekawanna, and Wyoming valleys, atteuded j by Messrs Simpson, Watkins and Bry- j den. of the 1‘eunsylvauia Coal Co.; is. L. Fuller, of the Old Forge Co.; Mr. j Connell, .of the Connell Coal Co.; | Charles Aiktnun, Richard Main waring \ and Supt. Crawford, of the Babylon j Coal Co.; W. W. D. Owens and \\. (i. | Thomas, of the Lehigh Valley Coal Co., ! and others, it was feared that this could not be relied upon. At this conference reports were made by experienced fortmeti who had aia_de rescuing trips, and the work d lie was u! >st fully indorsed and commended, and iu their opinion nothing more skillful could have been accomplished. The fear was expressed that possibly the Susquehanna river near by the cave was running iuto the mine. This, however, was only supposition. The pump iu this locality is under the cave, and. consequently cannot . be At the meeting the p ssibie number imprisoned was mentioned, but this question is wholly a problem, as the entire force of bosses and company men, m fact ail frbrn whom this information could be derived, are iu the pit. For this reason the number of the missing ones is entirely conjectural. The oue or two officials of the Twin shaft who were not in the workings at the time of- the disaster say at nine o'clock to-night that it is hard to estimate the number in the shaft, though they will reach not less than Sb, and from that to 12\ The accident is similar to the Avondale disaster, which oeehrred on .Sep- j pember 11. lfcOU, when lob miners and laborers lost their lives. The rescuing party nave cleared nearly nine hundred leet of the debris away and are propping as they go. At midnight to-night, after looking over the situation carefully, the rev cuing party decided that the best 1 thing to do was to drive a gangway through the coal from the Clear Spring colliery adjoining into the Twin shaft, w hen it is expected to be possible to locate the entombed men. The work : was at once begun, and is being pushed j with all the speed possible, ■. Four ' shifts of men, each comprising five , experienced miners and laborer-, are employed in this task, which is ex- I pected to be completed in at least three or four days. In the meautime the work will be pushed by the rescuers. It is now the opinion ofrhe most able miners that it will take several days to find the entombed men, and that it is an impossibility tore- , cover them sooner. At 13*30 a. m. a gang of men belonging to the rescuing party, who went in at six o’clock last night, came to the surface and reported that they were making headway, though it waa slow work. The roof continues to settle and more or less danger is imminent. They are within $00 feet of the cave-in. Gas appears to be accumulating. which makes the labor difficult and delays the work to a great extent. No hopes are now entertained lor the safety of any of the men.

FARM AND GARDEN. HANDY SWILL TRUCK. On* Can Be Made at Heme at a Co»l of Three Hollars. I have a home-made swill truck which I like very m uch. I bought an oil barrel, knocked out one head and bored a hole opposite the bung hole and of the same size. Then, at a blacksmith’s, I got two old buggy wheels with boxes in, and the iron part of a buggy axle, and had the blacksmith take a piece out of the axle and shorten it so that it measured two feet nine inches between the hubs. I had the s*le for two inches back of each shoulder rounded, it being square, and shoved it through the holes in the barrel, until the ends were at equal distances from the barrel; then I wedged all around the axle with some ■oft wood, such as pine. Then I made a frame, see 2, two feet eight inches from outside to outside, .fin width, and which may be * of any length desired. Two irons. 3, of the right length to bend around the axle, were bolted to the frame.

I next put on the wheels, and the thing was done. I can put in 11 pailfuls o£ Swill, and if pains be taken to wedge hater-tight, 1 can fill it three-fourths full or more. To empty, tip the barrel and pour out, as the axle turns in the wheels and frame. Here is the cost: One barrel atstore.*..$ Tv.-o wheels at '»• cents.... 1 One axle and work,..... Two axle irons end two braces. Bolts, etc.i..*. Total cost.......13 I threw irt the labor for a good cause. From our door4arb to the hogpen is £00 feet. For eight months of the year my wife was carrying out the swill, if we men .folks were away. There was an average of 12 pails a day for somebody. Walking the 200 feet 12 times over, or 2.400 feet a day, in eight months, counting 26 days to a month, gives us 20b days, and 409,200 feet in a year. In 25 years this amounts to 12.4S1.000 feet. fI«

or 2.304 miles walking'; at. JO. miles a day, this would occupy nearly 79 days. In 23 years one might have to ex fiend $15 for trucks and repairs. Anyone who carried the swill would earn about 20 tents a day. Young married man, do you wish your wife to work for 20 cents a day and board hf rself, when if you have a truck standing by the door you cait take it right along on your way to the barn without extra steps?—.Rural New Yorker. FARM WATER SUPPLY. Why Every Good-Sized Farm Should Have a Deep Well. Few farmers remember how much they appreciate a cool draught of water* fresh fronj the well or fountain m summer, whan providing for the live stock." Too often the tank or trough is tilled but once in 24 hours. The pigs too often have access to the drinking places of the larger stock. Positive detriment to the stock results when the water"is not always of an inviting temperature. As a rule, digestion is aided more by good water ever in the reach of the animals than any other one article. The q..alitv is much better if possible to furnish it free from surface impurities. The deep wells which are sunk now ;(>.') feet cr more below the solid roek strata will do much to abolish the evils attending the surface water. Where he expense is great on account” of the depth of 500 feet or more, cooperation of steal! farms ts advisable. A town of 200 or more people in some parts of the west is supplied by two or three deep veils, with no serious consequences. From two to four farm! might be supplied by a partnership well, where : rains governed the management. Rouble fences for a few rods, xo keep the stock separated by a healthful distance. would be the chief consideration. Such reserve wells, too, would prove often very convenient every month in the summer, even when the surface l^ells are tilled, avoiding the removing of some of the stock long distances trom the pasture for watering. Each 100-aere stock farm should have a deep well.—Farm. Field and Fireside. LIVE STOCK NOTES. Careful feeding produces a gooa growth and healthy condition. . To rafse good horses in the best possible way it is essential to start right and end right. The way to make farming profitable is to keep land and stock in a healthy, vigorous condition. Even on the farm no two horses have the same value—one will be wor*h more than the other in some recognizable way. One advantage with a well formed animal is that it does not require a great deal of fat to make a good appearance. Rich food given too soon or in tou large quantities after the sows farrow will cause the milk fldw to be too rich and too abundant.—Farmers* Union. Fowls Kuoniac St Larre. There is no better place for a flock having full liberty thin to allow them access to brush land, as they will then secure insect* and be comparatively safe from hawks. Many waste track of such land could be used for poultry-raising, and if the soil is light and sandy it wi'l be all the better as it will be dry. 1 ♦ fowls have free.range they will partially support themselves, but more land wiii be required for them than when they are confined. It is not so much the confinement as the inactivity that often cause* failure. If fowls in confinement are kept busily at work they will need no range, nor will they cart for it*— Prairie Farmer.

FOR SPARE IfOMENTS. Every person over five years of ago (n Storbech, Austria, is a chess player. The game is taught in the schools. It is said to be possible to draw platinum wires so fine that two of them twisted could be inserted in the hollow of a human hair. Virginia has just enacted a law making it a misdemeanor to sell intoxicants to any student of an Educational institution in that state. The life insurance companies have reason to regret the decease of Hamilton Disston. of Philadelphia. He carried $1,100,000 insurance. A new globe, for all kinds of lights, increases the illuminlating power ten per cent. It is grooTed vertically inside and horizontally outside. Senator Wolcott, of Colorado, can do what few men can do. He can shave with a razor in each lhand, and simultaneously write with two pens. A snail that has been decapitated, if kept in a moist place. will in a fefw weeks grow a new Mad. which will be as serviceable as the one removed. The cow tree growsin South and Central America. A ho lie bored in . the j trunk causes a milk-lfike liquid to flow, j nud this beverage i$ palatable and t | nourishing.

BOOKS ANDIWRITERS. --*■ Maarten Maartens is reported to be slowly recovering from the * illness which has for some time interrupted ; his literary work. * Prince Henry of Orleans has written a new book of Central Asiatic travel, of which a translation will appear in ! London in the autumn. Mr. Gladstone's interest in the»char- | acter of Sherldqin has taken form in j ; a paper on Frasel*. Rate’s new biography ! of tie dramatist. j | Julian Ralph declares that Coney Is- -j - land “still remains tihe Icing of all popj ular resorts of America.” He says that : in a single year “S.QOO.OOO souls” have congregated there,. but he neglects to j state how many people there were. The most popular jbovs’ book in Italy | —one surpassing ev|n vCucre”—is EdI mondo dellenius* “Iiiibro d'Oro,” which . has passed through 130 editions. It i is now being translated into German and a Swiss publisher will issue a first ! edition of 18,000 copies. The dukeof Argyl| champions the Armenian cause in a fort hoc mhig*work, “England’s Responsibility Toward Tur- ! key,” in which he narrates the Anglo- i Turkish events.of l£50, the year when ! he served in the'eabjinet that concluded \ the treaty of Faris. \ j FOREIGN; FACTS. Most of Queen Victoria’s subjects are ; Hindoos. i j If a Japanese farimer has as much as ten acres-of land he is looked upon as a monopolist. t-A league for the elimination of foreign words from the French language has been formed in Paris. Prince Eugene, the youngest son of King Oscar II. of Sweden and Norway, is traveling under the name of Count Kosendal. > It is stated that, only one-fourth of her requirements are now imported h’,’ i Japan, as against G7 percent, six years i °s°A man was traimpled to death by horses on an Irish |race course recently j while trying to save a jockey who had - fallen. ' ROUND ABOUT ENGLAND. j— The insurance upon St. Paul’s cathedral, London, is sajid to be about $475,

000. Thb longest untferground thoroughfare in Great Britain is in Central Derbyshire. where youjjcan walk seven miles upon a road connecting several coal mines. , .’Jl Every shilling1 timed out by the English mint shows a profit of nearly threepence. On every fton of penny pieces taken out from th4 mint there is a profit of £3$£. L A1 though Blenheim palace is practically the property of the duke of ' larlboroueh, it is held from the crown on a peculiar tenure—namely, the annual presentation! of a French flag to 1lie reigning monarch. The dukes of Wellington likew ise pay the fame tribute forStrathfleldjsave. ' [Hi WlAKKcTS. New York. June 29. Wt $ i yo Wlieat iardjj.... _ !& 2 63 to .... to to 4 tb r* 3 to 1.1 :-4 • 33\ g IW 9 uo 2 1# 4 U r CATTLE—Native Steers COTTON—Mitkllius FLOC U—Wintt WHEAT-No. i H CORN -No. 2 OAts-Xa .I. POKK-Old Mess. .1 ST- JLOUIS. COTTON— M idd;; a*; HEEVES—steers Cow> andfHe iters. CALVES... HOGS— Fair.to Seiedt. 2 H» SHEEP— Fairtochoice ... 3 0d FLUU K—Patents.;. .1. lit* Fuucy to Extra do. 2 3d WHEAT-No. s KedWinter.. 3, CORN—No.S Mixed;. OAT.s—No 2 .... it V E-No. 2 .. TOBACCO— Loirs.■ Lear lljHey. 4 ad to 12 ttl HAV—OesrTimotai. . 9 m> to 12 50 BUTTER—Choice Ltoiry. ..... ;9 ECUS—Fresh...L.. .... PuliK—Standard Mass (Ne w». 7 15 UaC'ON—C.cr Kit>. 4. L.vKLt—Pritue .. CHICAGO CATTLE—Shipp; n«|. . 3 9* lit His—Fair to C&oiire . 3 wl SHEEP—Fair to Cnuice. dad FeOC 14— VVitner Pajtents..... 3 id Spr, Patents...... 3 2» .Vn sfxeilitf .. id 3 ui) 7 4 30 3 30 5 .0 3 35 4 UO 3 a 3 lo W 25 * -lei* 3IH 6 (O to ii 7 17* IS 3* WHEAT—No. 2 -.print!. No.Ked,... — v COUN-No.2.|.. 27** uATa—No. 2. ! - — — «* 50 :?• * 6 97*-* 1'dKlv-lless lae KANjSAS C1T%. CATTLE—Shipp.a^Steers.... * 00 to HOG Jv—Ail G rade* 1. 3 00 to WHEAT-Nu 2 Ked.-. to OATS—No.!...... ). .... to COliN’—No.,2... |--- . . 22 a NEW ORLEANS PLOUK-HliBi Grade. 3 » to COltN-No. 2 . to OATS—Western..... 2Ht<s HAY—Choice..... 15 id to POllK—Old Mess... to bacon—sides..... to COTTON—.-Lddiiu*....... to; . LOUISVILLE. WHEAT-No. 2 Red.. «3 CORN—Xo.2 Mixed... &W OATS—No.2 Mixed.. 17 PORK—SewMew. . 7» to BACON-Ctenr Rio. lit to t 4<>. 3 50 4 2a 3 6J 3 7» 55 s» id 7 V2* 4 39 3 a> 53 MJ ii* i COTTON—Mi adlio*. hamb#

Am Appeal for Assistance*. The man who is charitable to himself will listen to the mute appeal for assistance made by bis stomach, or his liver, in the shape of divers dyspeptic qualms and uneasy sensations in the regions of the gland3 that secretes his bile. Hostetler's Stomach Bitters, my dear! sir, or madam—as the case may be—is what you require. Hasten to use, if you are troubled with heartburn, wind in the stomach, or note that your skin or the whites of your eyes are taking a sallow hue. | Among Tint BohImians.—“Where do you dineto-uightl'’ “J do not dine—and you!'* “Nor do I.*’ “Very good. Let ua dine together.”—Courier des Estas Unis. The Modern Mother Has found that her little ones are improved more by the pleasant Syrup of Figs, when in need of the laxative effect of a gen tie remedy than by any other, and that it is more acceptable to them. Children enjoy it and it benefits them. The true remedy, Syrup of Figs, is manufactured by the California Fig Syrup Company only. Examples df vicious courses, practiced in a domestic circle corrupt more readily and more deeply when we behold them in persons in authority.—Juven^. Fits stopped free and permanently cured. No fits after first day's use of Dr. Kline’s Great Nerve Res orer. Free $3 trial bottle & treatise. Db. Kux e, 933 Arch st. Phila ,Pa. Bifkin—“Every one that rides in a Fifth avenue stage pitches into them.’’ Suifkin —“Yes, aud out of them.”—Harlem Life. It is positively hurtful to use ointmentfor akin diseases. T'se Glenn’s Sulphur Soap. Hill’s Hair and Whisker Dye, 50c. Good, the more communicated, the more abundant grows.—Milton. Hall’s Catarrh Care Is a Constitutional Cure. Price 75c. Monet is like manure, of very little use, except to be spreud. -Baccn.

low Rate Xxmniou Soetfeh Or. the first and third Tuesday of each mot.tii till October about half-rates for round trip will be made to points in the South by the Louisville & NashTille Railroad. Ask your ticket agent about it, and if he cannot sell you excursion tickets write to C. P. Atm ore. General Passenger Agent, Louisville, Ky., or Geo. B. Horner, I). P. A., St. Louis, Mo. “Btrr, waiter, if this is spring chicken* where is its wishbone?” Waiter—(equal u> the occasion>—?Tt was too young to wish, sir.”—Detroit Free Press. We have not been without Piso’sCnr* for Consumption for 20 years:— Lizzie Feweel, Camp St., Harrisburg, Pa., May 4,59*. Wherever the tree of beneficence take* root, it sends forth branches beyond the sky.—Saadi.' DRESSMAKERS

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Ayer’s Argument. If there is any reason why you should use any sarsaparilla, there is every reason why you should use Ayer’s* When you take sarsaparilla yoii take it to cure disease; you want to be cured as quickly as possible ana as cheaply as possible. That is why you should use Ayer’s: it cures quickly and cheaply—and it cures to stay. Many people write us : “ I would sooner have one bottle of Ayer’s Sarsaparilla than three of any other kind.” A druggist writes that “ one bottle of Ayer’s will give more benefit than six of any other kind.” If one bottle of Ayer’s will do the work of three it must have the strength of three at the , cost of one. There’s the point in, a nutshell. It pays every way to use Ayer’s Sarsaparilla.

The Governor of North Carolina said to (he Governor of South Carolina "BATTLE AX” is the most tobacco, of the best quality, for the least money. Large quantities reduce the cost of manufacture# the result going to the consumer in the shape of a larger piece, for less money, than was ever before possible.

RECEIVERS’ SALE

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850,000 ACRE8 FARM LANDS; 4,000,000 ACRES GRAZING LANDS IN KANSAS, NEBRASKA, COLORADO, WY0IIN6, UTAH. UCCMIOX SATES Nr Hoarwekerii FAKE HEFl’XDED to Parduuen, -REDUCED PRICES-IO YEARS T8WE—ONE-TENTH DOWN. B. A. M.AT.T./fmPTi. LAJtli COaOSZSSIOKES. OMAHA. XVXEB.

STOPPED: HEART BURN, YUCATAN* A. N. K., 6. 1611. WVElf WKITIJfa TO ABTMT1SKMSUtKWt SIM* AdtVWtASS**'’ acne *a tkto pop—*. ' a*