Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE LOST HUERS. ILLUSTRATIONS OF SCENES AT THE NANTICOKE COAL MINE.* The Face of a Culm Itank?TTorola Ecscucrs Digging Upon Their Hands and Knees?Generosity ol the Company. r.Spoolal Cfirrespomlriiro.l Wilkksbahrr, Pa., Jan. G.?There were moro heavy hearts in and about tbe town of NanUcoke, Pa., during the past holidays than porhap.; in all tho Unite.! States l>'sides. A prosp- iou^ place it is, to.?. It is iq the heart of the authracito mming district of the Wyoming vnliey, nine miles from hero. The underground veins which furnish if-- industry are tho properly of the Pennvj-Ivimia Coal company. This company does not belou;; to the coal owners' combination, but operates its shafts it; own way. Consequently, when the geaend asro':intioa orders mines to stop work on act-patr of low prices, the .Pennsyl vania piys u<; heed, but continues* to blast out ami bring to light its bleck treasure* tho year around without stopping. It is a good company to work for. Cash circulate con stantly in Nnnticoko; trades is lively, and the people are happy, as only busy por>ons can be. They give work to 0.000 men and boys. These turn, out daily -S5,'UX> Tons of coal ^ The men employed are of nil nationalities, but mostly of foreign birth, Irish, Welsh, Poles and Hungarians The scene near the month o'.' No. I slope, the day of the acci dent, was like this ic the picture. The illustration shows what is called the fan hmiM Tin? giaat engine in tho fan house worked nwny as though it was n mat ter of iif'> and death, the steam pipe outside puffed merrily, and the great pile of culm was added to hourly. And it wok culm that caused the accident What is it? It U tho dnst and refute from cool It Ls piled high about all the mines. It is blown hither and thither by the winds, the rain wets it. and it sogs down Into grimy mud, blackening like ink all that touchos it. Day by day it accumulates the longer mines are worked, until mico owners ore at their wits end what to do with it. It become* in time not only au. inconven ience, but a danger. A man has haven -jed lately, it is said, a process for mak ing fuel very cheaply out of culm. It is made into u mixture and pressed, and in this state is said to ~ivo out just, the steady, in tensei heat that Ls best adapted for heating, tho waler in steamboat boders. If this be true, then a great nuisance will be got rid of. But the Pennsylvania company had found uo way of disposing of their culm. Tboy had dug coal aiid shipped it till their refuse pilo was a hili 300 feet high nnd covered thirty acres. It Mas upon a field of swampy ground, over an abandoned portion ?f tho niina The water stood in puddlos under, ihe'eulm, and inado channols through it, and trickled into tho ground boneaUi, till all be eamo a'slipjvry. treacherous mass. At 10 o'clock ibe day of tho accident a miner was blasting out rock in a vein of No. 1 slope. I' madoa tromcudom crash, heavier tlian usual, immediately thereafter water andoerth beg;m to pour upon tho hapless minors. "Save yourselves! Run for your lives!" was the word passed. The miners sprang out in frantic hasto, but tho water i oured iu in torrents. The main gangway is called tho "slope," and it was this the m'ners aimed to reach. Most of them escaped and wore drawn out, although the water was up tho nocks of the lost. Wheu tho terrified hundreds gathered above ground, twenty-six hapless souls were missing. Ten were Poles and Hungarians; tho others mostly Welsh and Irish Ono thought seized every human croafuto in Nun ticoka The lost men must be rescued. Thore were tho ttugar Notch miners buried by a cave-in in l^SO. They were prisoned in a mine six days, and yot overv man of thorn was takou out alive. To work, .hen, to work v.ith despsrate onergyl Tho company offered every inducement In its power. Tho workmon stopped in all the mines. They would not go on and labor as though nothing had happened, when twenty-six brave comrades might bo dead or dying in agony un der ground. Ono hundred of the strongest men went dowu to dig out a passagoway. How they worked yon seo in the picture. They sought to make only a tunnel so largo ns a man DIGGING 7ite PASSAGE, might Crawl through. Moro would waste precious time. They gathered up trowelfulls of tho black mud and filled buckets with it, crouching upon their hands and knees. When a bucket was full it was passed from man to man till it was carried to tho outer pass-age. Such work seemed puny child's play, for there wero 250 feet of culm abovo them. But it was all that could be done. Pumps wero rigged at once, aDd set work ing to get the wntor out. "When one squad of men wero tired, a fresh rclaj- took their place.--. Night ami day they kept at it, iron sinewed, determined miners. Bulletins were scut out constantly i > tho thousands who were gathered about tho mouth of tho mine. "In twe;:ty-four hours wo shall reach them, and we thin!; they are alive."' Again: "By 7 to morrow morning wo sbaiJ have them dead or alive." The day? went on. Some mules that had i iu (. ">' of the shaft.* were found, alive. That renewed flagging hope. But presently there was a trace of tire damp in the low, slimy tunnel. Experienced miners shook their head*. "They are choked to death, God have mercy on their souL! They might Lave lived o:i mule meat a good while, but if the air was cut off they died at once." It began to look* hopeless. . The terrific anxiety told on tho friends outside, A young woman, Maggie Sorper. bad two brothers, strong young men, among the lost one-:. Sh? ! was nervous and excitable, and the- shock ! killer! her. Tho parcuts were very old. The j white-haired father hovered like n ghost about the ill-fated mine, wringing his hands. "I've got two as good boys as evor lived dead iD that mine, and as good n girl as a father over had lying dead at home, but the will of Rod b;*-done," he said. It n-as very pitiful Tho accident occurred on Friday. Monday another tremendous culm slide took place. It fell iuto and filled completely the narrow, painful passage al ready cid. out Every way of communicat ing ?Will the imprisoned men had !,eeu tried, if, perehnnco, they were yet alive. An iron pipe ran through tho chambers. The rescuers tried knocking on this, knowing that the sound, would .penetrate-to the farthest re-.; cesses. Hut it; was never answered. When the second landslide- took place all hope ended. The uien were given up f r surely dead. Tho rescuers made a rush to eseapo with (heir own'lives, , Then they took thought how the bodies might. be obtained.' The coal company offered a reward of $100 for the first body discovered. . what it looks like wow. Sevonteen widows and fifty-two orphans were mode by the disaster. A subscription has boon started to send the helpless ones back to tho old country. Since the con ditions of life there ure far harder than here, this plan, to a humane person, looks tolerably tough. What will become of them then? One of the dead men was a young Pole who had only been married the Sunday before tho disaster. He had saved $900 of his earnings. With this he bought a house and took his brido homo to it. This is ono of the saddest minri disasters in history. Even hope of rescuing the bodies is aliout abandoned. They must probably lie beneath the culm bank till tho end of time. Rather strangely tho flow of culm and debris still continues, in a slow dull stream, like the curreut of lava on Mt Ve suvius. AI ovo ground, it has the appearance of a sink hole in the earth. The yawning opening rcpresontod in the illustration is 150 fpot wide. It is in tho center of tho culm pile. "What next? Tho pile of debris Is so great that th?y say it would tako a year to exca vate tho dirt, and then there would 1.0 no certainty of finding the remains. Tho men were known to te at work in a certain chamber when the vault felL That chamber was reached after a few days' digging, but th*y were not there. They must, have tried to escape with the rest and been over wbnlmod and strangled by the deluge of black mud In the passage ways. The company proposo to cease digging, wall in tho dangerous mine, and erect a monument on the spot to the memory of the lost miliers. Thon they will- divide $40,000 among the bereft families. To con tinue digging would certainly cost a year's work, and $200,000. Tho rest of the miners have returned to their other work in the slopes. So tho tragedy ends, and one of the darkest leaves of tho year 1SS5 has been turned down. A. J. BoTHWELL. - Tho Chess Match. Sincopoor Paul Morphy lost his wits at chess America has had no great champion. Morphy is yet alive, residing at .Now Or leans, a mental wreck\ nVonco' a* monument and a warning of what inordinate chess playing will make of a man. The- clujssi^urnmneut now "-going .on hi New Yorfcfefor the ~ ?? - y-^fe^-- ? V championship of tho world. It be gan Wednesday, Jan. C, and will con tinue until one or the other of the two. player--, whose por- wfa traits here appear, W shali have won tea \A games. Mr. Stc-iu itz is ostensibly the American* chain-. .William steisttz. pion, but It is trot necessary to spell out Iiis name in order to discover that he is a Gor man. His strong round face shows that Ho claims to be qulte'flVo games ahead of hi; opponent on the total past record. Tho first four games aro to bo played in New York. Then th? two chess ginats will move to St. Louis, and play at tho rooms of the St, Louis club, til! several more ^ames aro won. Tho match will be finished in Now Orleans. Like everything elso in theso days, tho tournament involves betting nn.l gambling on the results. It is a money-making schema A stake of $2,000 a sido has been put up. The winner will got $5,200. It is .nothing like ns much as a champion prize fighter can win, but chess beiug an intellectual game, that of course is not to be expected. Mr. Zuckertort is tho champion player of Great Britain. He is a pale, intellectual looking person, far more tho ideal chess playor in appear ance tho- Steinitz; but ho also looks like a man who would worry over choss nights and ^ finally break down ! under nervous pros [tratioii. Mr. Stein 1 itz bos a deop chest and hearty animal J. n. zuckertort. vitality. -Zucker tort, too, is of German extraction, which is rather odd. Are Germans tho best chess players? There ho3 been what the lamented Ar te rn us Ward would call a "late onpleasant ness" between tho two men, but it is over now, end thoy claim to bo the best of friends, Tho sporting gentry ore making betting books on the game as if it was a horse race. Tho champions play in public, and tho "gate money" is largely counted on. There is no brass bond accompaniment as far as they have got. but ono don't know what may happen before tho game is ended. This, playing in public and being stored at liken fat ex nt n prize show must have a soothing effect on the nerves, and tend to make them do their best. They play on alternate days, four hours in the afternoon and four at night. In cv.wz a i:c is not finished nt night it will bo left over and concluded next day. If there is a tie nine ga::i's the match is to be withdrawn At the opening each player was required to make thirty moves hi tho first two hours, after that not less than fifteen moves an hour. After every move it is reproduced ex actly out in the crowd upon a big ches< board four feet square, so that spectator* may watch tho game. BROCADE-MAKER FOR THE MIKADO. "Buhamah's" Peep at the Koyal Fabrica of Japan?Costly Garmciits. The establishmeut of Riozo Kobayashi, brocade-maker to the imperial court, was | saved for the. last, aud after a whirl | through some of the Nlsbijin streets, we j gladly entered the shade of his doorway' and crossed to the inner room opeubig on a tiny garden. Leather cushions were Laid on the floor, and we sat In a stocking footed groop, as at Datcyasuke's, admir ing the "dry garden," as they call all these little beauty spots that are without the miniature lake. Stone lanterns and dwarf pine trees beautified this garden, and the little galleries of the toylike, house surrounding it were hung with beauti fully painted silk lanterns. After the tea came; the books of brocades and silks man ufactured at different times for. the use of the imperial families and the.court. The gorgeousness of some of the fabrics fairly "excited us, and the blazing red brocades, stiff with pure gold thread and covered with huge designs of the imperial chrysanthemum of the paulo'wnia crest' of the mikado's family, most delighted Our republican souls. Superb brocades were pointed out, of which the mikadoks ceremonial dresses had been made at'dif ferent times, and others that were idfij? J signed and ordered by the en.'.press forher sovereign attiro. SsVeral of these bro c/lz" for""the empress were of a pure golden yellow woven with many gold threads, and one of them in particular was half covered with a design of fine bamboos that was most effective on the shimmering, sunshiny* ground-' work. The stiff and costly brocades that bear the imperial crest can uot be innde for or sold to any one outside of the reign ing family, and pieceB for upholstering their furniture, for window draperies and carriage linings are as carefully made and guarded as bank note paper. Squares of the thickest red silk, wrought with a single gold chrysanthemum, are made for the use of the foreign office as cases for the credentials of envoys sent to other courts. Rolls of the finest white silk were next Bhown, of which the mikado's under garments are made, and as this "Son of Heaven" never wears a garment twice nor never one that has been washed, he naturally consumes a great deal of this fine soft silk. His cast-off garments are eugerly competed for by loya 1 subjects, and the silk that has once touched the imperial person is treasured as the choicest of a fortunate family's pos sessions. Roll after roll of other silks and brocades were shown us, flaming silks covered with Luge peonies or fine maple leaves, or alive with circles of writh*. g dragons, all of which could be mode .ad brought by tho outeide mill ions if they desired. Some of these gold thread brocades were amazingly cheap considering the weight of pure silk and first quality bullion thread employed and the hand labor, yet some of the most ex pensive pieces without gold threads were not so effective or desirable as decorative silks as the cheapest stud's ground out of the Paterson mills by the mile every day. ?Japan Cor. Globe-Democrat. Statistics About European Savlnge Hanks. A French periodical lately gave some remarkable statistics, concerning savings banks. - Fifteen European states, with a population of 192,000,000, are. included in the statement. Since 1874 the progress made by savings banks in ^hesc countries has been astonishing. The institutions date from 1817, England being their birth place. It took fifty-seven years between 1817 and 1874 to arrive at an aggregate of 12, OoO.OOO depositors, possessing among them 81,440,000,000. Withiu the next four years the depositors had increased to 15,000,000, and the stock of savings to $1,880,000,000. This had increased in 1882 to. upward'of 21,250,000 depositors and $2;520,000,000. A novel feature pi'the system'in France Is the school. sayings' bnuks introduced In 1874; of which there are now 23,000. These institutions'not only lead children to be come prudent, but have a' reflex Influence in the same direction upon the parents'.? Chicago Tribune. ? ' ... Ballot Pnplti for Grand Opera. '? ?"? The grand np'cnt nt "Paris has just selected Its ballet; pupils.' They must be just 7 years old, and are examined succes sively by a physician who looks after their lungs; by a "professor" who repofts'?n their feet, knees, arms, with special refer ence to pliability; niuT' linally by a com mittee on beauty. Two hundred and fifty children have just been accepted, receiv ing three pairs of dancing shoes each, a few yards of crepe and starvation wages. They have- to work very hard.?Parin Letter. An Exhibition of Polyohroniic Sculpture. An exhibition of colored sculptures is shortly to be opened in the National gal ler ' at Berlin under the patronage of the crown prince. The works are being col lected under the auspices of the chiefs of that establishment. The exhibition will illustrate the history of polychromic sculpture in all ages and countries, as well as the modern efforts to revive the art, especially by the sculptors of Ger many.?New York Sun. A Curious Lawsuit to Kccover. A curious lawsuit is in progress in New York. It is brought by an artist, to re cover ?500 as the price of n picture of a sloop pacht. The defense is that the waves are flowing the wrong way, and that while the bowsprit is pitching in heavy weather the stern of the boat is de picted as seated in a calm.?American Sports._ The Flavor of the Hedgehog's Flesh. The Greeks devoured the flesh of the hedgehog. When it has been well fed it is sweet and well-flavored, and the flesh is eaten in many places in England and on the continent. An American gen tleman who partook of this dainty, stewed, on the other side, says it reminded him a good deal of quaiL?New York Sun. The Shell Trade of California. a he shell trade of California is assum ing great proportions. A single Arm at Los Angeles ships every sixty days forty tons of shells to" Europe. These shells are transformed into ornaments by the art in dustries of Paris aud other localities.? Chicago Times. The Largest Collection of Canes. A Philadelphia journalist has the larg est collection of canes of any man in America. They were gathered from all quarters of the globe. Encouraging io tho Electricians. The famous electrician, Bell, says tho problem of seeing by electricity is so nearly solved as to give much encourage ment to those at work iu that field of science. It is said that white have the teeth more vertically implanted in the socket than the black people._ We want 3,000 subscribers tins year. ^^^^^^^^ Yes, the little fellow has his first pair of pauts. Mamma don't thiok he ought f) wear them yet awhile. Ain't he hap py? He got them from HENRY K?HN, who has suits for Children, Boys and Youths from $2.50 upwards. HENRY KOHN'S sales of ready made Clothing has been larger than ev er this season. Why? Good Clothes for little money; good fit; stylish cut. Our Manufacturers Warranted $3.00 Gent's Shoe is a great success and big seller, equal to any $5.00 shoe in the market. Try a pair. Satisfaction guar anteed. HENRY KOIIN has the lead on Cloaks. Our marvellous success in be ing able to oiler magnificent Cloaks, Saccmes, Wraps. Dolmans, Ladies' and Childrens' Newmarkets and Ilarelocks. Not a dissentcut voice regarding the superiority of our goods, and the lowuess of our prices. We have just opeued our second lot; flic prices are so low as to astonish and surprise every body who visits our store. Velvets and Silks, full line? of black and colored to match all the fashionable shades of Dress Goods. If you want a good Sewing Machine buy the '"White." It has now been be fore tli? Orangeburg people for six years. Over 300 sold and not a single complaint; from $25 to $35 according to style of table. . , Buttcrick's metropolitan Fashions. Henry Kolm is the only place in town where yon can buy a pattern.- Scud for catalogue free of'charge.' ?.Carpets, Oil Cloths,- Mattings and Rugs,'a'fine selection and prices lower than ever. Now is the time Lo, make your selec tions of Dry Goods "and housekeeping goods.- - ? i A call specialis* solicited. MEW&Y KOMM: - Christmas! Christmas!! IS COaiEVCS ANW Prescott's Ctai) Casl Store Iis the place to buy your CANDIES. CR A CK ICRS, CAKES, APPLES. ORANGES, FIGS, DATES, COCOANUTS, RAISINS, FIRE-CRACKERS, &C. ?Also a full line of? GROCERIES, Heavy and Fancy. Call early. WANTED. 1,000 bushels cow peas; highest price paid for same. OHAS. W. PRESCOTT, Opposite Pitthan's Alley, Dec 10-3IUS_Orangeburg S. C. ON HAND, Thirty-Six Head OF GOOD HORSES. B. FRANK SLATER, Market Street. "Sext <? Coriiclson's Factory. 110V LT) ff ANTED! WANTED!! 10,000 Pounds of Hides. The highest cash price will be paid foi Hides of all kinds, including Otto, Coon and Fox, by B. RICH. oct ?'j-oiiis Next door to Henry Add .* EIGHT YE kwM Pure aif Wholesome FOR SALE WVT. LIG-: Nov ^6-3mos_'_ -Big Stock - . ?/ :?> .. ? -. ? ?? s . : OF yjz ..... DRY GOODS, CLOTHING, ? ?jl -J ; ; Boots, Siioes ai Hats TO BE SOLD. BRUNSON & DIBBLE have their store packed with the cheapest and best goods you ever saw. Big bargains are being offered in every Hue. DRESS GOODS in all styles, (our specialty in this iiepaatinent is Mourning Goods.) SILKS AND SATINS at the very lowest prices. LADIES NECKWEAR. LACES, EMBROIDERY AND TRI IM MINGS in all tho latest novelties Our lines of GLO VES AND HO SIERY are full to overflowing. Hav ing the largest s assortment ever brought to this.city. . ? Onr DOMESTIC DEPARTMENT is complete hi every perticular. Iu CLOTHING we oiler you the newest and nobbiest styles made and tue best fits, for men and boys. ' Be sure to examine our stock of SHOES, which, has been bought with an eye to the needs oi,' all.- Wc lead the city - with the 'best lines of - I >.. ... i? A4 ?. f '. o v, -"i 7 Hundsewcd and Custom SHOES for. Gents, Lrtdies and Children. The Heiser Hnndsewed Shoes. fbivgcntlc-' ineu and the Di.v.on Custom rhacle Shoes for _Ladies and Children are the best. Don't have "tiny other. Every pair ivnTrahted:1 Remember the namesj "HEISER" and "DiX-J fox," , ?! ' S i r\:j Mens and Bbv$ HATS AND CAPS in all the newest styles. : Onr line of Ladies ami Misses CLOAKS, CIRCULARS, JACK ETS, tfcc, arc j list sup'crtt In Gents' FURNISHING GOODS wo have everything for the comfort of this sex. BASKETS of all kinds. UM BRELLAS, TRUNKS AND VA LISES and a thousand other ?rticlcs too numerous to begin to mention. Just give us a call and we will convince you that we are the cheap est house iu the State. Goods shown cheerfully Brunsoii ft Dibble. The State of South Carolina) ORANGEBURG COUNTY. I5Y HE>*J. P. IZLAR, ESQ., P110UATE JUDGE. "ITTIIEREAS, L. II. Wannamaker, C. V\ C. P. made suit to nie to grant him Letters of Administration of the Es tate and effects of Henry D. Bennett: THESE ARE THEREFORE to cite and ad monish all and singular the kindred and Creditors of the said Henry D. Bonnctt, de ceased, that they he and appear, before me, in the Court of Probate, to be held at Or angeburg Court House on the :51st day of Decnilier next, after publication hereof, at 11 o'clock in the forenoon, to shew cause, if any they have, why 1 lit- said Administration should not he granted. Given.-under my hand, this v.tth day of November, Anno Domini ltW3. IJKNJ. i'. IZLAR, Xov -t> li Probate Judge i). C. Y. W. BOWMAN, Attorney at Law, CORNER CHURCH AND ST. PAUL STREETS. QRANOEBURG* - - - S? G v^ET EYE AES OLD. for MM or. Other. Uses. ONLY BY HTFOOT. A. F. H. DUKES, '?' ? : Branchville, S. ft I beg to inform the public that I have on hand and to arrive the larg est and best selected STOCK or &OODS ever brought to Branchvelle, which I will sell for cash at prices to suit the times. My line of DRESS GOODS, CASHMERES. LADIES AND MISSES JERSEYS. JACKETS AND CLOAKS are the rl'nest and cheapest ever of fered in this or any other town. ; .? in -v.... ?.?:?.:??..? Also aJull line of ? - ,-, . t? L. XACE TRLMMINGS," . '? ;: ? :r '? K '?- ? -srv:ft ?}' BUTTONS AND ' a:-.?: Tit* ?- ? ???>??? *R? 1 ?' ? ? ? ' ' ???? -LACES.'-'* .vi- - ad'nrisT m\p :*?'?} ret i&rril j >?---? ? ? t- . v*-r^ I My stockt V' . GENTS AND' BOYS HATS,. ' ' ' k ' '.am1r?i?? |J: BOOTS AND SHU KS. DRY GOODS. r???A r.\. Km ?? ?. ?nl?V -?: CLOTH TNG. ?? " 1 :1 FURNITW:EV " V? ' . " GUNS. i .? . ? j j' - - - *?* is full any coi'uprise a No. 1 goods,... ?sj ..." , .i o.t: ~ ?: .'ii 'lir Sust Proof Oats. Is?O.? Jjii'sUels Rust Proof Oaci, selected esllpeciay for seed, for snio low. Don't fail io give nie a call and be convinced that I mean what I sav. A. F. H. DUKES, Branchville, S. C. sept lO-imos* Kilorcc rVurnerlcw. T7"ruit Trees for sale of ail the best select Jl varieties. Apples, Summer, Aurum and Winter varieties, prices 20 cents each: Tears, ripe from June until October, price 30 cents each; new Pears, Kieffer's 75 cents each, Leconte 50 cents each. Plums 'Tine from June until September 25 cents each. Peaches ripe from May until October 15 cents each. Grapes of a'll the best varieties prices from 10 to 50 cents each. 12 varie ties for table use 32. Roses 25 cents each, $:! perdozen; budded Roses 50 cents each. Trees and plants are packed with the ut most care, so as to insure their safe car riage. A JOURDAIN, Elloreo P. O. oct eXlm Orahgeburg, Co., S. C. Saw H?ll for Ssile. W^' will sell on liberal terms to an ap Y\ proved purchaser and at a good bar gain our Saw Mill outfit, which is one of the most complete of the kiud in the up country. Everything in good order ready for work. Mill situated in a iiiictiuibeivii section .on tin-f Hurley Place iv.u miles from iiie Edi iu UiVcr. A good trait; road and go id lauding at the river. One mule can put lo,oo0 feet <>f lumber perdaj at lauding. Plenty of timber can be had delivered at the null to be sawed on shares. Will take lumber in part pavmcnt. GIBSON & M1KELL, octS'-Smos Columbia, S. C.