Plymouth, Pennsylvania

Avondale Mine Disaster

September 6, 1869

Avondale Disaster. - Monday morning, September 6, 1869, the civilized
world was startled by the news of the disaster at the Avondale mine, situated
one mile below Plymouth in this county, where 108 people perished. Fire broke
out in the shaft at 10 a.m. and soon passed up to the headhouse, and this and
the coal breaker and all the other buildings near the shaft were quickly wrapped
in flames, that first seemed to come up the shaft roaring, like a storm. This
explosion was the first notice the engineer, Alexander Weir, had of the fire,
and so rapidly did it spread in the buildings, that he barely had time to
arrange the machinery to prevent explosion of the boilers and escape without his
hat. The buildings extended 300 feet to the track of the Bloomsburg railroad. At
one time the rows of miners' houses were threatened, but the wind fortunately
carried the flames toward the mountain. The families of the men down in the mine
instantly realized the horror that came so suddenly, and the people for miles of
the surrounding country hurried to the spot. The telegraph called the fire
companies from every surrounding town to Scranton and these, too, hurried by
special trains to stay, if possible, the holocaust.

By the middle of the afternoon the combined fire companies had control of the
fire and a stream of water was poured into the shaft through a tunnel and the
mouth of the shaft cleared and soon preparations made to descend. A small dog
and a lighted lamp were first sent down at 6 o'clock and both came up all right.
Loud calls were made down in the hopes of a response from the men, and many in
that throng of thousands, excited and strung to utmost tension, imagined they
heard a feeble response and the heart-broken wails turned momentarily to
expressions of joy and hope. A volunteer to descend was now called for, and
Charles Vartue stepped forth, took his place in the bucket, and no man probably
ever was followed with more prayers and hopes than was this brave follow as he
descended. He had only gone half way down when he met obstructions in the shaft.
Two fresh men were now sent down. They found a closed door and pounded upon it
but received no answer; returned and reported, and now hope was gone from the
coolest-headed of the crowd; but the families of the imprisoned were wild with
fear and hope still. Two other men were sent down - Thomas W. Williams and David
Jones - a voyage of death to the poor fellows, The deadly gas was rapidly
gathering and had struck them down and they were brought up dead - the first of
the many victims whose bodies were recovered. Air was now pumped into the mine.
Parties of two were now sent down at frequent intervals and after a few minutes
were hoisted up suffering greatly and many were resuscitated with difficulty.
The first bodies were found the Wednesday following at the stables. At 6:30
o'clock a.m. that day, R. Williams, D. W. Evans, John Williams and William
Thomas descended and made an extended search, and came to a closed brattice in
the east gangway and breaking this down, found the dead, sixty-seven, together,
all grouped in every position in this place where they had shut themselves in;
the others were found in groups and singly in other places of the mine, having
fled as far as possible from the burning shaft.

A relief fund for the families was set on foot and the willing charity of the
people in all parts of the country soon reached the figures of $155,825.10, and
the distribution committee met and agreed upon a plan of distribution. This
meeting was held September 13, following, and the first payment was made October
1, according to the regulations of the respective payments as formulated by the
executive committee, Hendrick B. Wright, George Coray and Draper Smith.

This shocking disaster called the attention of the country to the necessities of
putting up every possible protection for the miners. It was made evident by the
testimony before the coroner's jury that had there been a second outlet to the
mine the men might have been saved. And laws were passed to that effect, as well
as providing mine inspectors much as the laws are now. Still disasters follow,
and at this writing, December, 1891, but a few weeks ago, a quiet Sunday morning
thirteen lives, of the fourteen in the mine were sacrificed by a gas explosion
in a mine.

History of Luzerne County Pennsylvania, H. C. Bradsby, Editor, S. B. Nelson & Co., Publishers, 1893, page 319

http://www.avondale1869.org/ The Avondale Living History Group

The Great Disaster At Avondale Colliery from the ThomasGenWeb, included illustrations from Harpers Weekly magazine

The Avondale Mine Disaster Song

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