Скачать или смотреть "An Irish Catholic Tragedy", Twin Shaft Colliery, Pittston, Pennsylvania June 1896, 58 Men Killed.

In late June 1896, roughly around 3 A.M., anywhere from 200-250+ acres worth of mining roof collapsed on the 100 workers of the Newton Coal Company, Twin Shaft Colliery, in the Red Ash Vein. 3 astounding successive collapses occurred 400+ feet underground. 2 days prior to the collapse, evidence of a "squeeze" presented itself. A "squeeze" is when undermined coal and/or coal reserves being taken, begin to put stresses on the overhead roof. The roof, often in large sections, will begin to bow or settle, with the possibility of a large break-in or cave-in. This is what happened at the Twin Shaft. Round the clock attempts were made to reinforce the roof by timbering the mine in an "X" like configuration. Some miners felt unsafe and felt an imminent collapse was to occur and left the mine. Then without much warning, it gave way, most likely killing all 58 missing miners in its path.

When the roof came down, 200-250 surface acres worth, Pittston and surrounding areas were rattled. Buildings were destroyed, people literally thrown from beds, fissures breaking all the way to the surface and audible explosion like noises were heard. Men in the mine described being lifted through the air and thrown about, while others ran for their lives, only to be crushed by the domino like roof collapse. Water began to fill the mine, air circulation was cut off, & methane gas began to flow from the freshly fractured coal vein. In an instant, it was hell on earth. A literal worst-case scenario had presented itself to the unfortunate souls in that mine.

Workers from the colliery and surrounding collieries began to attempt the dig for the trapped miners. Boreholes were drilled in an attempt to introduce air into the now cut off workings. A race against the clock had begun. Soon it was realized however, that both air and methane levels were becoming inhospitable to life. The workers were faced with a dilemma as explosives could not be used to drill through the rock due to the explosion factor presented by the methane creep. Only manual labor through the use of pickaxes and wedges were possible. After nearly a month and three days, and only extending 500 feet into the squeeze, the rescue teams concurred no one was alive. About a quarter of a mile up Union Street going in an easterly direction (off of Main Street @ the Pittston/Duryea border) across from the now backfilled shaft is roughly the area where the unfortunate souls are forever entombed. They are resting about 400 or so feet underneath the Earth in a flooded labyrinth of tunnels and chambers.

In 1909, the Lehigh Valley Coal Company was resuming operations at their newer mine (former Twin Shaft Colliery), now driving a deeper operation into a lower vein of coal underneath the Susquehanna River. Some 13 years later, they breached 4 tunnels (gangways) of the former Twin Shaft Colliery. After finding 6 loaded coal cars still sitting on their rail tracks, they decided to investigate. Either in the hopes of finding the deceased miners remains, or simply by being intrigued, they searched the 4 abandoned gangways, only to find that all were collapsed from roof to floor from the squeeze fall. No one most likely survived the initial collapse they figured.

A COMPLETE LIST OF THE DECEASED MINERS AND WORKERS WILL BE ON THE "OUR LADY OF THE EUCHARIST CHURCH VIDEO". I maxed out the allotted characters in this description and had to omit the list in this description unfortunately. May the miners forever be graced with God's light. May we also never forget them.

I gathered my sources from the following article, please give it a read as it is detailed and great:
https://www.pittston-progress.com/new...

Also, check out this song dedicated to the victims of The Twin Shaft Disaster:
   • Twin Shaft Disaster  

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this and watch the video, please subscribe, like & comment. There will be more videos on this topic, so be sure to give those a look.

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