Wednesday morning a rescuing party went up the plane at some distance from the foot of the shaft, and at the head of the plane they found a barrier across the gangway. It had been formed by placing a mine car in position and packing the space between it and the walls with clothing and refuse. This barrier was broken down, but there was no one behind it. Later another party was able to go a little farther, and came to a second barrier. Outside of this lay the dead body of John Bowen. He had come out for some purpose from behind the barricade, leaving open an aperture through which to crawl back, but before he could do so he had died from asphyxia. This barrier was broken down, and behind it lay the victims, one hundred and five of them, all dead, suffocated by the foul gases of the mine. The story of their experiences, their struggles, their sufferings, can never be known. The disaster which occurred at the West Pittston mine on May 27, 1871, was similar in many respects to that at Avondale. In this case also the breaker, built over the shaft, the only opening to the mine, took fire and burned to the ground, closing the avenue of escape to thirty-six men and boys. These prisoners shut themselves into a chamber, building a barricade across the foot of it to keep out the foul gases; but when the rescuing party broke in to them on the following day fourteen of them were found dead and the rest were unconscious. Of those who were brought out alive four died soon after reaching the surface. CHAPTER XIII. THE ANTHRACITE COAL BREAKER. In the act of 1885 it is provided that “no inflammable structure other than a frame to sustain pulleys or sheaves shall be erected over the entrance of any opening connecting the surface with the underground workings of any mine, and no breaker or other inflammable structure for the preparation or storage of coal shall be erected nearer than two hundred feet to any such opening.” This was for the purpose of preventing, if possible, such lamentable disasters as those of Avondale and West Pittston. The results of this legislation in providing greater security to the employees in mines is invaluable. Formerly it had been the custom to build not only the shaft-house over the opening into the mine, but the breaker itself, wherever there was one, was usually erected over the mouth of the shaft. This was convenient and economical, since the coal could be hoisted directly from the mine to the top of the breaker, without the delay of a horizontal transfer at the surface of the earth. Many of the shaft houses and breakers that had thus been built at the time of the passage of the act are still in operation, and will so remain until the time of their utility is passed. But all new buildings are erected in accordance with the law. [Illustration: THE SLOAN COAL BREAKER, HYDE PARK, PA.]