The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-01-31

in the morning, and engaged in their haz-
ardous occupation till II o'clock, About
that hour smothered report was heard by
those standing OH the pit bank flames rush
ell furlously from the mouth oft pit, AMI
an instant afterward the surface of the coun-
try, for great extent on all sides, was COW
cred with thick SCOT The shock caused by
the explosion was felt at the distance of half
a mile Mr.. q johnson the company's
manager, got the pit cleared as soon as pos
sible, and the cages were lowered into the
NINE. In short time about fifty terrified
men and lads were brought to the surface
by way OF No 2 shaft The efforts of No
shaft were not SO successful, several men
who were raised at that point being burned
more or less severely.
The exploration rendered the searchers al
most unconscious; and as each one came to
the surface every means were taken to re-
vive him. Some of them remained for
long time half insensibIe, while others, on
whom brandy and chloroform had a more
salutary effect, soon came round, and were
ready for another descent. The bodies
brought up from time to time we're exam
med ny the surgeons, and were with few
exceptions pronounced dead The fatal
word was sadly heard by the men at the
pit bank. At this time women and child
rem had been prohibited from approaching
tue shaft, and thus many painful demonstra-
lions were avoided
The scene IN the pit is described as fright
full. Bodies and limbs lay apart, and sever
al headless trunks were sent up. Tie total
number found in an uniniured state, up to
8 o'clock at night, were thirteen The dead
bodies numbered forty -three-after damp
was the cause of death. Deduc ting the un-
injured, the burned and the dead, there
must have remained i'll the pit between for
ty and fifty men, and, as none of those
brought up toward the end of the day were
alive, it is but reasonable to suppose that
these, too, have persisted
The force Of the explosion, as eviden ced
by the appearance of the pits workings,
must have been intense, the bratticing on
beth sides having been blown away, the
plant scattered i'll all directions, and the
roadways, for the most part, consequently
blocked up.
Nothing was perceived by the miners pri-
or to the accident to cause them to suspect
the approach 1T danger, the explosion it is
said coming on them with all the sudden
ness of a gunshot. Nor can any Cause yet
be fixed upon, except what may be inferred
from the fact that on the persons of several
OF the deceased duplicate lamp keys were
found. The possession OF these keys
is in opposition to the orders contained III
the Miners Regulation Act, which requires
that the locking and the unlocking of the
safety lamps shall be solely performed by
appointed officers The seam which was
being worked was called the BraDbury
seam. The coal was very gaseous, and the
exercise of the utmost care was enjoined up
on the workmen. Any such departure
from rule as that suggessed must therefore
have been doubIy cuIpable. But beyond
the finding of the duplicate keys, there is
nothing to substantiate the supposition,
most of the lamps having been stivered to
atoms. The safety lamps in use were the
''Canny,' ard Mills lamps.