Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-04-27
Terrible ExpAssssn OF Fire Damp
Asneven Miners Killed.


Eleven miners Killed.
We copy the following from the Pottsville
Journal of the 20th inst,-- , ~~~
An explosion Of FIRE damp attended BY
sad loss of life, took place at the "Pioneer"
Colliery, Bancroft, Lewis & Co., near Ash
land, on Friday night, April 12th, at 81
o'clock. II appears that at that hour two
boys and q laborer In the gangway, were
going out with trip of wagons. When
about one hundred and fifty yards from the
face of the slope they felt the shock of
light explosion. This was Immediately fol-
lowed by heavy explosion which knocked
them down. They arose, ran out and In.
formed Mr. Mr.. Eltringham, the Superinten-
dent of the Colliery, CT the explosion. He
got some men and went down into the mine.
They found oil the batteries blown out, and
that it was very dangerous to do anything.
They put up temporary canvass batteries and
| thus enteavored to get to the miners VINO
were In at the time of the explosion. While
making the attempt they heard cry and
stopped to listen. The cry was repeated,
but fainter Supposing the unfortunate men
| to be in there and all alive, they stopped
| work and went in at the risk of their lives
| to rescue them. They found o miner named
John Kenny, alive but frantic from pain
They got him out, and seeing the rest lying
there dead they went in again and brought
all out but two, Harrison Hud6ert and
Michael Spellman, who were in the air
course and could not be got at The bodies
of the nine men recovered were brought up
about o'clock on Saturday morning. The
other two were not brought out until Q,
! P. NJ, Of the same day. The names of the
| dead are, James Mathcr, James Hood, Geo.
Ross, Harrison Muddert, Micheal Spellman,
Thomas Stanton, John Docan, Edward Hop
kins, Thomas Eltringham, Thomas Welsh
and Joseph Shetzly-the two last being
boys. They were all more or less mutilated,
but those In the air.courses seemed to have
been smothered as they were not burnt much.
The appearances show that the men in the
gangway were about getting their supper
The only men who came out alive, were
John Kenny, the two drivers and the laborel
who was on his way out to safe place with
some lamps to be lighted Kenny is recov.
ering Ross and Spellman were single men
The others with the exception of the two
boys and probably, Dolan and Hopkins
were married and leave large families il
destitute circumstances. They were all ex
cellent miners and reliable, worthy men
With the exception of James Mather, al
were under 40 years OF age.
From what we can learn we incline to thu
opinion that the accident was the result o
carelessness, as the fan never stopped, and tn
men who came up from the previous shift
said that at that time there was as good al
as ever was seen, but that there were larg
quantities of fire damp coming down on tn
, gangway from the breasts, and that it hat
been falling all that day. The place In
not been thoroughly explored since the ex
plosion. Five safety lamps have been fount
in the gangway, all Of them closed and ii
good order. Hence 1t is thought that th'
: gas was fred in an air. hole and from ther
D Communicated to the gangway. Itis antici
pated that when the ir.hole can be reached
an open lamp will be found. If this snoult
\ be the case the cause of the terrible occur
. renee will at once of course, he made cleaI
i. James Mather, one of the miners killed b.
q this explosion, was an Englishman, and
member of the Pottsville Cricket Club wit
!" which he played on several occasions i'll thei
= matches in this Borough and at Philadc
/ phia, with the Young America and othe
h clubs. He was fine player, although some
y what advanced in years, and general favol
y ite with all for his worth as man and hi
e genllemanly qualities as q cricketer. Ii
t leaves large family, all of them girls !
, Strengthened circumstances, and we ar
pleased to learn that the Club is subscribin
!, a fund for presentation to them. The e,
d plosion also killed his son.in-law, Jane
C Hood, leaving one of Mr.. Mather's daugf
@ ters to mourn the loss of both father an
husband.
We understand that as all of the famlit
e of the unfortunate miners are lett in dest
e tute circumstances, collections for their n
/. lief will be taken up in all of the church'
of Ashland to morrow, and that it is desire
> that the churches of Pottsvlle will take u
collections to morrow for the same benevt
j. tent object. We should be gratificd to |
&c able to record the fact In our next that a
the congregations in this Borough had acte
upon the suggestion.