The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-05-18
Terrific Explosion tn q Coat Nine.
SEVEN MEN KILLED AND EIGHT INJURED
HEARTRENDING SCENE AT THE SHAFT.

Between ten and eleven o clock Wednes-
day morning, one of those fearful explo-
sUns of tire damp which eend shudder
throug hout tlle entire coal region, occurred
at Vaudeville shaft, in the vicinity OF 81
Clair. \ party of miners were engaged
'',ubbiug,' or removing the pillars from
the western upper gangway OF the mines,
when suddenly, without ii note of warning,
a terrific explosion occurred, resulting IN
the death OF seven men aud the serious,
and III some cases probably fatal, injury Of
eight others. But an houi OF SO before the
explosion occurred, the inside boss OF the
mines had been along the gangway ana the
air secmeG perfectly puTe ana so sale that
the men were working with naked lamps
in their hats. lt is supposed that the top
must have fallen III, III some abandoned
breast, driving the foul air INTO the gang
way in which the men were working,
Over three hundred men and boys are
employed in The W adesy He shaft, the great
majority of whom reside III St. Clair and
the adjoining villages and as may well be
imag med as soon as the news Of the dlsaS-
;er became nuised abroad the excitement
was intense. People Hooked to the shalt
10y hundreds, and one after another OF
the unfortunate victims, burned and black
ened almost beyond recognItion-or moan
ing with the pain of their injuries-was
Brought to the surface, the sceue around
the mouth Of the shaft is sid TO have been
heartrenGlug In the extreme. The sturdy
miners performed lhcI" duty to their fallen
comrades with sad, stern faces-women
and childIen wept and moaned over the
dead, OF ministeIcd with kindly hands to
the wants of the iujured-v hile III all faces
there WAS an expression of dread and un-
certainty as to who would be the next VIC
Tim 5ruugh; up to the light of day. This
uncertainty as to tie kent oil the disaster
was even more painful than the leaiity.
For an hour CT SO 1T was believed that the
destruction of life was much greater than
it proved to be, and the eX plUsIUn &C
cUIIed more than Il mile from the main
shaft, the work of removing the dead and
injuI ed was but slow, Notwithstanding the
desperate energy of the men vino noby
went To the rescue of their fellows. The
re:rcat Of several of the men was cut off by
a heap IF fallen coal. and the noXiOus gases
Were so oveTpoWeIing that none could work
more .hau very few minutes at "A time.
Finally, however, after two OF three hours
of heTcuiean endeayor, i'll which many of
the living herOically rIsked Their lives for
the rescue of the bodies of the dead and
wounded, all were brought ont. It was
only then that The extent of the disaster
Oo came accurately known.
The follow ing pei SONS were killed john
DurkIn, oT st. Clair who leaves u lie and
one child " ilIam Kirk, of -. Clair, who
leaves a wifo and three children; benjamin
Museiy, of WadcsviIle. vino leaves wife
J Jost ph Mi!waId, of Mill Creek, "A young
man and unmarried Herbert Moore, of
Wadesvile, who lcaTes a wife ana four
children Thomas tOunorS, of Summit
Hill, but recently married and leaves IA
young wife James Leddy, of St Clair,
Who leaves Il wlfe-he was taken out alive
but died soon after being removed to his
home.
The wounded were Patrick Gibbons, Of
St. Clair. an unmarried man John Nc
Atee, of East Mines, unmarried; Abraham
Jones, of st. Clair, unmai1 ied-veTy seTi-
ously injured; John Glavey, of St. Clair,
uumarIIe dan ugly wound III the head and
BADLY burned Dennis Brennan, of St.
Clair, uHnarried--seriously burned John
Reese, of St. Clair married, aud Patrick
Moore, of 81. Clair, hunt in the arm. The
condition of all the Wounded, at last ac-
counts, was very encouraging, and, in the
opinion of the attending physicians, they
will all proba bly, Iccover.-TottsctAe stan
dqTa.