Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-11-17
A Nine EXPLOSION.

A dispatch from Scranton, dated yesterday,
saws: A terrific explosion OF 1rc'damp took
nlace this morning 10 the Jermyn col!Iery'
within the city limits. while the mine WAS IN
operation, fatally injurlng a number OF men Aod
bows and producing a scene OF thu must lnttnSe
excitement. About two hundred w01kmen We're
in the mine when the accident occurred, little
dreaming of danger until they were suddenly
enyeloped 10 the awful darkness which followed
the fash and the underground tempest hy
which they were overtakcn.
The explosion occurred nearly two thousand
feet from the foot Of the shaft, where force Gi
workmen were bulldog crc!S cut, to regulate
the course Of the air in distant portion OF the
coiery. 1t is supposed one OF their lamps was
held too high and came in contact with the TX
pIosive gas which usually seeks the SUI zee. ana
then followed an appalling sctnr.
The thunderiog shock was ieIt Throughout
the mine, and made the massive breaker above
the shaft shake like an aspen from base to low
err. Nler fcit the coal pillars whch they olasped
torn from their grasp and shattered into frag
ments.
Mine props were swept from their places, Goal
cars were overturned and demolished and Iuu!es
were carried several chambers distant and their
drivers buried in the debris OF the chaos. y
the shaft, nearly two thousand feet from the
scsne of the occurrence. WAS fang bodily Into
the dump, and the coal car by which lie had
stood upset over him. In s1lac lnslanGcH loaded
cars were sWcpt twenty yards away. AZ soon a.
the storm had spent It's force those who had
nscaped uuhurt proc sc,liii 10 as4iHb their lrsl
fortunate comrades. .'-
At short distance from The fearful spot Al
toDy Collins and Patrick Brennan were found
buried beneath heap OF rocks and coal, and
moaning piteou3y. They were set free end
carried out in dying condition. Both arc bad
" burned and laceratcd about the head and
body. They canuot passibly recover, although
at last accounts they were still alive. driver
boy named Luke Burns was FOUND Iy ing crushed
beneath shattered coal car, with one Of his
legs almost torn off,. His recovery is doubtful.
William Lauyop, Ct Green Ridge, was found
with leg broken. Max Phillips, Of Watd
street, was frightfuIly burned, the flesh almost
dropping from his bones. He is also internally
iDisred, and cannot live. William Metz Is ter
ribly burned aud mangcl, and several others
are more or less Injured. The news OF the &c
cident spread like wdfrc, and men, yemen
| and children ran from all parts OF the city to
| the mouth of the shaft, each pressing a1xl0uS'y
| forward to see the faces 0! these brought up
from the dismal depth, and fearful lest some
| dear friend had met his fate.
| At last accounts it was feared that three men
were still 10 the mine, but the gas vas burning
tiercely where the accident occurred, and more
tremendous explosion was expected during tic
| day, SO that it was dangerous 10 20 doWn the
| shaft, The mules are all il tho mine and must
| have pe1ished by this time. Immense volumes
of fire damp arc generated in the Jermyn col
| licry. and the rushing jet of gas escaping from
| all Sides will feed the flames now raging there
uotiI the entire place is sctbng furnace. IN.
less the expensive process Of flooding should be
| le5ored to.