The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-11-19
a Minc Explosion.

TN. rrElI,s TO WHICH MINERS ARE EXPOSED
DEADLY FlRE-pAMP-LoSS OF LIFE.
SCRANTON. November 15.-h terrific eX.
plosion OF lire-aamp took place this morn.
ing i'm the Jcrmrn colliery, within the city
limits, while the mine was in operation, HI
tally iniuring a number OF men and boys,
and producing a scene Of the most intense
excitement. About two hundred work
men were In the mine when the accident
occurred. little dreaming Of danger until
they were suddenly enyeloped In the awful
darkness which followed the flash and the
underground tempest by which they were
ovcrtaken. ..f .s-s...t.t .
The explosion occurred nearly two thou
sand feet from the foot OF the shaft, where
. force Of workmcn were building cross
Gu, 10 regulate the course Of the mir in a
distant portion OF the colliery. 1t is sup
posed one OF their lamps was held too high
and came in contact with the explosive gas
which usually seeks the surface, and then
followed an appalling scene. The thunder
ing shock was felt throughout the mine.
and made the massive breaker above the
shaft shake like an aspen from base to tower.
Men felt the coal pillars which they clasped
torn from their grasp and shattered into
fragments. ..........-
coal-car, were overturned and demolished,
and mules were carried several chambers
distant and their drivers buried In the de-
hris Of the chaos. A miner named MALTA,
standing at The foot OF the shaft, nearly two
thousand feet from the scene OF the occur
renee. WAS flung bodily into the dump, and
the coal-car by which he had stood upset
over him. In some instances loaded cars
were swept twenty yards away. A. soon
Is the storm had spent its force, those who
had escaped unhurt proceeded to assist their
less fortunate comrades.
At short distance from the fearful spot
Antony Collins and Patrick Brennan were
found buried beneath n heap OF rocks and
coal and moaning piieouSly. They were
set free and carried out in a dying condi-
ton. Both are badly burned and laccratcd
about the head and body. They cannot
possibly recover, although at last accounts
they were still alive. \ driver-boy Eamed
Luke Burns was found lying crushed be-
meath n shattered coal-car, with one OF his
legs almost torn of. His recovery is doubt
ful
William Lanyon. of Green Ridge. was
found with 4 leg broken. Max Phillips,
al Ward street, was frishtfully burned, the
flesh almost dropping from his bones. lie
i also internally injured, and cannot live.
William Metz is terribly burned and man.
glcd, and several others are more or less in
iured. The news OF the accident spread like
wildfre. and men, women, and children ran
from all parts OF the city to the mouth OF the
shaft. each pressing anyionsly forward TO
see the faces Of those 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 in the mine, but the gas was
burning ticrcely where the accident oc-
Cured. and more tremendous explosion
was expected during the day; so 1t was
dangerous To 30 down the shaft. The mules
are all in the mine, and must have persisted
bv this time. Immense volumes OF fire.
damp arc generated in the Jermyn colliery,
and the rushing jet OF gas escaping from
al! sides will feed the flames now raging
there until the entire place is a seething
furnace. unless the expensive process of
flooding should be resorted to.