Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-11-22
Terrible Goal NIinH EXPLOSION

New York, Nov. GA dispatch to the
Herald from Sullivan, Indiana, says
This quiet Indiana village vas the sc:ue (f o
dreadful accident to Gay. Hail milo north Of
| the station house, anu ca the Evansville snG
Ierre Haue Railroad is situated the Sullivan
coal shaft, q mEc working Two veins OF coal.
At few miUutcs past four this evcipg loud
| explosion was heard. Imul5t!iatey afterHsrd
| huge volumes Of sncke AID E,me issued from
| tho shaft aid Jumps oi coz! were throw1 high
| into the aiT-2t least three h1adred feet. IhGse
| employed shove grouoa ab0u: the mino were
| for tho momcrt psraIyZad with teTrtr ss they
| recognized it as violent explosion and remem-
| bered that there were thirty men below work
ing the veins. Nlng miners were killed outright.
Fifteen men were 10 the lover and the same
number in the upper shaft. The explosion was
| 50 violent that tho tia btr5 underground were
shattered. aa were also the walls, causing o
large Pic; Of rick to fall and completely sop
up the passagewsy 10 macy PLACES. 10 add to the
horror Of the affair it vas discovered that the
cages we're, 10 consequence, fastened below ard
orc of the huge ropes br:kcp, thus entirely
cutting off all communication with the inpri.
soncd men. Ropes and luIleys were immcdia.
tely put 10 position aud men were sent down to
ascertained the c1nGi:ion Of their follow woik
men below. The miae Is 240 feet deep, ard it
was some timG before hei g could reach them. Tho
canvas 50 offensive ;nat the 1len c5ud stay
below only few ui9uts. Oas bravo ycuog
uintr, Joe Hartford, Who had two brothers be.
low and who were attcrWarl t3uud dead, al
last, amid shouts CT the bystaDders, Vo'u1tcer-
to 60 below. Tho explosion was caused by the
gas taking FIRE from larnps and there bling
sight or ten kegs Of powder 10 the mine, The
explosion vas terrible Several men were
Knocked dowD lnto li:s Of water and drowned.
The soeuo around tho shaft was understandable.
Women aud children were there locking for
husbands AID fathers. Old men were looking
ijr lhti: aops. Everything seemed 10 Il de-
plorab!e conGi'ioD. All that is possible has
been d1rc to rci3sc the suffer-; Seventy five
mncis iGonl Sherburnc, which is SIX miles away,
boarded the first trsln with ropes, prlcys and
b3skets aud rendered all the h>lp they could
Listening a.tontivaly st tho mouth Of tho
shstt the pitoou5 cries Of tho Imprisoned mon
could be family hoard 240 feet below, striking
tho auditor with disrnay. Tho miners ara
mostly O.; the very poorest class, who sub;iit
rom hand TO month, and all havo large families
As an occasional voica from the darkness b Glow
assembled, the assembled Wolaon world fairly
jump forward 10 see if il was ttom snGlo dear
one There wero, CT course many diSappoint.
ments, tbs effect Of which can be better i1agE-
lnel Than described. Cno woman who had 6
young son Of about twoivo enGagod below. bent
over thc shaft and called pseously u all present
to 20 TO his rescue calling with tho feeling that
only mother in such circumstances Can exhib-
il. At length her boy was brought up dead.
Sig mon :.re still below 81 tins hour, nearly
midnight and some OF them are certainly hivG,
MS Al occasional cry can be heard Tho gas Is
sickoDing. and some CT them must perish before
They can DO brought to tho surface though Sir
is icing forced b"ioT to drive out tie nuxions
gas.