Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1883-01-12

Terrible Results Of m Explosion - FIre.
Damp in Coal Mise 1t Conltefsvilles
ul--Description Of the Calamity ~ 0ns
Of the sur7ivors-

Damp in Coal Mise 1t Conlteruvills
m.-Dsscription Of the Calamity ~ On'
Of the sur.ivoru-
COULTERsvLLE, ILL.,, January 8
One OF the saddest accidents that h2s evei
been chronicled Ia this section Of tke Etat(
occurred 1t the coal mine opernted BY Jonel
4 Nisbet to-day. An explosion tore thiug'
to pieces generally, entailing aterrible losl
Of life.
1t was Just four O'Clock this afferoooa
whom the engineer, l.. Davis. WAS startled
by . muflled explosion which shook tbs
earth, and looking toward The mou1h Of ~
shaft he saw volume Of thick. black smoke
pouring therefrom. Only one explanation
presonted itself u his mind, en1 tAat ~ (
horrible one-an explosion of hre damp.
He knew that the foreman and eleven other
human beings were below, and be was fair
y poralTzed for = instant q ~ thepghl
- - fs1e. H ~ breuaht = ~
ssnoos by sharp ring It ths signAl bell.
showing thai thers was aoms one still alive
below, and n another second he he'd -
the mschineEy In motion With I'll the skna1n
pressure he could control. 1t seemed lie.
tine befors ~ 0ge cans TO the surfaos.
but the enginecr had TO stand BY his engine
and bad 70 watch for n It distance. When
It did appear the foreman, Sylvester Nasons
and boy named WiIlIan Starr staxsered
OF 1t and emerged from the cloud Of smoke.
They were 20 uniformly black - y Be
hardly recognizable. and they we're III but
senseless through sp1ocatten. Mr.. Nasoa
soon recovered sufi6 6ently D maks stals.
ment that there had been "a explosion. that
all the men were probably dead, and that be
and young Starr had only escaped By :
miracle.
Mr.. Nisbst. one Of the firm Of NIsbst 4
Jones, was one Of . small party to immedi.
ate|y board the caee. ard. taking their lives
Ia JAeir handss they went down. The snohe
proved too dense. however, and they were
compelled to return. 4 second trip waa
made soon sftsrwsrd. and . third. and !
fourth, but they were futile. One brave
fellow named Harry Longshors made such
. desperate eudeavor 10 reach bis dying
srje0ds tAat - was 0vercome. draggod out
senselcss and now lies In : critical condi-
tion. For four hours nothing could b. done,
~. L shs-,"- = s.-- -" '.,..-. :. "a !. -
rescue. While waiting for the smoke y clsaF
s".-..-,s- :. s~s,. s-'' -"
The shaft is $50 feet deep ssd 1t ths bot
~s-s - 80 w.. ~ s~" s...,~s ~ -~"S.
...ss. 80. ~ a. ~ --.s"""s,-se~
80. - ~ - S.S--srs 49,
- s-.,,,- .~. 81.
80" ." 49, ~ ~ '.s
49, !. ''..s 49,. go -,
80 ~ ~ S'-".S = 49, 49, ss.'
s' ~-,s s y -ss-Ss "ss.s~s .,S
-~~s 49, .S<s ~.s-
s--- --
49,. - ss-.'s -s- - s.',. s.-ss
4 IA s<c~ q ~. - E ~ -,
- ~. ~ 4, ~ -. ~. -,.se
~. - ~ "a 49, ,.s.,-.s - 49,.
,,-s' Xn~, s,vir~ ~ .rSc,Tss
~ 49, = ~. ss.~ .Sc,s
.~.v "a 80 sc.cmrs.is1
strrr, 4 b4s Ea,~s, a-sn.-~ .~<<
~ ~ a wort A. ~ -. n ~.
Ing a the foot Of ths sboft for he me.
come out "a that 1 could check them a.
mske surs thst mona eot left tbere Al
We heard tbrse shots 1 few minutes
and theu We heard ! fourth. which
lowed Immediately bv = terrible Z
In the direction AZ ira man: than .
.ir. snd then : rrrnt ve,nu,o of
6lled the whoIs corridor. Iva
.~,i.s. 49, s,de AZ ~ mar srd
Inred- esn~~I.Ilv 4, the lev ana,
boy WAS stunned. / thought = drst
Va" ana 'fy 70 save tns men, put the
were coming fast, the cir was stinir
I felt Il would b. death to remain ID
other minute. I stepped on the
s-~s 49, - 80
~ ..s ooy ~'sst ~ ..o 'H". ~
~ me time We rsseasd .ns surface
nearly ssrangisd and barely conscious,
he boy was usees'siou.. Il wss clear.
N explosion Of sas' and a. Il occurred way
back where The nsn were they had no
r1ADce for escape.
By 8 O'Clock The smoke had entirely ceased
10 ssoeed "a sII Va Quiet q tbe srsye Is
a.: :;s s hard. s.,:s : .:: ..s ..s:s s =:
I. "a 4. shs v.rr ss.r,v G.1---.sS
y -. ~ ..-es.s y. ~
,rem ~ nn'usnas attended then = they
disappeared below Tho surface, possibly 70
'Siet below. owing q sbe sbssres g. ef a., ~
curren's, tse 'rsps ~ wn'cs tness sarFs.'s
wsre Kept up hoviog been blown down ~
lhs explosion. san they persisted. sud
,hortIv before . o'cIook they had peoctrated
~ v.rS. shrc.,.R she Aeh,;. rs~~ e..-S
~ 49,, -.
ss3 81 . er IA ne. aese' ~. re 80 ., svl-
Js.s. nuss 81 Ave osss % ssrs oswr s ~ sse e. e.
N<xt ~ psrsv icusd : dead mule. WhicS
"a hen sefFiS(y nsaRied b ~ sxplnisa.
- 49, 49, - ~ q pissse
- 49, ystSs 49, -. ~ csss ~
ksssS>s sSfSc y 49,. ~ IN n ~ - 4 n n
~ Dssss sosrr Tjrxe. HeSrv Gesrr. ~.
.as pIeksd up. tnss Frsst s.efoe1, ~