The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-05-02
rERauBL.E CoIL,rRv EXPLOSION
The Particulars OF the Locust Dale
Pa, DIsasscr-Threc Men Instantly
Kiled-rwo Others suffering the
Most Intense Agony.

lnc lolioWitg dTt tue pitticuidIs on III
terrible explosion at the Keystone c%olliery
Locust Dale. Pa, as contained in a specia
TO the Philadelphia Press: The men wht
were Killed outright were Patrick Reagan
Andrew Jones. aud August Weller, and
the other two, who are lingering In great
agony are Charles Tiler and Conrad Wal
ter. There has always been a quantity ol
h Gas in the keystone collicry, and the miners
serc thoroughly aware Of this. A suit.
4 Client warning was given by the breaking
I OF a coal pillar, and had the lamps been
immediately cxtinguiShed the accident
would have been avoided.
A miner. John Foley by name, was en-.
gagged Just before the disaster in cutting the
pillar between breasts Nos. 3 aud 5. lie
left the pillar for n few moments TO get q
drill. As he returned up the manway he
heard the coal working in a manner which,
TO his rracticed ear, denoted danger. A
few minutes aiterwardst the pillar gave way
and a volume OF gas rushed into the gang
way and swept 10 the extreme end. A
conclusion Of air followed. vibrating in
ominous sounds from one end OF the col
liery 10 the other. This was the danger
signal.
ARUN o LIFE.
Reagan. Jones, and Weller, who were
working together, started through the
cangway on a run. after calling to Tiler
and Walter 10 save themselves. These two
rushed into the gangway. and the i've men
dashed on their way for salvation. The
safety lamps held by the preceding three
became red-hot almost instantly. The men
had many rods 10 reach before they dared
hone for safety. when the dense gas ignited
from the lamps and a terrific explosion fol-
lowed. The gangway door was shattered
into fragments, the air-pipc torn up and
twisted into tOrtuouS lines. while the huge
timbers standing IN the gangway 10 sup
{ mort the coal were dashed in chaotic posi-.
lions across the alley. The escaping sui
pbur Dermcatcd every creNice OF the mine.
The terrified wOrkmen IN every portion
of the c0lliery eXtinguiShed their lamps
and threw themselves behind timherS, OF
crOuched in the various man-holeS, OF
threw themselves on the ground, drcadIne
bu, expecting a second explosion. As this,
fortunately. did not occur. the brayeSi
miners entered the gangway in quest OF
the men who had started 10 escape. Lamp,
were cautiously relighted, and the men
groped their way to the shattered timberS,
The first body found was that OF Patrick
Reagan. partially covered by the DEBRIS,
The man had evidently been hurled Will
violence against one side Of the gangway.
So great was the force Of the explosion
that il dashed him AGAINST the wall. and hi,
body was mangled and bruised almost be.
yond recognition, while his face and hands
were burned black and blistered into wa
terry wells. Anew feet away was discovered
the remains Of Andrew Jones, tied into &
shapeless mass o. though some Titanic
hand had twisted every limb and then
rolled the body into q ball. His clothing
was burned and stripped in litt,e fragments
from his body. and his flesh was a crisp OF
bIaekened fiorcs hanging in little thread,
from his bones. August Weller's body
was next found. mangled, burned, and dis
tOrted like the other two victims.
THE TORTURED LIVING.
Further down the gangway, rending the
air with groans of suffering, lay Charles
Tiler. tortured into agony that can only
find relief in death. The flesh was torn
from his body in patches. He was nude,
save little portions OF clothing which
stuck to the charred flesh. Conrad Walter,
burned. bruised, and bleeding, vas The
last victim reached. lie was crouched be-
hind a shattered gangway prop. His agony
MIS- tANtANlAfs ~ NVhib NV R1NhNs ~ -
the reseuing party approached he stretched
forth his blackened hands, and. uttering 4
moan. fell back unconscious. The rescu-
iug miners removed their own shirts, and,
with tender hands. covered the bruised
bodies. and then, making rude stretcherS,
placed upon them the suffering men, and,
with gentle steps, carried them to the bot
tom OF the slope.
The report Of the disaster had spread
through the n~eighborhood Of the colliery.
Near the mouth OF the slope 4 crowd OF
women and children collected, piteously
WFingin9 their hands. and anxious but
fearing 10 learn the names OF the victims.
The bodies of the three dead men were
hoisted 70 the free air. Reagan had a wife
and six children. The little ones did not
recognize the awful thing that was borne
slowly by them and placed in a wagon.
and they stood near the mouth OF the slope
as the wagon swas driven 10 their home,
where n kindly neighbor fastened to break
the shock to the wife so suddenly made a
widow. Weller leaves a widow and three
children. Jones was unmarried. Iiler
and Walter. whose deaths are m0mentarlly
expected. are both married men.
The keystone COlliery is owned and
: operated by the Reading Company. Work
will be resumed within a few days. In this
%colliery the sulphur accumulates in such
large quantities that the miners are not
allowed to work ptheir breasts more than
twenty yards. when the pillars are cut and
the balance OF the coal is easily obtained.
The veins are pitched at an angle OF Y de-
grees. The distance from No. 4 to No. .
breast, down which the sulphur was driven
TO the face OF the gangway, is about $50
yards. The slope is $50 feet deep.