Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1884-02-27
A Subterranean Horror.

I NlONTONN, n, TeO ~, loof.-
The little mining village of West Leis-
enring, situated four miles north of
here, was this morning the scene cf
the most terrible explosion ever known
in the coke region, resulting in the
death of nineteen miners.
The Connellsville Coal and Iron
Company have 200 coke ovens here
which have been in operation about a
year. The works give employment to
about one hundred men, and quite
little town has sprung up, named after
ex-Judgc Leisenring, president of the
company. The coal is obtained by
means of the shaft, which reaches the
mine at a distance of 400 feet from the
surface This morning part of the
force, who had worked all night, left
the mines at little past three O'Clock
and seventy other took their places,
making the usual morning shift
\ FRIGHTFUL EXPLOSION.
At about half-p six o'clock, while
the men were digging, suddenly and
without warning, there occurred au
every apartment and threw the men
into the utmost CONSERVATION The
scene Of the explosion was in one OF
the apartments fully 100 feet distant
from the bottom of the shaft and there
fore about twelve hundred feet from
the surface opening, yet the report was
heard on the outside for a considerable
distance, and caused such jar that
the top of the derrick, 100 feet high,
was knocked Off Two mules were
standing at the bottom of the shaft,
800 feet from the explosion, and the
rush Of air blew one of them through
the wooden cage, shattering it to
pieces and killing the animal The
other mule died from suffocaton.
The awful scenes that ensued among
the terror stricken miners cannot be
described All their lamps We're blown
out and they were left in utter darkness
and confusion. They had not time to
recover from the shock until they found
themselves unable to breathe The
explosion of the fire damp term
which miners apply to the light car
donated hydrogen or coal gas that
issues from crevices in the roof of the
mines, left the mines filled with what
is known as latter damp" which con.
tains no oxygen and renders it impos-
sible for life to be sustained for any
length of time. This latter damp" is
densest in the upper part of the mine,
and hence the men lowered near the
bottom; but even here they did not
long find relief.
OF all the men who were in the
heading where the explosion occurred
Dick Balseley alone escaped to tell the
awful story. When the explosion
came all the lights were blown out
Balseley was just changing his clothes,
and he at once wound portion of his
clothing tightly around his face and
mouth to keep the foul air from chok-
ing him, and gave the rest of his gar
menrs to his companion, with instruc-
tions to take the same precautions.
He then started for the main entrance,
bidding his companion to follow. They
ran over the bodies of men and over
shattered wagons.
They could see nothing, however,
but could hear the groans of dying
men. Presently Balseley's companion
protested that they were not going in
the right direction. He turned back,
and like Lots wife, be perished Bal
seley pushed on until he finally saw
light and was taken out. His escape
is regarded by experienced miners as
one of the most marvellous on record
He says some of the men kept their
heads under water as long as they
could and would have to change from
the water to the latter damp" until
finally they gave up the unequal strug-
gle.
When the news of the explosion
was flashed around the families Of the
men gathered about the shaft and were
almost wild with terror and suspense.
Balseley's story gave them little
to hope that any of the unfortunate
miners could be got out alive. So dan
gerous was tie "after danpn that it
was fully two hours before any volun-
teers could enter the mine. Many
were on hand ready to make the
search. but were unable to do so until
the hope of rescuing the unfortunates
alive had been abandoned.
1t was eight o'clock when the first
body was brought ont