West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-02-29
Another Coal Mine Horror,

UNtoNrowN, pAn February 2N.-Tb,
little mining village Of West Leiseuinp.
Tour miles north Of here, was this morning
the scene OF the most te r hc explosion
ever known i'm the coke region. The Con-.
heI'sNille Coal and Iron Company has 200
coke ovens here, which have been opcra.
Ting about year. The works give en,.
pioyment 10 about Too men. The roei Ia
obtained 10y means Uf a shaft,whi reaches
the mime ~ a distance of 400 feet from tba
surface This morning. that part OF the
torce who had worked all night left tina
mines little after three o'clock, and scv.
enty others took their places, making tho
usual morning shit about halfpast Sir
o'clock. While the men were digging. sud
denly and without warning, there occurred
an explosion that coNvulsed the ,niuc i'm
every apartment and threw tho men into
the utmost CONSERVATION. The scene of
the explosion was i'm one OF tho apartmcnts
FULLY 800 feet distant from the bot.
tom OF the shaft, and therefore about
l,2OO feet from the surface opening.
yet the report was heard on the out.
side for "A considerable distance, and caused
such Jar that the top OF the derrick 100
feet high was knocked of. Two mules
were standing at the bottom OF the SHAFT,
sUV rect from the explosion, and the rush
OF air blew one Of them through the wood.
en- cage, shattcring it 10 pieces The other
mule died Of suifocation. The aw ul scene
Ihat enSuod among the terror stricken min.
ers can not be described. All their lamps
were blown out, and theywere left in dark.
ness and confusion. They had nor time TO re.
cover from the shock until they found
themselves unable to breathe. The explos.
ION OF the fire damp, left the minc filed
with the after damp, which contains no
oxygen and renders it impossible for life
TO be sustained for any length of time
ms after damp is densest in the upper part
oil mine, and hence the men lowered near
the bottom, but even here they did not long
una relief. OF all tho men who were i'm tho
heading, where the explosion occurred,
DCh baisiey alone escaped 10 tell the
awful story. When the explosion
came and al the lights were blown out,
Balsley was just changing his clothes. He
dt once wound a part of his clothes tightly
HIouhd MS tncc aHd mouth, 10 keep the
toul arr from choking him, and gave the
rest OF his garments To a companion, with
lnstructipns TO take the same precautions.
lie then started for the main en-
trance, bidding his companion 10
iollow' They ran over the bod
wagons. They could see nothing, but could
near the groans of the dying men. Balsley
pushed on until he finally saw light and
was taken out His escape is regarded bv
experienced miners as one OF the most
marvellous on record. He says some men
Kept their heads under the water as long as
they could, and would have to change from
water 10 after damp until they finally gave
up the unequal struggle. Nineteen dead
bodies have thus far been recovered.
UNIoNTowN, Pa, February 22--The fu.
neral OF the victims Of the explosion at West
Leisenring took place this morning. A
special train ran out 90 tho shaft from
Uniontown and returned with bodies and
friends az O'Clock Four cars were Allied
with relatives OF the dead and the scene
was sad in tho extreme. Three victims
were inferred here, six at Dunbar, seven at
Connellsville ana two have been sent To
Washington, ID. &. Large crowds were at
each place.