Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-10-29
MISHAPS.
The Bodies of Fourteen of the Vic
Tins in the Pennsylvania Coke
Mine Explosion Recovered.
HeartrendiDg Scenes at the Mouth of The
Pit-A List Of the Killed and
Wouuded-0th0r Mishaps,
nEcnYER1Na rnE nupIEs.

Iltu WIN WtN6 III Nh0 WA
mine at Youngstown, four miles from
this place, by the explosion OF fire.
damp which took place there at 4
o'clock last evening, have been fully
confirmed. Six of the miners were
taken out last evening soon after the
disaster. two Of them are dead and two
of the other four are so seriously in
jured that there Is no hope OF their
recovery. This left from fourteen to
eighteen men who are supposed to be
still imprisoned in the mine. The
exact number was not certainly
known. The work Of reaching
these men was continued industriously
throughout the whole night, and by
this morning the dead bodies oftwelve
of them had been brought out and de-
livered 10 their friends and relatives at
the mouth of the pit. This makes
fourteen dead in all and together with
the four injured accounts for eighteen,
or the whole number supposed to be
in the mine. Whether there are any
more remains yet to be discovered, but
IL is believed that all have been found.
The scenes at the mouth of the pit as
the dishgured bodies Of the dead were
brought to the surface and given Into
the hands of their wives and relatives
were distressing in the extreme.
WHO WAS 10 BLAME?
= 1t cannot be stated now whether the
explosion was due To carelessness Of
the company or not. The miners al
lege that 1t vas, but on the heels of
calamity like this the first impulse
usually is 10 attribute 1t to the COM
pany. IL is well known that the
Youngstown company has always
been very careful, and the knowledge
that their mine was dangerous one
and predisposed TO the generation OF
fire damp, made them more careful.
The mine was inspected every morn
ing, aud whenever the pres
ence OF fire damp was
detected II WAS the invariable order
TO deny the men admission until the
gas had been expelled. This was the
rule and the officials say that it was
rigidly enforced, but IL Is claimed by
the miners that the company dis
charged compe ent fire boss two
months ago and have since employed
in that capacity one who was not COM
petent to determine whether the mine
was slfe or not
THE LIST OF THE DEAD.
The names of the killed are:
Jos. Iebley, pumper, married.
Solomon VanSecale, miner, married.
VIM. Miner, miner, married.
Jos. Price, father, and Jos. Price,
son, miners.
Thos. Cole, miner, married.
Jesse Miller. father, and Jesse, son,
miners.
II. d. Lspe, rope rider, married.
Albert Taylor, married.
Abe Wilson, miner, married.
EEar,lr Nffnlrlnttf "a
son, married.
Geo. Cunningham.
Fourteen in all.
Mine Inspector STEINER was In the
mines, and together with the men,
worked all night to get out the dead.
Taylor and Cunningham were found
locked in each others arms aud their
faces buried in the water. The dead
men were found in every conceivable
position. The greater part of them
were sufTocated by the water damp.
Some were burned TO crisp. Many
were badly bruised by being knocked
against the side ofthe pit. Those not
killed instantly showed marks OF their
great endeavors TO escape.
LIST OF THE INJURED.
The following were saved alive but
burned and bruised;
Welch Keller.
Frank Miller.
Jacob Cole.
David Cole,
James Darby.
Jerry Reinger.
Ghauncy Wilson.
The two latter may yet die. Will
sons right arm Is broken and his face
burned to a crisp. IL he lives he can
never see again. The explosion shook
the earth mile away.
Coroner Batten has empaneled a
jury, and Thursday morning will be-
gin thorough aud searching investi.
cation. Notwithstanding the talk OF
some miners, IL Is the
general imp ession that the
explosion was unavoidable and
that the company at all times was as
careful az possible. Dan Ramage, the
fire boss, has been In the service fol-
several years, but he has been pit boss
for only few months. He Is account.
ed competent man. Indeed, any
careful and intelligent man, with q
safety lamp, can perform the duties Of
fire boss, AS the lamp itself dscloses
by the swelling of its flame the
presence OF gas along the roof and il
the gas is heavy the lamp viii go out
The fourteen bodies recovered and tn,
seven men injured, making twenty
one in all, are believed TO be all tha
were in the mine at the time. Mos
of the miners and nearly all o
those killed were married. There i
great excitement. Many people from
here and Conceivable are at the vii
Iage which has grown up around tn
mine and the scene Is one of ANNA
ton, but deeply pervaded by feeling
OF profound sadness. Fourteen coffin
arrived from Plttsburg this afternoon
The dead have been laid out and To
morrow the bodies will be inferred.
THE ACCEPTED THEORY.
The generally accepted theory of tn
explosion tonight IL that the ga
which was known TO have gathere,
ina portion Of flat No. 0 escaped into tn
place where the men were at worl
through door left open by a careles
driver. Several men who We're work
H. l..