Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-02-29
FEARFUL EXPLOSION.
Another HideOus Mine Horror
i'm Pennsylyania---Large
Number of Miners
Killed.
Another Mine Horror.

1IolH ucTc resulting LII d 1FlS HIlul 1OS
of life. The particulars are so meagr
that nothing definite is known as t,
what caused the disaster. The lates
report received here at noon was t.
the effect that some rs persons wer,
at work in the mine at the time of tn,
explosion, and that out of that numbel
twenty-nine persons are known t.
have met with death, that many deat
bodies have already been taken out
Twelve were rescued, several of whor.
are so badly injured that they vii
die Every effort Is being made tc
get at those who are yet in the mine
and to learn the full extent of thu
frightful accident. 1t is thought a
least fifty persons out of seventy-fivt
in the mine are killed, or so badly in
jured that they will die. Particulars
| later.
LATER PARTICULARS.
PTTsBURG, Feb. 2O.-A Uniontown,
Pa, special says: The little mining
village of West Leisening, four miles
north of here, was this morning the
scene of the most terrific explosion
ever known in the coke region. The
Connellsville Coal and Iron company,
of which Judge Leisening, of Mauch
Chunk, is president, have 200 coke
ovens here, which have been in oper-
alton about a year. The works give
employment - about one hundred
men and quite little town has sprung
up, named after the president of the
company Coal was obtained by
means of shaft which reaches the
mine distance of 400 feet
from the surface. This morning
part of the force who had
worked all night, left the mines
little after three o'clock and seventy
others took their places, making The
usual morning shift. About half past
6 o'clock while the men we're digging,
suddenly without warning there oc-
CURED an explosion that convulsed
the mine in every apartment and
threw the men into the utmost con-
sternation.
THE SCENE OF THE EXPLOSION
was in one of the apartments fully
800 feet distant from the bottom of
the shaft, and therefore 1900 from
the surface opening; yet the report
was heard on the outside for consid-
cradle distance, and caused such jar
that the top of 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 the other mule died of
suffocation.
The awful scene that ensued among
the terror stricken miners can not be
described. All their lamps were blown
out and they were left in
DARKNESS AND CONFUSION.
They had not time to recover from the
shock until they found themselves
unable to breath. The explosion of
the fire damp a term which the
miners apply to the light carbon
ated hydrogen or coal gas that issues
from the crevices in the roof of the
mines, left the mine filled with after
damp which contains no oxygen and
renders it impossible for life to be sus-
tanned for any time This after-damp
is densest ia the upper part of the mine
and hence the menl hovered near
the bottom but even here they
did not long find relief. OF all the
men VINO were in the heading where
the explosion occurred, Dick Balstry
alone escaped to tell the awful story.
When the explosion came and all the
lights were blown out, Balstrv was
just changing his clothes. He at once
wound part of his clothes tightly
around his face and mouth to keep
the foul air from choking him, and
gave the rest of the garments to his
companions with instructions to take
like precautions. He then started for
the main entrance bidding his com
panions to follow. They ran over the
bodies of men and shattered wagons :;
they could see nothing, but could hear
the groans of dying men. Presently
Balstry's companion protested that
they were not going in the right di-
rection and turned back. Like Lots
wife he perished.
Mr.. Balstry's story gave them little
ground to hope that any could be got
out alive. So dangerous was the
after damp that it was fully 2 hours
before any volunteers could en-
ter the mines. Many were
on hand ready to make
search, but were unable to do so until
the hope of rescuing the unfortunates
alive had quite fled. 1t was about s
o'clock when the first body was
brought out 1t was that of Michael
Repko, Hungarian, whose wife and
two little children were waiting and
weeping at the shaft. The face bore
no marks of violence, and had evi-
IDENTIFY died of suffocation. The work
of rescuing TIE men now went on rap
idly by willing volunteers and by
noon
NINETEEN BODIES
had been carried out. The company S
books were then examined and the
roll called and it was at once ascer-
tanned that all the men were account
ed for. The work proceeded quietly
and with order, amid sobs and sub
dued weeping of the stricken fami-
lies. The bodies were taken to their
homes near by and laid out. Coroner
Barton, of this place, with many citi-
zens, went from here, and the inquest
will begin at o'clock. No testimony
has been taken except that which
identified the dead, the list of whom
is as follows:
Michael Heffern Irishman 3 years burned on
the face: leaves wife and six children.
John Buckley. IriShman 80 ysars, unmarried;
no visible injury.
Patrick Kennedy. rishman ~ years. burned on
the face unmarried; the only child of widow
on the face and body; single
james Baker, lriShman 81 years terribly bIrHed
on the face; leaves wife and two children
David Lloyd, Welshman - years, burned on
the head and face; unmarried
William Davis. Welshman, single, s5 years; nc
marks.
Thomas McGarry, Irish IS years, badly burn
| ed; wife and three children in Cumberland coUn
| ". England.
John Hart. American, 25 years, single; nc
/ marks
Michael Ripko, Hungarian, IS years. wife and :
George Calls Hungarian 25 years, wife in old
country
Daniel Buckner, colored, wife and two chlI
4 dren
John Murray, Irish, 81 years, had been IN Amer
/ lea since May last, wife came in August. ons
| child
Peter Waters Irish 81 years single
Brother Of Mrs Murray, William Staring In
/ tive, aged about 45 wife and four children
Joe BaScs. Hungarian, . years, wife.
Andy warain, German, % years single; sen
/ his wages 10 his mother IN Germany every month
Albion n Hackney. Of this county, 55 years
Garry ( Mair-nothing known about him az
cept that he was from Maryland
Most of the above bore no marks oi