Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-02-28

,
and to learn the full extent of the
frightful accident. 1t is thought at
least fifty persons out of seventv-five
IN the mine are killed, or so badly in
jured that Chey will die. Particulars
later
LATER PARTICULARS.
PITTsBURG, 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
COnnelIsville 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 year The works give
employment to about one hundred
men and quite little town has sprung
up, named after the president of the
company. Coal was obtained by
means of a shaft which reaches the
mine a distance of 400 fact
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 he
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 miDe 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 dis ant from the bottom of
the shaft, and therefore 1900 from
the surface opening; yet the report
was heard on the outside for a cOnsid-
cradle distance, and caused such a lar
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, SCATTERING it to
picc es, and the other mule died of
SutfOcatlOn.
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 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 filed 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 la 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 VINO were in the heading where
the explosion occurred, Dick BaIstry
alone escaped to tell the awful story.
When the explosion came and all the
lights were blown out, Balstry was
just changing his clothes He at once
wound part of his clothes tightly
around MS 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
Balstrys companion protested that
they were not going in the right di-
rection and turned back. Like Lots
wife he persisted.
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 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 unfortuuates
alive had quite fed. 1t was about s
o'clock when the first body was
brought out. 1t was that of Michael
Repko, a Hungarian, whose wife and
two little children were waiting and
weeping at the shaft. The face bore
no marks of violence, and had evil
IDENTIFY died of suffocati0n. The work
of rescuing the 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- |
1iac Tho hndioc faBoy 70
homes near by and laid out Coroner