The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-11-04
1 COAL MIME HORROR.
An Explosion of Gas Caused by q
Workman's Negligence.
Terrible Scenes Of Death at the
Bottom Of the Mine.

A Wilkesbarre Penn.) dispatch gives the
following particulars Of a coal mine horror
near that city:
A terrible explosion Of gas occurred this
morning in No. 2 colliery at Plymouth, ope-
rated by the Delaware and Hudson coal COM
pany, by which four men were killed, five were
fatally injured and a dozen others were severe
ly hurt. The dead are as follows: John Levin
skey, Dennis Titus, Andrew Spennette,
Thomas Collins. Fatally :njured-Frank
Lomareux, Thomas Howard, William Col
Inns, William Evans, Edward Jones, Anthony
Spennette.
The mine is one of the largest in thisregion,
hoists on an average three hundred and
twenty-five cars a day, and employs between
600 and 500 men and boys. The colliery has
always been considered safe. Twelve years ago
the Hillman vein was struck and work COM
menced upon it. Last January, however, it
was abandoned and since then the gas has
accumulated in large quantities in the
notified not to enter the chamber with naked
lamps, and as an extra precaution a signal
board was put up, warning "An hands to
keep out" a
This order was strictly obeyed until Z
o'clock this morning, when a laborer named
John Levinsliey, who had been in this coun-
try a little over a year, and could not read
ENSllSu, WdlheO luVO Iuo SdSSy CuoAAoc1 W1ohs
a naked lamp in his hat. The next moment
two terrific explosions occurred and the
miner was hurled into eternity. Seventeen
miners and laborers, who were digging coal
near by, were hurled in all directions. togeth-
er with coal, cars, rails, ties and everything
else, including two mules. The force OF the
explosion was terrific, and when the gas
caught fire the flames rushed up to the fan.
house and scared twenty feet in the air
ohoyo n 5;ofopca NJ Urn foot from tho ocano
of the explosion.
The scene below where the dead and dying
lay beggars description. All was confusion;
cars were piled up promiscucusly, railroad,
rails torn up, doors broken down and beneath
all the debris lay the unfortunate men, whose
screams of agony were heartrending. As
quickly as possible a rescuing party was
organized and the work Of taking out the
dead and injured began. Dennis Titus was
found 200 yards from the place where
he had been digging coal Part of his head
and a leg were blown off, and almost every.
bone in his body was broken. Andrew pen-
nette was thrown against the gangways and
horribly mangled. Thomas Collins was
pinioned under q cal, where he had been
thrown by the force of the. explosion. He
was almost u~nrecognizable, being terribly
the catastrophe was found burned and bat.
tered in q frightful manner.
Five others were found terribly injured,
all being badly burned, and none Of them are
expected to recover. The following are SER
iously injured and some Of them may die,
all being badly burned, the doctors saying
that they are burned internally. having
breathed the flames: Thomas McDermott,
Sandy Love, John Colby, John Karst,
David Grimes, John Woods, Joseph Thomas
and three others.
The scene at the mouth Of the mine, when
the dead and dying were taken up, cannot be
described. The noise of the explosion was
heard in the houses on the surface. The peo-
pie rushed to the breaker, and their grief
knew no bounds as they saw husbands
brothers and sons horribly burned, the flesh
hanging in threads from their bodies and
those not dead crying upon God to relieve
them Of their sufferings.
As fast as thu victims were taken up from
the death-hole they were taken in charge OF
by physicians, who dressed their wounds,
after which they were taken to their homes.
The town is in mourning over enc great dis.
before morning. @ re