The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-08-31
MINE DISASTER
NEAR SCRANTON, YESTERDAY,
Resulting in the Death of Five Moa-,rer.
riblo Experience of Miners Alone with
Their Dead Comrades In Total Dark,
ness-How tho Explosion Occurred.

SCRANTON, Pa, August SO.-A terrible
explosion occurred in the Fair Lawn col
liery this morning which resulted in the
death of Ave men, Two Others were seri.
ously injured. John H, Hose and ], Gal
lsgher were standing at the head Of the
slope at the time Of the accident and one
ielt the force OF the explosion as the rush
Of air came out oil the mouth OF the mine,
They at ouCe started to go in aud ascertain
the extent OF the damage, The August
quota Of coal had been min
ed last week aud no men
were employed in the mine, Word came,
however, that a party Of five or six men
had gone into the mines to clear up their
chambers, Mine Inspector Bleasit hap
pened to come along about this time aud
he and Gallagher with party en-
tered the mines, going down to the third
or lower vein and then followed the
air course, stopping to repair damage
es they went along. Their progress was
necessarily slow and the course followed
took them 10 the right hand aide OF the
mines, They came ut last to q point
where they found repairs necessary and
returned to the foot Of the mine for more
material when they learned that
gIoans had been heard in the
gangWay, They returned that way
and found the party who had
gone In the mineB before the accident near
or about the entrance OF one oil the cham
bers, short DISTANCE from the foot OF an
inside plane about 100 feet from where
the heading branches of, Three Of them
were alive and three were dead.
THE DEAD AND WOUNDED.
The first man brought to the sur.
face was John Noln, who is badly burned
about the face and arms, John Kerrlgan
was alive when found and talked the
strongest Of all, but he died before being
brought 10 the surface. The next man
was John Conner, He has two large scalp
wounds, a cut on the knee and another In
the arm. His face and hands arc badly
bruised. He was taken to the hospital.
The body Of Edward Pierce, fire boss, was
found about 100 feet from the others.
Patrick Connors says that he and the
others waited ior some time at the
mouth Of the mine for the fire
boss. AT last he came from an.
another vein. He said he had not been
In the lower vein yet, but told them TO
come on and he would SEQ II everything
was all right. They went to the foot Of
the new road, when Pierce went ahead to
where he had box with some lamps and
oil In it. He carried safety lamp and
they had naked lamps. They stood there
waiting for him when suddenly there
was flash, and the explosion followed.
AMID DEATH AND DARKNESS.
He fell flat on his face. He felt that he
was in too exposed position and leaped
to the eide Of the pillar. So to this action
he probably owes his life. When the ex.
plosion was over he called out to
the men in total darkness. Kerrigan
Nafin and Pryle answered him, but no
word came from Ganniglan or COnnors.
Kerrigan wanted him to try to 20 with
him to the foot, and lie rose on hi1 feet to
do so, but he feltao sick that he could not
go and had to lie down again.
They waited there in the blackness OF
night, sick, wounded and helpless with
their dead comrades lying near them. At
last they heard voices and Oonnors
called. Presently the voices came
nearer, when they saw lights
approaching and soon the rcscuing party
were with them. The position in which
the bodies were found bears out his state.
ment. He could not tell whether Pierce
lgnited the gas or whether 1t was ignited
by their lamps.
The explosion camo like flash, too
quickly for anyone 10 tell anything about
IL. They had no reason to expect to find
any gas there. How the fire originated Is
a mystery.