Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-08-31
FATAL FIRE DAMP.
TERRIBLE NINE EXPLOSION IN PENN
SYLVANlA.
Five Men Killed and Two Others Seriously Wounded
The Mine Idle or the Loss Of Life
Would Have Been Appalling.

SCRANTON, Pa, August 30.-A terrible
explosion occurred in the Fair Lawn Col
liery this morning which resulted in the
death of five men. Two Others were
seriously injured John H. Hose and J..
Gallagher, were standing at the head of
the slope at the time OF
the accident and felt the force of the
explosion as the rush of air came out ofthe
mouth ofthe mine They at once started
to go in and ascertain the extent of the
damage. The August quota of coal had
been mined last week and no men were
employed in the mine Word came, how
ever, that party Of
FIVE OR SIX MEN
had gone into the mines TO clear up their
chambers Mine Inspector Hewitt hap
pened to come along about this time, and
he and Gallagher, with party, entered
the mines. Going down to the third or
lower vein they followed the air course
stopping to repair drains to the brattices,
etc, rs they went along. Their
progress was necessarily slow and the course
followed took them to the right hand side
ofthc mines. They at last to point
where they found repairs necessary and re-
turned to the foot of the mines for more
material, when they learned that
GROANS HAD BEEN HEARD
in the gangway. They worked over that
way and found the party who had gone
into the mines before the accident near or
about the entrance of one of the chambers
short distance from the foot of an
inside plane, about lj0 feet from where
the heading branches OF. Three of them
were alive and three were dead. The
killed were Hugh Commons of Bellevue, Ed
ward Gaughan. The first man brought TO
the surface was John Natin, who is
badly burned about the face and arms.
John Herrigan was alive when found
and talked the strongest of all, but he
died before being brought TO the surface.
The next ways John COnnor. He has two
large scalp wounds, a bad cut on the knee,
and another on the arm. His face and
hands are also badly bruised. He was
taken to the hospital. The body of Ed
ward Pearce, fire boss, was found about
$50 feet from the others.
STORY OF \ SURVIVOR.
Patrick ConnOrS says that he and the
others waited for some time at the mouth
of the mine for the fire boss. At last he
came from another vein. He said
he had not been i'll the lower
vein yet but told them to come
on and he would see if 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 a safety lamp
and they had naked lamps.
They stood there waiting for him, when
there was flash and the eXplo-
sion followed lie fell flat on his face. He
felt that he was in too exposed u position
and lcaped TO the side Oft the pillar. To this
action he probably owes his life. When
THE EXPLOSION
was over he called on to the men in total
darkness. Kerrigan, Nafn and Pryle an
swered him, but no word came
from Goughan or ConnorS. kcrriGn
wanted him to try to 20 with him 10 the
foot of the shaft, and he rose on his feet TO
do so, but he felt so sick that hr could not
90 and had 10 lio down again. They
waited there in the blackncSs of night sick,
wounded and helpless, with their dead
comrades lying near them. At last
they heard voices and Common
called. Presently the voices came
nearer, when they saw lights ap-
preaching, and soon the rcscuing party
were with them. The position in which
the bodies were found bears ont
his statement. He could not tell
whether Pierce ignited the gas or
whether it was ignitcd by their lamps.
The explosion came like flash, too quick
ly for any one to tell anything about it.
They had no reason TO expect To find any
gas there. How the fire originated is