The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-27
TERRIBLE NINE EXPLOSION.
Frigbtful Result of the Carelessness of
an Anthracite Coal Digger.
Twelve Men Fatally Bruised and Burned, and
Scores of Others Horribly Scared and
Manned for Life-Some PitifuI Scenes.
Special to the rndiAnaDoli, Journal.


WILKEsBARRE, Pa. Nov. 26--At ten minutes
past o'clock this morning terrible explosion
of fire damp occurred at the ConyDgham shaft.
owned and operated by the Delaware e. Hudson
Canal Company, and located in the Second ward
of this city. The block breaker rises in the
centre of q field of main road, which was to-
day covered with six inches of snow.
About fifty men had gone down into the mine
and were sitting in groups about the bottom of
the shaft which is nearly 800 feet below the
surface. waiting for orders to go to work No
work had been done yesterday On account of
Thanksgiving. While the miners were engaged
in genial chats about the happy holiday, the
laundering report of an explosion rang through
the dark corridors, and in a second the frantic
men hurried to the foot of the shaft, all anxious
ly peering upwards In less tina than it takes
to tell it the deadly fame circled around their
heads, and agonizing screams rent the air.
Many fell at once in heap, while others. less
injured, dropped on their keens and stuck their
blistered heads into the stream of water that
ran along the gangway. The fact that the men
were in such close proximity to the bottom of
the shaft, rendered their removal to the surface
safely taken up.
AS they came up to the surface, two or three
at time, the horror-stricken crowds at the
mouth of the shaft peered anxiously at the faces
of the men. It was impossible to recognize any
of them at that time. IN some instances the
skin had been ripped off in masses leaving the
purple flesh exposed, whichIn turn was begrimed
with coal dirt to an extent that made the facial
Disagreement horrible to look at AS each man
was lifted from the cage thick blanket was at
once thrown completely over him and he was
hurried away to one of the neighboring Offices.
Subsequently all were placed in waiting vehicles
and taken to their respective homes All sorts
of conveyances were sent to the scene of the dis
were passed into common coal carts and jolted
over rickety roads and pavements
Your correspondent talked with Mike Clinton,
one of the men who escaped injury He said:
1--WE were all at the foot of the shaft, waiting
for orders to 60 to work. It was about ten min
utes past Z. The inside boss had not arrived.
Most of the men were seated in groups Sud
denly terrific explosion was heard. and in an
instant We were all thrown down on the bottom
of the gangway Some of the mon drove their
faces into the running water. The water was
up to the rail, and we did not know whether we
could work until it was removed"
laborer named Cornelius O'Boyle walked to
a chamber across which little board stuck
with the word "Gas" on it. He either did not
see it, or was careless. Anyway. he went in
with his open lamp, and this set fire to the gas
and caused the explosion.
Fire bosses William Evans and William Will
Jams, both Welshmen. were taken out terribly
l. n. r. i
down after the explosion, and was overcome by
fire damp: he will recover
The explosion was the most serious that has
occurred in the anthracite coal fields this year
1t is now definitely known that forty-two men
are severely burned and others slightly injured.
Twelve of the men will die of their injuries The
scene at the collery while the injured men were
being taken from the shaft was terrible. A
crowd of several hundred persons had gathered
at the mouth of the shaft, among them the
wives, and mothers, and daughters of the in ured
men, AS they were taken out of the pit they
were brought to the engine-house, and the
women made desperate efforts to gain entrance
Their entreaties and frantic demonstrations of
grief were heartrending. but they were sternly
kept outside the building while the black
ened, scorched and bleeding victims of
the disaster were wrapped in blankets
soaked in oil. The floor of the engine house
was covered with writhing human forms so dis
figured by the fire as to be unrecognzable. AS
fast as possible they were taken to the hospital
or TO their homes, and so rapidly was the work
done that by 8 o'clock every one had beer taken
out and carried away. The recovery of the fol-
lowing is beloved TO be hopeless
Hugh Sweeney aged twenty-seven, laborer,
unmarried; Edward Kerns, aged twenty nine,
laborer, unmarried; Richard Coulter, aged TWEEN
ty-six, miner, wife and family; Condy S. Han
non. aged thirty MINER wife and large fam
lily; Thomas O'Brlen, aged thirty, miner, wife
and large family; Cornelius Boyle, aged thirty
eight. miner, wife and family, reported dead;
John Cannon. aged forty miner. wife and family;
Christopher Brundage. aged thirty-fve, laborer,
unmarried Michael O'Brien, aged thirty, la
borer, unmarried; Daniel Ferry, aged thirty
two miner, wife and large family: John Dough-
erty, aged thirty one, laborer, unmarried; Denis
McCabe, aged forty. miner. unmarried.