The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-23

great volume and was fred by a miners lamp.
One of the last men to come out of the mine be-
fore the explosion says he heard Nick Williams
say he was going to knock the door down, and as
he came out he heard heavy pounding, as
though the door was being battered down. The
State Inspector of Mines, on his recent visit
here recommended the company to put in fan.
but this had not been done. There is much talk
OF an indefinite kind about foul air in the mine,
but have not found miner who does not say
that the air was good though I have not been
able to talk with all. McNico the company's
agent who came out from Baltimore to-day says
they have never had trouble with the air, and
always kept head of water.
Mr. James Wilson. shipping clerk was stand
ing fifty feet east of the shaft when the ex-
plosion came. He says: II heard thud which
was accompanied with dense mass of fog and
mud. Before / had time to realize the situa-
tion-in half minute-the second shock came,
a terrific burst of gas ripping off the weather
boarding and demolishing the upper part of the
shaft, thus covering much of it; BUTT had caught
thirty nine poor follows down there, and think
their doom is sealed The engineer blew his
whistles, and this, following the first noise,
was all the notice the town needed.
The people knew there was something wrong
at the mine and those whose husbands. and
fathers, and brothers were down there knew
that, too There was a rush to the works, the
women came focking and then began the
pitiful scenes which you have seen here. 1t was
a terrible sight. There was hope then, and we
at once began putting water down the shaft to
scatter the afterdamp and create draught. Men
tried to get down in the bucket, but they only
got part Of the way, for their lamps went out.
Superintendent Laxton took party down. and a
big chunk of ice hit him on the shoulder and
nearly knocked him out of the bucket. Engineer
Steele went down during Thursday night to fix
the pump and was overcome by the black damp.
He fell and cut his face and bruised himself bad
ly, but is still on duty"
Fireman Carroll, an intelligent, observing
man. says There was nothing the matter with
the air In the mine. It was good, and you may
judge what the men thought Of it when they
could 20 down at in the morning and come up
at in the afternoon. Sometimes they would
sleep down there four or five hours. don't know
what caused this, but don't think the company
can be blamed, nor do think there is that dis
position. The people craZed with grief. and
are not responsible for what they think or say"
At the BOTTOM of the shaft the scene of con-
fusion was horrible-men, mules, shattered cars
and all sorts of debris piled up in confusion.
Men trod on body before they knew how near
they were to the dead. From the wreck below
it is supposed that the explosion was
violent enough to blow the men out of the most
remote rooms, though experts differ as to whether
the shock would necessarily be fatal. The idea
is advanced by the most experienced miners
men knowing the nature of gas-that if the men
were otkilled at once, they would have thrown
themselves on their faces, there being least foul
air on the floor. This gives friends some grounds
for hope, but it is so slight that it is not encour
aged. 1t is believed by some men who are fa-
miliar with mines that the rooms in extreme
portions OF the working" are comparatively free
from gas, and that they may have afforded refuge
to those III or near them. These CLEANS of hope
are met by the afflicted familiesffwith means of
despair. They do not hope
DR.. T. F. Lanham has stood at the shaft all
day, but there is likely to be less need of physi-
clans than Of undertakers. Tonight the rescu-
ing party has got back in the working" about
six hundred feet. finding only destruction along
the way, and will keep up work all night, hoping
to get out bodies for the morning inquest. By
strange fascination, crowds gather around the
spot.
AS fast as the bodies are taken out they will
be received by the jury and taken to
the undertakers' 1t is thought proba-
BILE that some of them were dismem-
bered BY the explosion. The calamity
falls with terrible force this little town.
The recent cold weather froze out the miners,
and they could not work for ten days, and little,
if any. money is coming to the men Oh the death
roll Few of them had any savings, and their
taking off will leave their families in destirution.
In addition to the two young men above
named, who leave young brides under one roof,
John Lambert leaves wife and one
child; John Higgins, wife and
two children; Alvey Nears a wife and four
children Arthur Ogden, wife and three chill
dren: Ross Kelley. wife and three children;
Daniel Miller, who. with his son, has been found
dead. leaves wife and seven children; Isaiah
Timmons and his eldest son are down there, and
wife soon to become mother is left with three
children; Charles Turnkey leaves young wife
and an infant; the three Guys, the two Bartleys
and John Byers are six out of one family; the
two Lamberts were the support of widowed
mother. Recently their brother was sent to the
Weston Insane Asylum where he committed
suicide. The town is able to do little for the
sufferers. The country people will doubtless
aid, but liberal charity can find here good
field for its kind offers.
As my dispatch closes the cage is going down
again. The people still gathered about in
the rain to catch any tidings from below. The
company can make no estimate of money loss,
from the fact that a solid mass of coal and slate
eighty feet thick was demolished by the explo-
sion. It is probable that the company will be
put to a large expense before work can be re-
sunad