The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-03-09
THE DEADLY DAMP
WORKS DESTRUCTION ~ a MISE
At DunbAr, Pa.-TwO Men Killed Outright
and a Number Fatally InIursd-Ths
Terrible Force OF the Shock,
The Pit Takes FtrS.

| Eho Flt Taxes Ffe'
CoSNELLsvlLLE, Pa, March s,-Shortiy
alter noon to-day series Of explosion
took place in the Uniondals mine, at Dun
bar, four miles from here, by which two
men were killed and twelve others rOCsiv
ed injuries which will prove fatal in a
least four cases, The cause Of the explo
sion was Gre damp. There we're twenty
three men in the pit, nine Of whom mana
ged to escape uuiuiursd, The frat explo'
sion occurred about 1890 o'clock thli
afternoon. 1t was a terrific shock and
was followed by two others in quick
succession few minutes later. The 6rst
explosion caused the death OF the two
men and injured three. The rest ran
toward the mouth Of ths pit, but beEors
they reached 1t the other explosion GO,
CURED. There was an uphsGYal OF earth,
coal dust aud other debris. The lights
were blown out, the dust blinded the men
and the passagswRys were blocked up and
cut 0f all escape, "
THE PIT TAKES FIRE.
The pit was on 6re and a horrible death
awaited the imprisoned miners, Nine oil
them who had been working in another
entry managed to make their way out
before the mouth OF the pit was choked
up. The force Of the shock caused by the
nv nlnaian nAn ha i,,a0taal an 70 ,ausal
the men in the Morrell, OolYln and
Wheeler the adjoining mines, to drop
their tools and rush panic stricken ID the
top. Imagining that the mines were being
lifted heRyenWSrd, The ground rolled and
quaked 80 that many fell down and three
or four In the Morrell mine, which con,
meets with the Unlondale, were violently
thrown againat the walls and seriously in.
lured. Everybody rushed toward the
uniondale mine,
RRscUERs AT WORK.
Columbus Shay, Of the Mshoning works,
and James Henderson, otthe Colviu mine,
headed rsscuing party and went to work
with picks and shovels to force an en-.
trance to their Inflated companions. 10
few minutes an opening was made and
several rushed forward to enter the mine,
but were repelled by q volume OF flames.
1t took several minutes for the smoke aud
fire TO clear away, and the rescusrs were
compelled to walt. The cries OF pain and
the moans Of the injured were pitlahle
indeed. They were lying In every direc.
tion, buried under masses Of debris. Sew.
eral Of them were horribly burned. Their
sulterlngs were terrible. Twelve Of them
were found In dying condition. Two
others were dead, manEled almost into an
unacceptable mass,
THE KILLED ANN INJURED.
The names Of the killed are,
JOHN WILIANS, trackmGn, aged 40; leaves
wife and four children.
JOSEPH Corr, miner, aged 50; leaves vile
and nine children.
INjuRgD-JACon Core, H., aged 10; burn.
ed internally and externallyj cannot
live.
GAL. MARTIN, aged 10, burned about tho
head and internally cannot recover.
WILLIAM STARRING, colored, burned and
and internally injured will probably die.
sMALLEV MARTIN, leg broken.
WN. SuAw, aged 10, dangerously burned.
ISAAC FREY.
PETER BLUNT (colored.)
HIRAM HIGnIE.
WM. Ross.
ILIos, OWENS, pit boAS,
Will HARMON,
PErHa KRADNs.
All these are more or less injured.
Several Of them will be injured for life.
It was the frat day Cope and bis son
had worked In the mine. Oopss body
was found under wagon, torn and man.
gled. Williams was lying next to a dead
mule, which had evidently crushed his
head In.
Mine Inspector j. ]. Davis and Charles
Conner, member OF the Board Of Mine
Examiners, left for the mine this evening
to inquire into the cause OF the explosion.
They made superficial examination.
Nothing will be disturbed inside OF the
mine until the Coroner impanels q Jury in
the morning, hence 1t is impOssible TO es.
innate tho extent Of damage to the mine.
WHAT oNR or THE NINE OWNERS SAYS.
Mr., James NJ. Reed, one Of the owners
Of the mine, attributes the explosion to
fire damp, which came from the Morell
mine belonging 10 the Cambria Iron Com.
pany. The Uniondale mine, he said, was
always free from gas. 1t was recently in.
spscted and found in excellent condition.
The reason why we never employed fire
boss was because his services would have
been unnecessary, as our mine never gen.
Grated gaet although It has been
worked for several years. In the
lower portion Of the pit the air iB
as pure as on the outside, 30 pure
In fact that Ice has formed on the grounds.
That certainly indicate the absence oi gas,
Our men were working to-day In the low.
or portion Of the mine near the Monell.
| suppoEe one OF them struck bis pick
through wall OF one Of the abandoned
chambers In the Morrell mine which was
filled with gas. II found an outlet into
our pit and ignited from miners lamp.
THE SECOND EXPLOSION.
The second explosion was caused by
young Cope, who, in his agony and suffer.
Ing, did NOT forget his father. lie lit q
match to look for him and the gas again
ignited and exploded. l cannot account
for the shrleks which followed.
II 10 the opinion here that II q fife boss
had been employed the explosion would
not have occurred. Experts say that gas
will generate In mines when II Ia least ex.
pegted. The coroner and Mine Inspector
will make q thorough investigation aud
endeavor to 4 the blame. The last mine
disaster Of this kind ID this region oc,
cufFed at the youngstown mine, near
Vniontown, In October, 1884, when four.
teen people were killed. In February OF
the Batne year nlneteeti men Nefe Filled