The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-09-07
A FATAL EXPLOSION.
Five Men Killed by Fire Damp i'm
a Pennsylvania Coal
Mine.

Scranton, Pa. Aug. 30.-A terrible ex-
plosion occurred In ia FAIR Lawn colliery
this morning which resulted In the death
of FIVE men. Two Others were seriously in
jured. John n. Hosie and J. Gallagher
were standing at the head of the slope ut
the time Of the acid; mt and felt the force
of the ex plosion as the rush of air came out
nf the mouth of the mine. They at once
started TO 60 in and ascertain the extent OF
the damage. The August quota of coal
had been mined last week aud the
men were employed in the mines, wor !
came, however, that party OF five or six
men had gone into the mines to clear up
their chambers Inspector Blewitt happen
ed to come along about this time and he
and Gallagher with a party entered the
mines going down TO the third and lower
vein and
THEY FoLLwED THE AIR COURSE,
stopping to repair damages to the brattice,
etc., as they went along. Their pro-
greSs was nee ssarily slow and the
course they followed took them to the
right bend of the mine. They
came at last to point VIII, re they found
repairs necessary and returned to the foot
Of the mines for more material when they
learned that groans had been heard in the
east gangway and found the party who
had gone in the mines before the accident
near or about the entrance OF one OF the
chamber, short distance from the foot of
an inside plane about one hundred and
fifty feet from where the heading branches
of.
THREE OF THEM WERE ALIVE
andthree dead. The killed were Hugh
Conners, Of Bellevue, Edward Gaughan
and Michael Saylr. The first man brought
10 the surface was John Natir, who Is
badly burned about the face and arms
John Kerrigan was alive when found and
talked the strongest of all, but he died
before being brought TO the surface. The
next was John CcnnerS. He has two
large scalp wounds. bad cut ON the knee
and another on the arm. His face and
hand are badly bruised. He was taxed to
the hospit !. The body of
EDWARD PIERCE, THE FIRE BoS>,
Il found about 100 feet from the others
Patrick Conner SAYS that he and the others
waited Tor sometime at the mouth OF the
vein Tor the fire boss. At last he came
FROM another vein. He said he had not
been in the lower vein but told them to
come on and ne 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 stood there waiting for him, when
suddenly there was 4 flash and the ex-
plO>ion followed quickly.
HE FELL FLAT ON His FACE.
He felt that he was in too exposed posi-
ton and escaped to the side of a pillar, TO
this action he probably owes his life.
When the explosion was over he called
out to the men in total darkness
an: Kerrigan Nafin and Pryle answered
but no word came from Gaughan or Con-
ners. Kerrigan wanted him to try to go
with him TO the foot and he rose on his
feet to do 30 but he felt so sick that he
would not 60, 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 Common called
presently the voices came nearer, they saw
lights approaching and soon the rescuing
party with them. How the fire originated
is a mystery.