St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-23

James Wilson, shipping clerk, was stand
ing fifty feet east of the shaft when the ex-
plosion came. He says:
AN EYEWITNESS.
heard thud, which was accompanied
with dense mass OF fog and mud. Before
had time TO realize the situation, in half a
minute the second shock came a terrific
burst OF gas ripping of Notwithstanding and
demolishing the upper part OF the SHAFT, thus
covering much OF it, but it had caught thirty
nine poor fellows down there, and think
their doom is sealed. The engineer blew his
whistle. This, following the first noise, was
all the notice the town needed. The
people knew there was something 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 Hocking, 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 after damp and create a
draught. Men tried their best TO get down
in the bucket, but they only got part of the
way, for their lamps went out. Supt Lakton
took that party down. 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
badly but he is still on duty.
Truman Carroll, an intelligent, observing
man, says:
There was nothing the matter with the air
in the mine. 1t was good, and you may
judge what the men thought of il when they
could go down at Z 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 think the
company cannot be blamed, nor do think
there is that disposition. The people are
crazed with grief, and are not responsible for
what they think or say.
AT THE BOTTOM
of the shaft the scene of the wreck and con-
fusion was horrible. Mules. shattered cars
and all sorts of debris were piled up in con-
fusion. Men trOd on body before they
knew how near they were to the dead.
From the wreck below, il is supposed 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
that the most experienced miners, knowing
the nature of the gas, if they were not
killed at once, would have thrown
themselves Oh their faces. there being least
foul air on the floor. This gives friends
some grounds for hope, but it is so slight
that ii is not encouraged. 1t is believed by
SOIIt lliCH MllO dlC ldflllldI WIFI ullllCS lLdl
the rooms in extreme portions of the work
ing are comparatively free from gas, and
that they may have afforded refuge to those
near them. These CLEANS of hope are
met by the afflicted families with means of
despair. They do not hope. DIR. Z. +.
Lanham has stood at the shaft all day, but
there is likely TO be less need of physicians
than of undertakers. Tonight the rescue
party has got back in the working about
600 feet, finding only destruction along the
way, and will keep up the work all night,
hoping to get out the bodies for the morn
ing inquest. By strange fascination the
crowds stand rooted TO the spot, the glare
of the burning coke ovens just over the
charnal house lighting up the sad and hag-
gard faces from which hope has fled. When
the bodies are taken out they will be re-
ceived by the jury and taken To the under
takers to be dressed as well as can be done
before the friends and nearer ones come to
claim them. 1t is thought probable that
some of them were dismembered by the eX
ploSion.
THE CALAMITY
falls with terrible force on the 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 who are on the death roll. Few of
them had any savings. and their taking off
will leave their families in destitution. 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 chill
dren; Alvey Nears, wife and four chill
dren; Arthur Ogden, wife and two chill
dren; Ross Kelly, wife and three chill
dren. Daniel Miller, who with his son has
been found dead. leaves a wife and seven
children. Isaac TimmonS and his eldest
son are down there, and wife, soon to be-
come mother, is left with three children.
Charles Tunley leaves a young wife
and infant. The three GAYS.
the two Bertleys and John
Byer are six out of one family.
The two Lamberts were the support of a
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
county will doubtless aid, but a liberal
charity can find here a good field for its
kind offices. AS my dispatch closes the
cage is going down again. The people are
still gathered about in the rain to catch any
tidings from below. The company can
make no estimate of the money loss from
the fact that solid mass of coal and slate
eighty feet thick was demolished by the ex-
plosions. 1t is probable that the company
will be put to large expense before the
work can be resumed.
HOW 1T HAPPENED.
While the day shift of the miners were at
work in the mine, which is located near the
outskirts of the town, the air was suddenly
filled with most tremendous explosion.
the force of which knocked men down in
the streets half mile away, shattered win
dows and doors all over town and even
crushed the stout sides of frame buildings
for long distance around the mouth of the
Oriel mines while from the deep shaft of
the cOlliery dense cloud of mingled smoke
and vapor arose 200 feet in the air. A
rush was at once made for the mouth of
the mine. In moment hundreds of citi-
zens had congregated about the shaft, their
faces filled with CONSERVATION. The shock
was heard ten miles away The mine at
midnight was one calculated 10 bring tears
to the hardest eyes, fathers, mothers,
brothers and sisters of the dead men filling
the air with their lamentations, while hop
ing against hope that their loved ones may
be restored to them. The Oriel Coal COM
pany was formed in 1856. when the Hiscock
q Rushley Coal company was bought out.
The superintendent is Lawrence Henry.
who was appointed at the time the mine
changed hands The slope where the acci-
dent occurred is but two years old. and is
about a mile from the other outlets to the
mine. For twenty-five years the company
has averaged $50 tons of coal per day, and
was the principal industry of this place, af
fording employment to about $50 men.
The company has large force of men di-
Vided into reliefs al work at the mine.
Inspection at NanticOke.
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