The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1886-12-02
THE DEADLY DAMP.
Another Pennsylvania Coal Mine Horror
An Ekp,osiom Iinries Over FifIY Men.

| Another Pennsylvania Coal Mine Horror
An Explosion Buries Over Fifty Men.
WLKEsBARRE Pa, Nov. 2G.-ShOrty
after the miners and Iaborers entered the
Couynghan shaft this morning an explo-
sion Of gas took place. Between twenty
and thirty miners are said TO DO killed,
badly burned or seriously injured This
shaft is known to contain considerable gas
aud Is owned aud operated by the
Delaware IL Hudson Coal Company
The explosion occurred in a
sIIanty at the foot of the shaft, which was
| occupied 10y the fire boss. No work was
done yesterday consequently there was a
larger quantity Of gas than usual in the
shaft. The men are new being removed
from the pit aud taken to their homes or TO
the hospital in ambulances and wagons.
LATER DISPATCH.
The accident in the COyngham shaft Oc-
cured at ten minutes past seven this morn.
ing, While the men were getting ready TO 70
TO work. About fifty meE, mineIs and
abOrcrs, were sitting at the foot of the
shaft awaiting for the inside boss when a
terrible explosion took pace. Only
three or four, as far as can be as
cerlainCd escaped without injury. Most
| of tue men were sent to their homes at
| once and as they are scattered far and near,
| long distances from the shaft, no account of
| the result of the injuries at this writing can
be obtained. 1t is known, however, that
several, possibly twelve or fifteen, viii de,
Others will be Scared and manned
| for life. Tie disaster was caused
| by Cornelius Boyle, a miHe
lahorer, who stepped into worked.
out chamber which was filled with gas with
a lighted lamp in his hat. Boyle will die.
| Many mu,cs were killed and wounded. The
| damage to the inside workings of the shaft
| is great. Fire Bosses William Williams and
| William Evans are reported fatally burned.
! There is great excitement in aud about the
| shaft.
TERRIBLE SCENES.
Wiki SBAERE Pa. Nov. 27.-The scene
| at the COnyngham coliery while the injured
men were beiEg taken from The shaft was
terrible. \ crowd Of several hundred per-
sons had gathered at the month Of tho
shaft, among them the wives mothers and
daughters Of the injured 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 terrible, but they were kept out
side the building while the biackened,
scOrthed and bleeding victims were
wrapped in blankets soaked IN oil. The
floor Of the eng ne house was covered with
writhing human forms so distigured by the
fire as to be unrecognizabie. AS fast as
possible they were taken TO the hospital or
TO their homes, and so rapidly was the work
| done that by nine O'Clock every one had
been taken oat and carried away.
The recovery of the following is believed
to be hopeless: Hugh Swecny, aged -,
laborcr, unmarried; Edward kerns, aged
80, laborer, unmarried; Richard Coulter,
aged 20, miner, wife and family; Condy
Shannon, aged 81, miner, wife and large
family; Thomas O'Brien, aged so, minrr,
wife and large family; Cornelius Boyle,
| aged IS, miner, wife and family, reported
dead; John Cannon, aged 40, miner, wife
and family; Christopher Brundage, aged
35, lahOrer, unmarried; Mich 'el O'Brien,
aged 80, labOrer, unmarried; Daniel Ferry,
aged 81, MINER wife and large family; John
DOugherty, aged 81, laborer, unmarried ;
| Denis McCabe, aged 40 miner, unmarried.
| HOW IT OCCURRED.
| While the miners were engaged in genial
| chats the laundering report of all explosion
! rang through the dark corridors and in 4
! second the frantic men hurried to the foot
! of the shaft, all anXOusly pePrng upward
| IN less time than it takes to tell it the
! deadly gas flame circled around their heads
and agoniZ ng screams rent the air. Many
! fell at once in heap, while Others, less ii!-
! iured, dropped on their knees and put their
! bllstercd heads into the stream of wafer
! that ran along the gangway. The tact that
! the men were in such close proximity to the
shaft rendered their removal TO the surface
an expeditions matter. In two hours all
were safely taken up. AS they came up TO
the surface, two or three at time, the
! horrorstrcken crowds at the mouth of the
shaft peered amXOusly at the faces of the
men. 1t 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, which in
turn was begrimed with coal dirt u an
extent that made the facial Disagreement
horrible to look at. AS each man was
lifted from the cage a thick blanket was
thrown completely over him and lie was
| hurried away TO one of the neighbOrng
offices. Some were taken to their homes.
All sorts Of conveyanceS were sent TO the
scene. It was a cruel sight to see many OF
the sufferers passed into common coal carts
and jOlted over rickety roads and DaVementS.