The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-04-05
A MINING HORROR.
An Explosion In . Missouri ColIiery
Causes Great Slaughter = Forty Five
Lives Lost-Many Miners stiil In the Pit
Thrilling StOrv Of the Disaster.

an EXPLOSION In . missouri COIIl0ry
Causes Great Slaughter = Forty-Fiv
Lives Lost-Many Miners stiil In the Pit
Thrilling Story Of the Disaster.
Rich HILL, Mo, March 30 Slaughter. the
like OF wi hich has never before occurred in
Missouri, took place in Keith & Perry's mine
No o. at 1915 o'clock yesterday. Seventy
men were at work in the mine and fifteen
had just come up and were standing
at the mouth of the shaft when volcanic
explosion took place that shook the earth
for miles around, and was followed
by Lnrst of flame from the mouth
OF the shaft that leaped fifty feet
in the air. The first shock was
followed by q second, as violent and as
terrible in its destructiveness as its
predecessor
The panic and excitement were SO great
that it was impossible to ascertain the
names or exact number OF the dead. A
conservative estimate places the number Of
dead at forty-fye. There was still alive
large number in the shaft The majority
Of the miners were negroes who came from
Springfield, Ill, when the mine was opened
less than year ago. The superintendent
of the mine tells the following:
AT just seven III .nntes after noon was tel.
ephoned that an explosion had occurred at No.
went out as soon as possible and found the
south cage. on which the men always
ascend, stuck in the shaft, about half
way from the bottom. with eight men
on 1t. / went down on tub lowered
with ropes and found them all badly burned
and in frenzy. in fact they were crazy, some
shouting and others singing found it impos-
sibe TO have this cage hoisted, as the timbers
were all blown out Of position We finally man.
aged to hoist them by means of ropes and pull
leys. in faintng condit on, and it was then
ascertained that the north cage could be
worked by clearing some tmbers which had
been driven through from the south shaft.
This was done by saving them short cH I
then called for volunteers TO go down with me
to see il any OF the poor fellows at the bottom
could be got out. Robert Brick George Henry,
Charles Smallwood and Mat Dulehand re-
sponded.
when we reached the bottom I looked
through into the entry and saw light. and
asked who was there, and a voice responded
Gray and told him to put out his light. /
then asked him TO crawl to me. but he was so
exhausted that ne could not do So and reached
through the small aperture and dragged him
onto the cage.
"Jast rs this was done wind rushed up the
entry with the velocity OF cyclone putting
out all our lights but one. This was fol-
lowed BY two loud reports and q seething flame
OF fire, which came with . deafening roar,
completely enveloping US for a length of time
which seemed Ike IN age and shot out Of the
mouth Of the shaft 40 feet above our heads.
We were all horribly burned and thought our
time had come. Tie flames decreased rs sud
denly as they had come and we had to abandon
the attempt to save the others. yelled to the
men on the top TO hoist away but it was some
time before they got the signal or under
stood my meaning. The moments thus spent
were u living death. l thought they could
not hear ME and concluded we would have
to crawl through into the south shaft and
undertake TO climb out that way. Twas just in
| the act Of doing when felt the cage move
ard VIC ascended about thirty feet, when the
cage began descend l thought the ma.
chine-y was broken and that We were falling 70
an awful and &C. tain death.
The wall that Went up from these men WAS
heartrenaing and shall never forget it. The
knowledge that at the top were their wives ex.
tending their arms ready to clasp and shield
| them from further danger was maddeninS
enough to destroy reason. All at once. how
| ever the cage came to a sudden stop and again
began responding to pressure OF ropes and pull.
leys and we were soon at the top"