Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-11-22

A special from Pittsburg. kan, says that
The most dreadful disaster in the history ui.
Kansas occurred on Friday. Nov. 9th. When
the msn we're preparing TO leave OF theif
work II Shaft No. 2 at FronteBae. q suburb
cf PittShurg. a terrible explosion was heard
thst shook the earth for q great distance
and completely shattered the shaft. Upon
investigation IL Has found that 1GO men
mere within the mine al the time Of the 81.
plosiop- Being liz feet beiow the surface,
Il Is almost certain that all are deoa.
The only exceptions we're two men 10 q Tar
coming up, and being near the top of the
shoft, managed 10 escape. Pittsbnrg j. in
center Of the coal mines Of Southern Kansas.
and is about one hundred miles south of
kansas City, on the Fort Scott & Gulf road.
The violence 81 the shock was so
great as TO hurl dishes from
shelves end denoiisb chimneys. Half an
hour after the explosion the villagers who
were preparing 20 20 TO the mines. we're
startled By a ragged, bleeding man, who al
most staggered INTO the arms OF the search
sSs. He said that Shaft No. 2 had been de-
stroyed by an explosion, "a that al the
men In the mini at the time. except him
se.f and 8 Dsne whom he tsft bleeding at the
mouth OF the pit, we're undoubtedly
dead. Horses were quickly harBessed
70 wagons, and ia o few minetos the
villagers sere hurrying through fierce SHOW
and sheet storm which Was raging. Al the
mouth OF the mine the tremendous force Of
the explosion was apparent. Their we're
huge seams in the earth and the Embers Of
the hohstiBg apparatus were shiYered and
burned Foul g8sses were eacapinE. The
Dane sho escaped with the man who had
alarmed the Villagers, lay in the mud with
bis face covered with blood, For a long
time IT was thought he vas dead, but
he regained consciousness in a few hours and
b now at HE hons. He cannot speak and
does not know What rgnsed the explosion.
Bls clothes are in ribbons. The man who
reached the village with the first tidinsg of
the disastef, and b accompanied the
rescuers 20 the mine, ssid the men we're
about 10 quit work for the day when the
explosion occurred, Together 9ith the
Dane be had ridden iB the ear 20 the top
Of the seaft, when the earth seemed 10
snap beneath him, add the ueKt thing he ne.
9li1sd was the spiashiDg Of the sno and va
ter upon bis face az Ae lay with his comrade
10 the gTeebags above the mine. Big fires
were built near the mouth ~ the pit aud be-
ride these blazing piles the women Of the en-.
tofnbed miners PLACED their children while
thsg, themselves, tried by all kinds of en-
treaties TO indaee the miners from ths other
shaft 10 cutter the pit and rescue their Felal
tiyes. One F~esening party started down the
thaft al 7 ois1oek, bHt WIS forced % turn
bark, owing 10 the foHiai , Another attempt
was made az . o'e5otk. but tho plueEy
reseusFs We're agHia forced 10 abandon their
work. They could bear no sound
from tbs chambers below, and this
leads old miners 20 b4iieye that on
the men 10 tie sileft have persisted. Other at
lefnpts will be made 10 reaeb the eBIombed
men. Those who started down the shaft
Early In the evening cay that the shock has
destroyed whole dnas, and that II Il proba-
lie that the men 10 the loWeF levels are buried
beneath tons Of State. Biaek damp IL SUP
E.a-H a. aaE .a.a.a A. -.
The miners nc these shafts came originally
from Illinois and Pennsylvania.
4. G. Howard Was arrested nj HcIena. AZ