The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1888-11-17
FOUR SCORE KILLED.
One Hundred and Sixty Golfers En-
trapped in the Mine at Fronte-
mac, Kansas.
Forty Bodies Thus Far Recovered
and .. Many Merc stiii An the

A dispatch from Pitisburg, Kas., dated
Sunday, says; The explosion In shaft No. 2
Of the Cherokee A. Pittsburg Coal Coinpany's
mine at Frontenac, kas., Friday night prov
ed TO be the most appalling that has ever oc-
CURED IN this country and brought death 10
the homes Of dozens OF families In PIttsburg.
Frontcnac, and Glrard. The explosion oc-
Cured M 80 o'clock, when the usual daily
blast II fired One of the blasts proved TO be
defective and shot stream OF fame into the
air. igniting the sas and fine particles OF coal
dust stirred up by two previous blasts, and
In an instant terrific explosion took place,
which knocked all OF the miners on
their faces, hurled masses OF coal upon them,
and shook every part Of the minc. One hun
drcd and sixty-four men were In the mine,
and Of that number about half We're uninjur-
ed and found their way TO the air shaft and
escaped. The explosion was heard in every
part OF Frontenac and Pttsburg, and in an
incredibly short time the road leading 10 the
mine was thronged with wives, mothers, and
daughters OF the miners with looks OF terror
depicted upon their faces Fastening 10 the
scene.
Hundreds OF citizens and miners Joined
the throng OF anxious relatives about the
shaft and as a fortunate miner emerged from
the arr shaft I'm safety he was seized by his
wife, mother or daughter and carried OF
home. ON account OF the air fan being dam
aged and the shaft blockaded by the debris
the work Of rescuing could not be begun UNI
al after midnight, when rescuing party de-
seconded the shaft and begun searching for
the living. The most horrible sight met their
gaze. The dead lay in piles in every entry
on the north and west sides, while the pas-
sageways were strewn with dead men, mules
and wrecked carts The air was bad and a
number OF the rescung party Were prostrat-
ed and had 90 be carried out, but their places
were supplied with ready volunteers. In
some entries every man was dead and man
glcd aud burned In the most horrible man
ner. Here and their in projected spots a man
was found yet alive, and he was quickly car
ried Ia the surface, where n large force Of
physicians had been organized 10 receive him.
Only fourteen OF such were found, but the
last one was not rescued until after daylight
Monday morning. They were all terribly
burned and the greater part OF them will yet
die. Arrangements were then made 10 bring
up the dead, and at noon that work was be-
gun and carried OH rapidly. Thirty-six
bodies were found In three entries on the
north aud west sides, where the work had "a
be stopped until other parts OF the mine
could be secured SO that II could be explored
and the dead recovered II will require three
days 10 get all the bodies, and, as many are
burned aud mangled beyond recognition, the
the names OF all IN; dead VIII never be
learned.
The portions not explored contain a large
number of bodies, which will swell the num-
Der lost 10 nearly seventy, but the supcrin-
tcndent refused permission 10 inspect the
books and their names can only be learned
when they were brought 10 the surface and
identified.
AS the night wore on the work OF recover
ing the bodies confined until the floor OF the
engine house was strcwn with manglcd men.
The bodies We're placed In rows upon the
ground, where the rain and snow beat upon
them. Most OF the victims were shockingly
mutilated. Some were so disfigurcd as 10 be
unacceptable; all were covered with blood
and dust, and many were almost stripped OF
their clothes. There was nothing left Of the
first man brought up from the dreadful hole
bat bleeding pulpy trunk. The head and
arms aud legs had been blown off. Many of
the scarchers tainted at their work. Others,
stimulated by brandy and the entrcates of
the demoniacal women, continued mt ther
ble~pdy task all through the night. Some Of
the victims were not dishgurcd. They wer.
In a chamber least affected by the shock, and
died Of asphyxiatIon.
As fast as the bodies were brought 10 the
surface there was q rush made 10 Identity
them, and dozen women In many eases be-
ing engaged at one time In scanning the bleed
ing face Of some unfortunate. There are
still about fifty bodies in the lower levels
Some OF the victims were found buried be.
meath immense weights OF slate, while others
were discovered In groups and in all kinds OF
positions. Two men who have not been
identified were 80 tightly locked in each 9TH
er's arms that II was with great difficulty
they were torn apart. Their eyes had been
blown out by the explosion, and their faces
30 horribly crushed that the bones were
ground into the flesh
The most astonishing escape recorded dur
ing the whole history OF the disaster was
made to-day. IL amounted 10 almost n mir
acle, and the lucky fellow. taken from the
grave itself. was surrounded by curious
and almost incrcdulous crowd all the morn
ing. Al o'clock this morning the relief
squad working at the foot OF the main shaft
were astonishcd 10 see an apparition APP
preaching them. IL was not one OF their
party and they did not believe that there was
living man In the mine besides the rescuers.
Their surprise can therefore be imagined
when the mysterious visitor staggered up 10
them dimly outlined by the uncertain light
OF their lamps, and greeted them with, "Hcre
fellows, let me have light" IL was Henry
Burns, who had for thirty-slx hours been
counted among the lost lie was quickly
taken 10 the surface and there told the story
OF one OF the most remarkable escapes from
death on record. He was slightly dclerlous,
but there was considerable coherencv In his