Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-11-23
AWFUL MINE DISASTER.
A Terrible Explosion IN a Coal Kline
Near Pitlsburg. Kansas-ORe Hun
dred and Fifty Eight 1Len
Probably Killed
Only -Four Eseape-NO one Able to Tell
the Cause OF the Dire explosion
Rescuers Driven Back by
the Flames.

P1rrsBURG, KAN, November 10.-Of 162
men who went to work in shaft No. 2 at
Frontenac, near here this morning, only
four have yet left the mine alive, and it will
be almost a miracle If every poor miner still
ID the shaft is not now beyond the reach Of
aid.
This. the Worst mine disaster in the his
tory of Kansas, occurred at O'Clock this
afternoon and was due to an explosion of
some kind-either Of fire damp, as the in
flammabIe gas found in all bituminous
mines Is called, or of blasting powder used
by the men IN getting out the coal.
About the hour named, so far as can be
learned here tonight the people above the
ground in the vicinity of the shaft of death
were startled by a duh, rum bling sound
which was at once known to have proceeded
from the mine.
Men, women and chiIdren-relatiYes and
families of the men belOW-gathered with
pitiful expressions of foreboding of disaster
on their faces about the mouth of the shaft
and anXiOusly inquired for news. In mo-
ment came the word that the first Fremont
tiOns of disaster were likely to be fulfilled
as an explosion, the cause of which could
not be determined, had occurred IN the
mine and it would only be miracle If any
Of the miners left the shaft alive.
ONLY FOUR RESCUED ALIVE.
Rescuing parties were at once formed,
even women volunteering their assistance,
and, as the machinery above ground had
not been injured, the first party was sent
below.
Soon the signal came to hoist the cage
and few minutes later four men were
brought to the surface alive. They were
daZed and unable to give even the slightest
explanation or account of the disaster. All
they could say was that there was little or
no hope that any of those below could be
saved.
Some time later, according to the last ad-
vices from the pit of death, one of the res
cuing party returned to the surface and re-
ported that the mine was badly chOked with
debris and the air so foul 1t was with diff
Guilty the men could work aud it was doubt
full whether their labOrs would bring forth
even the most sOrrOWful fruit before morn
There were 1872 men at work in the mine
to-day and of these four have been rescued
and hopes are entertained that some who
were farthest from the scene of the exDlO-
sion may yet be alive, but 1t IS regarded as
almost certain tonight that at least $50
men have persisted and that the FrOntenac
mine will long be known as the scene of the
most terrible disaster in the history Of Kan
sas.
A special from Pittsburg, Kan, to the
Republic gives the following account of the
coal mine explosion there this evening: ga
terrific explosion that broke windows in
this little village and spread CONSERVATION
among its inhabitants occurred at dusk to-
night. The violence of the shock was so
great as to hurl dishes from shelves and de-
mOlish chimneys. Half an hour after the
explosion the villagers, who were preparing
to go to the mines, were startled by
ragged, bleeding man who almost staggered
into the arms of the searchers. He said
that No. 2 shaft at FrOntenac, a mining su-
burb Of this village had been destroyed by
an explosion and that all the men In the
mine at the time, except himself and a
Dane, whom he left bleeding a5 the mouth
H. rN-.N I'LL a
were quickly harnessed to wagons and in q
few minutes the villagers were hurryiBg
through fierce snow and sleet storm which
was raging.
cat the mouth of the mine the tremend
Gus force of the explosion was apparent.
There were huge seams in the EARTH and the
timbers OF the hosting apparatus were shIv-
cred and burned. Foul gases were escaping.
The Dane who had escaped with the men
who alarmed the villagers lay in the mud
with ms face covered with blood. For a
long time 1t was thought he was dead, but
he Tegained consciousness IN q few hours
and Is now at his home. He cannot speak
and does not know what caused the eXpIO-
I 8 on. his clothes were IN ribbons.
''Ihe men who reached this village with
the first tidings Of the disaster and who &C
cOmpanled the rescuers back to the mine,
said the men we're about to quit work for
the day when the explosion occurred. To-
gether with the Dane he had ridden in the
car to the top Of the shaft when the earth
Z
! thing he realized was the splashing of the
snow and water upon his face as he lay with
| his comrade IN the wreckage above the mine.
! There were $50 men in the mine at the time
| Of the explosion, and as they were at work
/ 112 feet below the surface, it Is believed that
no one survived the shock, as the explosion
must have destroyed everything in the pit
/ ''Big fires were built near the mouth of the
I pit and beside these blazing piles the women
| of the entOmbed miners placed their chill
/ dren, while they themselves tried by all kinds
/ of entreatiss to induce the miners from the
/ other shafts to enter the pit and rescue their
/ relatives. One rescuing party started down
/ the shaft at Z O'Clock, but was forced to turn
/ back, owing to the foul air. Another at
l tempt was made at 9 O'Clock, but the plucky
rescuers again were forced to abandon their
work. They could hear no sound from the
! chambers below and this leads old miners to
| believe that ali the men in the shaft have
! persisted. Other attempts will be made TO
reach the entOmbed men before morning.
/ ''ThOse who started down the shaft early
/ in the evening say that the shock has de-
strOyed whole drifts and that it Is possible
that the men in the lower Levels are buried
beneath ms OF slate. Black damp is sup
posed to have caused the explosion. EOst
/ of the miners at these shafts came originally
from Illinois and Pennsylvania"