New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-11
SIXTY DEAD IN THE MINE.
PITIFUL SCENES IN FRONTENAC. KANSAS
THE DISASTER AT THE SANTA FE CoMPANY's
MINE NOT so GREAT AS AT FIRsr'sUP-
PoSED-CAUsED BY BLACK DAMP
IBY TELEGRAPH TRIBUNE;

THE DISASTER AT THE SANTA FE CoMPANY's
MINE NOT so GREAT AS AT FIRsr'sUP-
PosEp-CAUsED BY BLACK DAMP.
(BY TELEGRAPH TO rHE TRIBUNE
Kansas City, Nov. 1O..-Further details Of yes
terdays mining disaster at Frontenac have been
learned Shortly after o'clock last night, as the
men were preparing two shifts in Shaft No. 2, at
Frontenac, mining town of 500 inhabitants, 3 7
miles south of here, terrible explosion of fire
damp occurred which hurled timbers from the
mouth of the shaft and imprisoned the men at
the bottom. There were | "a men IN the rhine,
which has been sunk to the depth Of IL 12 feet.
The explosion was caused by the firing of a shot,
which ignted the fire-damp that had gathered un-
perceived in tie mine. The day force had gone to
work at o'clock in the morning, and at noon had
fired shots Everything was then all right, and
after the smoke cleared away the men returned to
work. They had prepared for the night and were
about leaving the shaft when the shots were fired
that caused the disaster.
The explosion shook the earth for miles around,
and the mouth Of the pit was choked with debris
from the shaft-houses. The men at the top tried
to lower the cages to allow their comrades below
to escape before the deadly choke damp began to
gather but they were unable to do so on account
Of the broken timbers. Immediately a great
crowd gathered from Shafts Nos. l and g. but
they were unable to do anything for the un-
fortunate men below The wives, sisters, daugh-
tcrs and mothers of the imprisoned miners gathered
and added to the excitement by their cries. Some
had to be restrained from hurling themselves
into the open pit in their agony Then an at
tempt was made to send down a rescuing party,
but the cholSe-damp drove the men back. In a
short time n man crawed out of the air shaft al
most exhausted by suffocation. Two more shortly
followed him. but these three were the only
ones who escaped by this means
Word was sent to Pittsburg, three miles north
of Frontcnac, and a special train came bearing
physicians and men who were willing to aid in the
work Of rescue The repairing Of the damage
at the mouth Of the shaft had proceeded so that
IL was possible to lower a few men by temporary
means into the hole OF death. Some eight men
terribly burned, and two of them dying, were
sent to the surface. They we're sent to Pttsburg
Immediately to be cared for. The below
went on with the work of collecting and caring
for the killed and wounded, while the crowd Of
friends at the mouth of the shaft stood shivering
in the wind and snow, gathering for warmth
about the fires which had been built.
The mine is one of the dryest and best equipped
in this part of the State, and a favoritc
with the miners and consumers Orders have
been pouring in the company fast that
the force of men has been greatly increased, and
they were worked in night and day shifts. 1t
is usual for the day shift to blast twice during
its working hours; at noon, and again in
the evening just before quitting work AT the
bottom of the shaft the mine Is divided into the
east and west sides, over 90 men being employed
in the east side Among the men recently en-
poyed were about ten whose knowledge of min
in ;.ol T1a,~,, ctrih aI n
the old hands as much possible
The cage, which contained two men, was near
ing the top at the time of the explosion. 1t
was blown out of the shaft and the two miners
were burned and injured severely. The plank
ing was blown out and portion of the shaft
caved in About twenty men had come out
before the explosion and few minutes after
ward score or more crawled out through the
air shaft From them it was learned that the
explosion had taken place the east side.
When the blasts were fired the fame com
municated with noxious gases and spread like
fash through the mine, exploding with
force that shattered the works like she'll
Many Of the miners were reported
uniniured By the explosion, but liable
to meet death from inhang foul gases.
The first thing to do to provide air for the
imprisoned miners. The engine was set to work
numnlnp air into the mine Some of the reScuers
were lowered into the shaft by means of
bucket and rope but could do no good. A tenn
porary cage was rigged up and then the work OF
rescue began in earnest The living were frst
dra gced out of the shaft, and they presented
frightful spectacle. Many were burned beyond
recognition and but few escaped injury Inc
dead lay thick in certain portions OF the mlhe'
and the bodies were dragged over the wreck,
and piled together at the bottom, near the cage.
After ten dead bodies had been plled up ana
nine men rescued, the party was then confronted
by a cavc-In that would require several hourS
TO dig through. They went to work mahlully'
and early this morning completed passage Inc
gases that rushed through almost VNeIpofMttlou
The reecmers When the foul air had been driven
hazel, il was discovered that the passage led into
a chamber of horrors. Scattered around IN
small spaoe were twelve dead bodies, all showing
evidence Of an agoniZing death. Ihey were nearly
all Italians and Frenchmen, who had recently
entered the service of the Santa re Company:
The dead bodies were carried to the bottom or
the shaft and IA count showed Total oil twenty
five dead ready TO be taken up The bodies were
taken I'D and placed in the blacksmith shop, whlch
was converted into morgue
The exact number that escaped by the way
OF the air shaft is not known, but is supposed TO
be about thirty. There are supposed 10 pe
thirty dead bodies still in the mine ana me
work of rescue goes on with VlgOf vi the
twenty men taken out aiiye ny ene Of
others are of such character that tney cstnnoo
live The dead men will number about SiXV
and IL is expected that all the bodies VIII ,1 pe
out of the mine by tomorrow morhng' th roine Inc
men working in the west slue Vi 'no n
nearly all escaped.
From THE COAL FIELDS TO NEW-ENGLAND