The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-04-06
COAL MINE DISASTER.
Terrible Calamity In q Rich Hin
Coal Mine.
W0rkmen Ent0mbed by . Gas Explosion
A Score or More Taken Out Dead
aud Others Yet to FoIlow-Ter.
ribie Scenes.


aud Others Yet To Foilow-Tsr-
rible Scenes.
Ricn Hill, Mo-, March 3O.-An explosion
Of natural gas occurred in mine No. 9 of
the Keith & Perry Coal Company, located
about three m les west Of the city, near the
Rich Hill Gas Company's natural gas well,
shortly after twelve O'Clock noon yester-
day. There are about 100 men employed in
this mine. but at the time Of the explosion
only about thirty were below. Attempts
were ut once made to rescue the unfortu-
nate men, and eight miners had been
brought to the surface alive when u second
explosion occurred ut $3.50 o'clock, ut which
time Superintendent George Sweene1 and
five miners were in the shaft at work, all
OF whom were more more or less burned,
but none dangerously.
The scene about the mouth of the shaft,
where the wives, mothers and relatives Of
the miners, wild with the agony Of sus-
rense over the unknown fate of their loved
ones were collected was heartrending
The mines were examined about two weeks
ago by Mine Inspector Wolfe and pro-
nounced safe.
At two o'clock this morning telephone
message was received from the mine to the
effect that fifteen men had been taken out
the mine, fourteen Of them alive. Mr..
Manville, who is alert and dong all posi-
Bile, IS Of the opinion that SO long as the
men taken out are not all dead it could not
have been due to gas but to powder. He
holds that gas always burns the oxygen
and no one could live under such circum-
stances.
LATER ACCOUNT.
Rich HILL. NO., Marcel, Silt was al
most four o'clock yesterday morning when
the full extent OF the Calamity at the Keith
Il Perry coal mine was known. Atthat hour
five had been taken from the mine dead,
fifteen alive and fourteen or fifteen were
known to be still in the mine. A final and
desperate attempt was made to reach
these, and it came very nearly costing two
of the would-be rescuers their lives. They
were unable to accomplish any thing but
they saw stretched out upon the bottom OF
the mIne the dead bodies OF their com.
rades. 1t was then definitely known that
all who remained in the mine had been
suffOcated, and the exhausted crews sus-
pended work until daylight. The list Of
the dead, according to the best informa-
ton that it is possible to obtain, is as fol-
lows:
Thedead-CharlesS Smith. colored George
May, white; g. C. Mcpherson, white;
Frank Lawler, white; Jordan Smith. col
Ored; Joshua Trickle; John Roberts.
white; George Black, colored; c. Black,
cOlOred; W. Black. colOred; II. Sheppard,
colored; J. {. Neptune. white; John LET
fer, white; Charles Kay, white; John
Gray, white; Bruce Brown, white; L. r.
Dixon, white; Fred Henderson. colored;
W. II. Hill, cOlored; Alexander White, col
ored; Gibson McFerron, white. or the
above Trickle and Roberts died after hav-
ing been rescued, and the fourteen last
nalnei are the imprisoned miners who
were suffocated in the west end.
The injured are: N. u. Gray, Norman
Gray, G. r. Sweeney, n. Dullahaunt,
George Henry, Robert Dick. Charles Small
wood, G. J. Neptune, William Young. II.
Mason, Frank JAG kson, W. Richards, j. L.
Williams, F. Fernando, e. W. Roberts,
Arch Marshall, John Lucas, d. c. Jones.
This list includes Superintendent Swee-
ney and those who went down with him
after the first explosion and were caught
and burned in the second. Most of the in
jured were desperately hurt, two having
died yesterday. The fatalities will proba-
bly, number thirty.
Later-The scenes around the shaft were
during the entire day. Up to
noon yesterday twenty had been taken out,
five of whom were dead. Four OF the liv-
ing who We're taken out have since died
Several others are in y dangerous con-
dition.
Seven more dead miners have been taken
out and seven more arc known to be yet in
the mine, but are at points hard TO reach,
and it is difficult to find volunteers to go
down and make the search.
Those miners who had risised their lives
to rescue the buried living. and bring to
the surface the dead, are from the mines Of
the Rich Hill Coal and Mining Company,
under charge Of Superintendent Joseph 7.
who. after Mr.. George Sweeney.
Of the Keith q Perry Coal Company was
severely burned, volunteered his services,
and has since been in charge OF the ex-
pIoded mine, ami to whose careful work,
good Judgment and courage, is largely due
the success OF the rescuing corps.
ALI night men were at work in the search
for the living and the dead, notwthstand-
ing the mine was so filled with natural gas
that it burned above the regular blaze Of
the arc safety lamp used.
The lower end Of the double cage shaft
had been crushed in the bottom. leaving it
in n wedge shape, point down, and six feet
around this, preventing either crib reach
ing the bottom. This was all removed and
one crib IS running to lower the rescuing
corps and bring out the dead.
The only shaft the mine had was q sec
= L. -
three by seven feet. This was blown to
pieces or into the south crib, necessitating
The converting Of the south half of the crib
shaft into an air shaft. Superintendent
Reavely kcrt the engine forcing sprays Of
water into this air shaft for four hours, at
The end Of which time it was only possible
for any one to enter the mine proper.
There seem> to be no question but that
he explosion was caused from natural
gas, which abounds in the earth at and be-
lion of country south and west, frequent
explosions and great damage and loss OF
life having occurred heretofore.
The rescued dead are most horribly
burned, and present a horrible sight and
ready to drop from the bones.
In some cases past recognition ex-
,ept by some other than personal evidence.
DIR. Rice, county coroner, was at the mine |
and the inquest will be held to-
lay. The large blacksmith and carpenter |
shop close by is being used as m0rg1e. |
Cincinnati Protests.
CINCINNATI. March 30-A meeting OF |
york packers, provision dealers and others |
Interested In the provision trade in Gin |
,ati, met yesterday afternoon and drew up |
dispa; Oh which was sent to the chairman |