Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-04-05
1eRRleLE Mise -oIsAsTER.

Mines at Rich Hill. MO.-Many Killed Ane
Injured.
Rich HILL Mo-, March 3o.-An explosion
Of natural gas occurred in niue no Oh
the Keith & Perry Coal Company, located
about three miles west OF the city, near Une
Rich Hill Gas Company's natural gas Well
shortly after twelve O'Clock noon ycster-
day. There are about 100 men employer IN
this mine but at the time of the explosion
only about thirty were below. Attempts
were at once made to rescue the unfortu-
nate men, and eight miners had been
brought to the surface alive when u second
explosion occurred at 1880 O'Clock, at which
time Super .ntendent George Sweeney and
five miners were in the shaft at work, all
of whom were more more or loss ourneo'
but none dangerously
The scene about the mouth OF the shaft, d.
where the wives, mothers and relatives OF
the miners, wild with the agony OF sus--
pense over the unknown fate OF their loVeo
ones were collected was heartrenolng.
The mines were examined about two weeks
ago by Mine Inspector nolIe anu PiO-
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 MI.
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 10 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.
A reporter called at the residence OF the
superintendent at eleven o'clock last night
and found him propped in chair with his
face and hands bandaged and scarcely able
to talk, but he made the following state
ment:
At Just seven minutes after noon I was
telephoned that an explosion had occurred
at No g. which is four miles northwest or
town. went out as soon possible and
found the south cage on which the men al
ways ascend, stuck In the shaft about half
way from the bottom with eight men on it.
went down in tub lowered with ropes
a nd found them all badly burned and In a
frenzy. In fact, they were crazy, some
hallooing and others singing 1 found II
impossible TO have this cage hoisted as the
timbers were all blown out of position. We
finally managed to be hoisted by means OF
ropes and pulley, in fainting condition,
and it was then ascertained that the north
cage could be worked by clearing away
some tlmbers which had been driven
through from the south shaft. This was
done by saving them short OF. l then
called for volunteers to go down with me
to see if any of the poor fellows at the bot
tom could be got out. Robert BIck, George
Henry, Charles Smallwood and Nat Dule-
hand responded.
through into the entry, and saw light,
and asked who was there, and a voice re-
sponded: ''Gray," and I told him TO put
out his light. i then asked him to crawl to
me, but he was so exhausted that he could
not do so, and reached through the small
aperture and dragged him on to the cage.
Just as this was done a wind rushed with
the velocity OF a cyclone up the entry,
putting out all our lights but one. This
was followed by two loud reports and a
seething fame of fire. which came with
a deadening roar, completely envelopng
US for a length OF time which seemed
like an age, and shot out the
mouth of the shaft, two hundred and forty
feet above our heads, and we were all
horribly burned, and thought our time had.
come, but the flames receded as suddenly
as they had came, and We had to abandon
the attempt to save the others. l yelled to
the men on top to hoist away, but 1t was
some time before they got the signal or
understood my meaning. The moments
thus spent were living death. thought
they could not hear me and concluded we
would have TO crawl through the south
shaft and undertake to climb out that way.
l was just in the act of doing so when felt
the cage move and we assembled
about thirty feet, when the cage began de-
scending. thought the machinery broken
and that were falling TO an awful and
certain death. Obi the wall that went up
from those men was heartrend ng and L
shall never forget it. The knowledge that
at the top was their wives extending their
arms ready to clasp and shield them from
further danger was maddening and enough
to destroy reason. All at once, however,
the cage came TO a sudden stop and again
began responding to the pressure of rope
and pulley and we were soon at the top.
LATER ACCOUNT.
RICH HILL, Mo-, March 30.-It was just
O'Clock
was heard in mine No. g, owned by the
Keith & Perry Coal Company, four miles
from Rich Hill. 1t was quickly followed
by fearful report which shook the earth
for many miles. Had the explosion oc-
Cured few minutes sooner it would have
imperiled the lives Of over hundred IN
stead of thirty-hve, who were in the shaft.
The excitement nothing compared
with the suspense which prevailed.
Immediate steps were taken to rescue
the miners who were imprisoned by the
explosion and as soon as it was safe to do
so, and the fire resulting from the explo-
sion had been subdued, u rescuing party
descended into the shaft. They had scarce
ly got TO work when another explosion oc-
CURED and the would be rescuers narrowly
escaped with their lives. One OF these
George w. Sweeney, superintendent
Of the mine, and he was badly burned about
the hands and face.
The work OF rescuing was thus delayed
for many hours. The cries of the impris-
oned men could be heard, but they grew
fainter and fainter, and by nine O'Clock
ceased altogether. Thus far five nave been
taken out dead and fifteen alive. Most Of
the latter have suffered intensely from the
fire and suffocation and their recovery is
very doubtful. The dead are: Charles
Smith, George May, c. Mcpherson, Frank
Toller, Jordan Smith. Tho injured are:
Joshua Strickle. c. ]. Neptune, William
Taylor, G. W. Young, r. Mason, Frank
jackson. w. Richards, j. L. Williams, K
Fernando, John Roberts, c. W. Roberts,
Arch Marshall, John Lucas, u. C. Jones.
Frank Carr foreman of the nine WAS in