New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-11-14
Disastrous Mine Explosion.

ne officers of the Kettle Creek Coal MINING
company belonging to Williamsport. Pa.
Sale ~ receipt OF information that a terrible
explosion occurred at their mines located in
6nnton county on the line of the Philadelnbia
y Erie failroad. The superintendent, George
II miller, upon hearing d heavy report pro-
ceeaed 20 the spot, when he at once saw that
~, Vloien6 explosion had taken place.
MT nc necessary t announcements were quickly
nhdqe TO carry the air to the face
mofk, ana men entered the mine to
iearh the particulars Of what had
occur, An appalling state of affairs was
lound TO exist inside. OF the twenty-one men
maie ll''d peen WORKING in the drift only three
u jonf had escaped death or injury At The
END OF an hours hard work fourteen dead
~ nouies were recovered from the drift Two of
IN Ghose VINO were injured subsequently died.
One man was missing and his remains were
iouhu out IN the woods, where they had been
blown by the force of the EXPLOSION tbronpb
the air shaft. The total number of killed Or
idOaiiy injured was found to beseyenteen All
pqI1our OF them were Hungarians or Italians.
4 ne force OF the explosion was shown in
Ipe iact that bodies were blown clear out of
Tue mouth n OF the drift Everything possible
was done for the injured by the mine Dhysi-
Clans The bodies of the dead were taken
charge OF by an undertaken and prepared for
1nterment.
= It Is thought that in making a blast a
gas feeder was struck, filing the chamber
WIN gas winch coming in contact with
naked lamp produced the explosion "cas
FEEDER is pocket of gas imbedded in the
coel' AS soon as pick is struck into it the
gas escapes and if anything ignites an explo-
SION $40 follows. 1t is generally conceded that
Ghere was good ventilation, and the mines were
luny supplied with air appliances. The su-
Peflntendent says the accident could not have
peen Ioreseen, and that no blame attaches to
any one
Many rumors are going the rounds and
among them is one that the direct cause of
Ghe explosion was the Inexperienced use of
uynamlteln the mines In conversation with
4 one OF the drivers who escaped it was learned
6ha6 an Italian had gotten 100 sticks Of
the deadly stuff from the storekeeper
IN the morning, and had also gotten
IOo caps and had returned after
fuse, bnt as there were none in stock it is
supposed that he had tried to set it off in
some other way, thus causing the explosion.
in q blacksmith shop near the scene of the
dlsaster laid the charred and unrecognizable
remains Of August Pierson, who was blown
out through the air shaft fifty feet in the air.
and some of his clothes can be seen hanging.
to a limb OF tree near by. Next to him is
Mike Currens, who was blown 200 feet out of
the mouth OF the mine, and was found dead
IN ditch still c3tnging to the handle of his
shovel.
John Farrell, o mule driver, tells this story:
L was behind pushing the car, and in sticking
up my head, saw fash Immediately
dropped to the ground, moving quickly as
possible toward the mouth of the drift, and
escaped uninjured. My mule and q swede
miner along side the animal were killed in
stantly. felt but little of the effects of the
explosion, and its force must have been all
above me, although all the timbers at the
mouth OF the shaft were carried out 200 feet
beyond the mouth of the drift.
Interstate Railroad Rates.
The railroad commissioners of Iowa made
public theirdecsionin theDavenport, Dubuque
4 andBurlmgton jobbers' cases against theIo
= railroads. Commissioner Dey refuses to
sign, giving as a reason that Fred Wild of
Davenport threatened him with the opposi-
ton OF the jobbers in the election unless the
opinion OF the board was made on or before
Nov. 2. The ma ority of the board, Messrs
Smith and Campbell in their opinion say:
The evidence on the question of discrimina-
tlonln Interstate rates against Iowa shippers
develops system OF rates SO unjust as to be
a serious blow at the business prosperity Of
those engaged within the state The low
rates obtained by Iowa jobbers from the
Eastern markets are neutraliZed by the high
local rates within the state, SO that the fifth
class in and the fourth-cass rate out are
largely in excess of the class from Chicago to
Iowa points, and our dealers are placed at
such disadvantages as to destroy largely
their profits and seriously cripple
y their business. In many instances the dis
cT1mlnatlOn IN rates in favor of Chcag 90
merchants is 20 to 25 per cent. What is
true Of the Iowa jobbing interests is largely
the case in reference to manufacturing inter-
ests of the state. The products of Eastern
manufacturers enjoying the benefits of low
rates from the East, and also those from
Ohio, indiana and Illinois. Our state is in
Vaded with the products of the skill of the
F'"rtmen OF those states laid down at our
doors at loWerrates than Iowa manufactures
can transport their goods from the manu-
factory in Iowa to points within our own
state under the present Iowa distance tariff
From a careful comparison of these rates
and the testimony in this investigation.
the commissioners are of the opinion
that the charge of conspiracy made
is not sustained, there having been no evil
dence offered as to this allegation; the proof
OF dissemination was confined entirely to a
= comparison between state and Interstate
business, over which the commissioners have
no Jurisdiction, and while the commissioners
are unable to grant relief against discrimina-
tons, they are of the opinion that a fair re-
duction of local rates within the state is the
proper remedy to protect Iowa interests
against the injustice they are subjected to
from discriminating in the state rates; the
charge that the rates established by the 10th
Of May and the 18th of August 1888, tariffs
are unreasonably high and extortionate, is
fully sustained by evidence
Stanley Heard From.