Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-11-16
BLACK DAMP'S AWFUL WORK.
APPALLING FATE OFle0 MINERS.

a speclal 10 the Philadelphia
Press from Piltsburg, Kansas, say s
A terrific explosion, which
startled this little village at dusk
tonight, probably ended the lives
Of 100 miners
The explosion spread consterna
ton among the inhabitants and
broke the windows of their houses
For a few moments the startled
people scarcely dared 10 stir out Of
their buildings, the violence OF the
shock having been so great as to
hurl dishes from their shelves aud
demolish chimneys. Halt an hour
after the explosion the villagers
preparing to go to the mines were
startled by a ragged, bleeding man
who almost staggered into the
arms of the searchers. lie SAID
that No. 2 shaft, at Frantenac, a
mining suburb of this village had
been destroyed by an explosion
and that all the men in the mine
at the time save himself and a
Dane, whom be left bleeding AT
the mouth Of the pit, were IN.
doubtedly dead. Horses were
quickly harnessed to wagons and
IN a few moments the villagers
were hurrying through the fierce
snow and sleet storm which was
prevailing.
At the mouth of the mine the
tremendous force Of the explosion
was apparent. There were huge
seams in the earth and the timbers
OF the hosting apparatus were
shivered and burned. Foul gas
was also escaping. The Dane,
who had escaped with the man
who alarmed the villagers, lay in
the mud with his face covered With
blood. For a long time it was
thought he was dead, but he re-
gained consci BUSINESS IN few
hours and is now at his home. He
can speak and does not know
what caused the explosion. His
clothes were IN ribbons.
The man who reached this vii
lage with the first tldings of the
disaster and who accompanied the
rescuers back to the mine, said the
men were about to quit work for
the day 'shen the explosion occur
red. Together with the Dane he
had ridden in the car to the top OF
the shaft when the earth seemed
to snap beneath him, and the next
thing he realized was the splash
ing of the snow and water upon
his face as he lay with his comrade
in the wreckage above the mine.
There were 100 men in the mine at
the time of the explosion and as
they were at work 1l2 feet below
the surface it is believed that not
one survived the terrible shock,
which must have destroyed every /
thing within the pit.
AS soon as the relatives Of the |
miners who live in the little cot |
tages at Frantenac recovered from |
their alarm, they ran to the mouth |
of the fatal pit and made pitifnl APP. |
peals for their husbands, fathers |
and sons to return to them. Al. |
though the storm was severe and |
the cold exceedingly bitter for this
time of the year, the poor, scantIly |
clad women stood about in the wa
ter until long after midnight. Big |
fires were built near the mouth OF
the pit and besides these blazing
piles the women placed their chill
dren while they themselves tried
by all kind of entreaties to induce
the miners from the other shafts to
enter the pit and rescue their
relatives.
One rescuing party started down
the shaft at O'clock, but was
forced to turn back owing to the
foul air. Another attempt was
made at 9 O'clock, but the pluckl
rescuers were again forced to aban.
don their work. They could hear
no souLd from their chambers be.
low, and this leads old miners to
believe that all the men in the
shaft have persisted. Other at
tempts will be made to reach the
ent0mbed men before morning.
Those who started down the shaft
early in the evening say that the
shock has destroyed whole drifts
and that it is probable that the
men in the lower levels are buried
beneath tons OF slate.
Black damp is supposed to have
,aused the explosion. Most of the
miners at these shafts came orig.
nally from Illinois and PenDsyl.
7ania.
CHICAGO, ILL.,, Nov. 1O.-The
niue disaster at GlttSOurg, nan
las, was caused by exploding gas.
Ninety bodies were recovered to.
lay. Forty-six are believed to be
till in the mine.
LATER DETAILS.
PITTsBURG, KANSAS, Nov. r.
The accounts of the mine disaster
It Frontenac have been so largely
'verdrawn that it is deemed proper
hat the true statements of facts
hould be officially given. Up to
sunday evening thirty.nine bodies {
lad been recovered, and about
wenty persons are wounded. OF I
he latter not to exceed five will [
lie. Experts and volunteers are
till thoroughly searching the en-.
ries and rooms of the underground
Torkings for any bodies which may i
be lett there, bat it Is G
bought they are all now discovered.