Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1888-04-07
RICH HULL EXPLOSION.
LATER REPORTS SHOW TIE LOSS OF
LIFE LESS THAN FIRST SUPPOSED. !,
Description OF the Heart-rcnding Scenes
Atteudins tho Calamity y--Heroism of
Min. superintendent sweeney--Siow
Work in Rescuing the Imperiied
Miners--List of Killed nnd Injured.

IIcu HlLL, Mo-, March SILT IS good
news to report that the first rumors as 10
the loss of life in the mine explosion Is far
in excess OF the actual number OF killed.
But the exact number can hardly be ascer-
tanned for some time, as the extreme parts
Of the mine, where many were employed,
cannot be reached without much labor.
1t was shortly after noon Thursday, when
n low, rumbling noise was heard in mine
No G. owned by Keith d. Perry Coal Com
pany, four miles from Rich Hill. II was
quickly followed by fearful report which
shook the earth for many miles
There are about eighty-five miners er1-
ployed in the mine, mostly negroes, who
came from Springfield about year ago.
when the mine was opened. At the time
Of the explosion about half the miners
were In the mine
Had the explosion occurred few min.
utes sooner, 1t would have imperled the
lives of over hundred, instead Of thirty
five, who were in the shaft The excite
ment was as nothing compared with the
suspense which prevailed. Immediate steps
were taken 10 rescue the miners who were
imprisoned by the explosion. and as soon as
ii was safe 10 do so and the fire resulting
from the explosion had been snbdued u
rescung party descended into the shaft.
They had scarcely got 10 work when an
other explosion occurred, and the would.be
rescuers narrowly escaped with their lives.
One of these was George w. Sweeney,
Superintendent of the mines, and he was
badly burned about the hands and face.
The work of rescuing was thus delayed
Or many hours The cries Of the impris-
cncd men could be heard but they grew
fainter and fainter and by nine o'clock
ceased altogether.
The following statement of Superintcnd-
cat Sweeny gives complete description of
the sad accident and the attending scenes:
AT just seven minutes after noon | was
tclephoned that an explosion had occurred
at No @, which is four miles northwest of
town. ] went out as soon as 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 ON tub lowered with ropes
and found them all badly burned and n a
.cnzy, In fact they were crazy, some shout
rg and Others singing. / found it impossi-
lie TO have this cage hoisted as the timbers
Tere all blown out of position. We finally
managed to be hoisted by means OF ropes
and pullcys in fainting condition, and it
was then asccrtained that the north cage
could be worked by clearing some timbcrs
which had been driven through from the
south shaft This was done by saving them
short of.
II then called for volunteers to go down
with me TO see If any of the poor fellows at
the bottom could be got out Robert Brick,
George Henry. Charles Sinallwood and
Matt Dulchand responded. When we
reached the bottom | looked through into
the entry and saw light and ! asked who
was there and voice responded Gray
and told him to put out his light ] then
asked him TO crawl to me, but he was so
~ kav tad that ho 1aaatl L.. nd I
reached through the small aperature and
dragged him on TO the cage. Just as
this pas DONE wind rushed, with
the velocity OF cyclone up the ontr v, put
ting out all our lights but one. This was
followed by two loud reports and seeth-
ing name OF fire. which came with deaf
ening roar, completely cnveloping ms for n
length Of time which seemed like an age,
and shot out Of 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, and the flames
recedcd as suddenly as they had come, and
nc had ~ abandon The attcmrt " save Tie
others
II yelled to the men on the Top to hoist
rway. but 1t was some time before they got
the signal or understood my meaning. Tho
moments thus spent were living death
taough,they could not Lear me and conclutl-
ed we would have 10 crawl through into
the south shaft and undertake 10 climb out
that way. was just in the act OF doing so
when felt the cage move, and we assembled
about thirty feet when the cage began de-
sccnding. ! thonght the machinery had
broken and that We were falling TO an aw-
ful and certain death. The wall that went
up from those men was hesrtrending and |
shall never forget it. The knowledge that
at the top we're their wives extending their
arms ready 20 clasp and shield them from