The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-10
ALL MUST BE DEAD
Terrible Explosion in a
Kansas Colliery.
100 MEN IN THE NINE.
There is Not the slightest Hope
That Any Have Escaped
ffttsburg's Woe.

KANSAS CITY. New. IA Jouraal special
from Pittseurg, Kan, says The most
dreadful disaster In the history of Kansas
occurred At O'Clock this evening. when
the men were preparing 10 leave or their
work NJ shaft No. ?. at frcntensc, suburb
Of Piftserrg. terrible explosion was heard
that shock the earth for q great distance
and completely shattered the shsff.
On investigation !, was found that leo
nen were in the mine al The tine Of The
explosion. being Ile feet below the surface
Il is almost certain that all are dead AZ this
writing The only exceptions were two
naes wha were 10 the car coming up. and
being near the Top OF the Shafs. managed 70
escape.
P.ttsears Is in the center Of the coal
mines OF southeastern Kansas. and is about
ieo miles south of Kansas City, on the Fort
Scott aad Gulf railroad.
ST. IorIs. Nov. "a special from Pitts
burg 10 the kepuasfezs gives the following
this evening: 4 terrific explosion. thar
broke the windows in this little
village aud spread CONSERVATION
among the Inhabitants. occurred
about dusk tonight The violence
Of tAe shock vas so grea. ss 20 hurl dishes
neys. Half an hour after the explosion.
Villagers who were preparing 20 90 to the
mines were startled by a ragged, bleeding
man who almost staggered into the arms
Of the searchers He said shaft No.
Il a, H.! fsoIIsnse siIIass Ma mini mining suburb
hy an explosion, and that all the men in
the uaiac at the time except himself and a
Dane whom he left bleeding at the month
OF the pit, were undoubtedly dead. Horses
were quickly harnessed 10 wagons and In
few minutes the Villagers we're hurrylng
through fierce Snow aud 6leet storm
which was raging.
Al the mouth Of tho mine tie tremen.
dous force OF the explosion WAS apparent
There were huge seams in the EARN. and
the 1Ebers of the hoistfng apparatus were
slivered and burned. Foul gases were
escaping. The Dane who had escaped with
the man who bad alarmed the villagers
lay in the mud with his face covered
with blood. Fer long time IL
was thought he was dead. but
be ,regained consciousness In a few hours
and Is now at his home. He cannot speak
aud does not know what caused the ex-
piosion. His clothes were In ribbons. The
man who reached this Village with the first
tidfngs OF the disaster and who accom-
panied the rescuers back to the mines said
the men were about TO qui, work
for the day when tae explosion occurred.
Together with Dane. he had
ridden in car to the top of the shaft when
the earth seemed TO snap beneath him and
the next thing he realized there was a
splashing of snow and water upon his face
as he lay with comrades in the wreckage
above the mine. There were is0 men In
the mine at the time Of the explosion, and
as they were at work il2 feet below the sur
face, IL Is believed that not one survived
the shock. as the explosion must have de.
strored everything In the pit
Big fires were built near the mouth of
the pit and beside these blazing piles the
women of the entofnbed miners placed
their children while they themselves tried
by al kinds of entreaties. to induce the
miners from other shafts to enter the pit |
ana rescue their relatives
One rescuing party started down the |
shaft att O'Clock but was forced 90 turn !
back, owing TO foul air. Another attempt |
was made AZ o'clock, but the plucky res- 1
cuers again were forced to abandon their |
work. They could hear no sound from the /
chambers below. aud this leads old miners /
10 believe that all the men in the shaft |
have perished Other attempts win be !
made 20 reach the enfombcd men before |
morning. s--s.
Those who started down the shaft early |
In the morning say that the shock has de |
stroyed the whole drift and that IL is pr0ba- !
bic that the men in lower levels are buried !
beneath tons of slate.
Black damp is supposed 10 have caused |
the explosion. Most the miners al these |
shafts came originally from the mines OF |
Pennsylvania.