The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-04-06
AMlsSOURI NINE HORROR
Terrible Explosion In = Coal MINI
at Rich Hin.
Over seventy Miners Hurled In q IA,
1ieartrensling SCENES Daring A.
forts ~ Those Engaged
In the Rescue.

RIcu HILL. No. March 20. "A disastrous
mine explosion took place here TODAY N
mine No. . ~ m Keith a Perry Coal
Company. About seventy men wer. x,
work Ia the mine this forenoon. The fr.,
explosion took place al l2:lo i. NJ.
a. the men were leaving the works N,
dinner. and after about fifteen had com.
up. The explosion was terrific, the aame.
shooting out the top q the 27o-foot shat,
After the first explosion Superintendsn
Sweeney and assistants rescued 81.
miner, and were still AZ work when ~.
ond explosion took place as IN.
rife As the first. severely iniur.
ing Superintendent Sweeney and
the others. Superintendent Reycaly q
the Rich Hill Mining Company Is now in
charge Of the works and Il doing all h. can
"a assist the men in the mines, but there i
little hope Of saving their lives. Another
explosion Il expected, as II Il feared the
three hundred or four hundred kegs u
powder In the magazine In the mines may
become ignited. The scene about the
mouth Of the SHAFT, where the wives,
mothers and relatives u the miners. Wild
with the agony Of suspense over tho un-
known fate Of thelf loved ones, are COL
lected, Is heartrending. The mines were
examined about two weeks ago by Mine
Inspector Wolfe, and pronounced safe
II can not be ascertained tonight Just
how many men are yet in the mine. but al
eleven O'Clock one man had been taken
out dead. The work Of removing the debris
and clearing the shaft has been going on
all the afternoon, but II will be several
hours before much can be done toward en-
tering the mine proper. A reporter called
nj the residence Of the superintendent IL
eleven o'clock and found him propped ina
chair with his face and hands bandaged
and scarcely able 20 talk, but he made tie
following statement:
"At just 1901 was telcphoned that an
explosion had occurred at No. .. whichis
four miles northwest Of town. went out
as soon as possible and found the south
cage, on which the men always ascend.
stuck in the shaft about half way from the
bottom with eight men on il. Iwentdoxn
on tub, lowered with ropes, and found
them all badly burned and in a frenzy;in
fact, they were crazy, some shouting asd
others singing. found il impossihleio
have the cage hoisted. as the tiniters
were all blown out Of position.
We finally managed 20 be Lo.stel
BY means Of ropes and pullies. in faint
ing condition. and II was then sscer-
tanned that the north cave could BE- worked
by clearing some timbers which had been
driven through from the south shaft. This
was done BY saving them short Of.
then called for volunteers @ 70 down
with me 70 see II any Of the poor fellows
NJ the bottom could be gotten ont.
sRobert Bick. Geo. Henry. Charles
Smallwood and Mat Dulehand 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 70 crawl 20 me, but he was 20 exhaust
ed that he could not do 50, and ! reached
through the small aperture and dragged
him on 70 the cage. Just a. this was done
. wind rushed with the velocity Of .
cyclone up the entry, putting out All our
lights but one. This Was followed ~ Two
loud reports and . seething hame "a hre,
which came with = deafening roar. COM
pletely enveloping as for length 81 time,
which seemed like an age, and shot ont of
the mouth of the shaft 90 feet above
our heads. We were all horribly burned,
ana IUOMkNi Jul AtH<*A **ftNt'< tfN*t ttt'
flame recedcd as suddenly as II had come.
and we had 70 abandon the attempt 70 save
the others. yelled % them at the top 70
hoist away. but Il Wa some time before
they got the signal or understood my
meaning. The moments thus spent ~sre
| a living death. thought they could not
hear me. and concluded We would have g
crawl through into the south shsft and
undertake to climb out that way ] vas
lust in the act Of doing 20 when felt ne
! cage move. and we assembled about thirty
I feet. when the cage began 70 descend.
| I thought the machinery had broken
and that We were falling 70 an awful ana
certain death. The vail that went Up
i from those men was hcartrendinr. ana
shall never forget IL. The knowledge iha'
| AZ the top we're their wives extending then
arms. ready 10 clasp and shield them ir'n,
1 further danger, was maddening ah"
enough 20 destroy reason. All n once
4 however. the cage came 10 sudden s'of
| and again began responding 70 the pres
| sure Of ropes and pulleyr and we "e'r
soon AZ the top"
/ II is probable that all who were IN tne
\ mine Al the time Of the first Explosion ere
dead. The bravery Of Superintendent
Sweeney almost cost him his life, and =
applauded by everybody. About eighty,
ave miners are employed in this mine, ann
the probabilities are that the majority 2
them were out, but this can nooetoi ,o-
night. They are mostly negroes. VINO
came from Springfield, ILL.,, when the mine
was opened, less than year ago.
THE RESCUED.
The names Of those rescued, including
The eight men found in che cage halfway
m. and the one pulled out OF the tunn,'
| by Superintendent Sweeney, are - io''
lows. all being seriously burned.
| Eddie Brown, aged eighteen; Harry
Brown, aged ffteen; Gid Lee, colcred'
John Crawford, colored; Ed kee.'
colored: Newman Gray, Butler cray
Bob Dick and John Henry. Am'rs
those believed % be still in the
mine are son Of william Kay, sixteen
wears old: L, r. Dixon, Gibson McFarron'
Job Neptune, Cal Neptune, John Henry
and others whose names can not ~ pre-.
~. -