Telegram-herald., 1888-03-31


Rlca HlLL. x0.. Asrch o-Prssidsnt
ksisA says Is i iDpssslsis 70 tsl. 81 bat sas
tas csase Of ths nine disaster yssserd4s-
Nothing dsEaifs can D. L nssn III all ths
IRE i pas oaf ani "a examination made
Il msy be that ne niasFs struck vein "a
gas. The mine vss veil yentiistsa, sad
nothing sas wanted IN any part g l.ake
everything sale and perfect Mr.. keksy,
ths geEsfAl manager. says II sas possleie
tie explosion had been das - an ossr-
charge Of powder. There were 200 pounds
OF % sdsr IN ths minss and shis possibly all
became lznit sd. DE did not nnd more than
100 per cent If .As IN the mine when be
inspecte1 IL and IL existed pEiBcipsily Ia
szeoks yss vas safhcient 70 cause an az
pl0si0n under certain conditions. In the
case Of lArge amsulE OF powder bslLx
charged st me sane time tas xas might
aAss become gated. taus cansiag tsfrine
explosion. The nins Vas valued ~ t>5.oc0
The superintendent or ths mine made
the following state meat
a iust ssssa minaLss after noon vas
t.lephoned that al explosion had occ urred
&C So. 3, which is iour miles out Of town
1 vent out - soon ss possible and found
ths south cage. on which the men always
ascend, stuck IN the shalt about half way
from the osttom with eight men On it. l
vent down in = tab lowered with ropes and
found them eli badly burned and IN q
frenzy. some shouting and others singing
/ found Il inapossible 10 have the carriage
hoIsed. as the timbers were all blown Out
OF position. FI"4lly it Was hoisted by
means OF ropes and pulleys, with the men
ia . Iaiutlng condition, and II Was thea
raf h.F a. cnuid
worked. and called for volunteers TO 20
down with me TO see II The poor fellows at
the beti0m could be saved
FOar men responded When We reached
the bottom looked through into the entry
and saw light and asked who was there.
and a voice responded Gray. and | told
him To pat out his light. then asxed him
10 crawl 10 me. but be was so exhausted
| that be could not and l reached through
the small aperture and dragged him on
| on the stage. Just rs this was done, wind
rushed with the velocity OF q cyclone
up the entry. putting out all our lights
| BAT one. This Was followed by two loud
/ reports and a ssethiGg flame of IRE, which
caUe with desfenlng roar, ompiately en-
| vsloping as for length OF time. which
/ seemed ike an age ana shot out tue mouth
| OF the shaft, 30 feet aooye our heads We
were al horribly burned, and thought our
| time had come, but the flame receded as
/ suddenly as it had come. We had 70 aban-
| don the attempt 10 save others.
| Il yelled 10 the men on top TO hoist
away, but il was some time before they got
/ the signal The moments thus spent were
a living death | thought they could not
| hear me and concluded we would have "a
| crawl through into the south shaft and un-
/ dertake 70 climb out that way. We were
/ Just In the act OF doing 50 when l felt the
cage move. and We sscended about thirty
feet, when the cage began descending.
| thought that the machinery had broken
and thai We were falling 70 sn awful and
| certain death The wall that went up from
| those men was hsartrending, and 1 shall
never forget it. All 1t once. however. the
cage came to n sudden stop and again be-
/ gan responding to the pressure of the ropes
/ and pulleys, and We were soon &C the top.