Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-04-05
THE NINE DISASTER.
The Rich Hill Calamity Proves
Worse Than as at First
Reported.
Between Thirty and Forty Miners
Thought to Have Been Killed-Par-
tial List of Victims.
The Explosions Due to Natural Gas-In-
spector Wolfe Observation-Disclosures
ing Scenes at the Mine.

Rich HILL. Mo-, March Sit was al
most four o. clock yesterday morning wnen
the full extent OF the calamity at the keith
& Perry coal mine was known. Atthat hour
five had been taken from the mine dead,
fifteen alive and fourteen or fifteen were
known to be still in the mine. hnai and
desperate attempt was made to reach
these, and it came very nearly costing two
of the would be rescuerS their lives. They
were unable to accomplish any thing, but
they saw stretched out upon the bottom OF
the mine the dead bodies OF their COM
rades 1t was then definitely known that
all who remained in the mine had been
suffocated and the exhausted crews sus-
pended work until daylight. The list OF
the dead, according to the best informa-
ton that it is possible to obtain, is as fol-
lows:
The dead-Charles Smith. colored; George
May, white; G. c. Mcpherson, white;
Frank Lawler, white; Jordan Smith. col
ored; Joshua Trickle; John Roberts.
white; George Black, colored; c. Black,
colored; w. Black. colored; II. Sheppard,
colored: j. {. Neptune. white; John LET
fer, white; Charles Kay, white; John
Gray, white; Bruce Brown, white; l.. K
Dixon, white; Fred Henderson. colored;
W. H Hill, coIored; Alexander White, col
ored; Gibson McFerron, white. or the
ing been rescued, and the fourteen last
named are the imprisoned miners who
were suffocated in the west end.
The injured are: N. b. Gray, Norman
Gray, G. r. Sweeney, NJ. Dullahaunt,
George Henry, Robert Dick, Charles Small
wood, G. j. Neptune, William Young, Il.
Mason, Frank JAG kson, w. Richards, j. l.
Williams, F. Fernando, G. w. Roberts.
Arch Marshall John Lucas, d. G. Jones.
This list includes Superintendent Swee-
ney aud those who went down with HIM
after the first explosion and were caught
and burned in the second. Most of the in
jured were desperately hurt, two Having
died yesterday. The fatalities will proba-
bly, number thirty.
Later-The scenes around the shaft were
heartrending during the entire day. Up to
noon yesterday twenty had been taken out,
five of whom were dead. Four of the hv-
ing who were taken out have since died.
Several others are in dangerous con-
dition.
Seven more dead miners have been taken
out and seven more are known to be yet in
the mine, but are at points hard TO reach,
and it is difficult to find volunteers to go
down and make the search.
Those miners who had risiSed their lives
to rescue the buried living, and bring to
the surface the dead, are from the mines Of
the Rich Hill Coal and Mining Company,
under charge of Superintendent Joseph T..
Reavely, who, after Mr. George Sweeney,
OF the Keith q Perry Coal Company was
severely burned, volunteered his services,
and has since been in charge OF the ex-
pioded mine, and to whose careful work,
good judgment and courage, is largely due
the success of the reScu!ng corps.
All night men were at work in he search
for the living and the dead, notwithstand-
ing the mine was so filled with natural gas
that it burned above the regular blaze of
the arc safety lamp used
The lower end of the double cage shaft
had been crushed in the bottom, leaving it
in wedge shape, point down, and six feet
or more of slate and clay had fallen IN
around this, preventing either crib reach
ing the bottom. This was all removed and
one crib is running to lower the rescuing
corps and bring out the dead.
The only shaft the mine had was a sec
ton of the main shaft, partitioned off, about
three by seven feet. This was blown to
pieces or into the south crib, necessitating
the converting of the south half of the chi b
shaft into an air shaft. Superintendent
Reavely kept the engine forcing sprays OF
water into this air shaft for four hours, at
the end of which time it was only possible
for any one to enter the mine proper.
The State mine inspector, Mr.. Wolfe,
though having reported the mine in
excellent condition, knew OF the ex-
istence of large quantities of natural
gas, and has frequently unofficIally
so stat ed, and such great Indignation pre-
walls among the living miners of No. 6
mine that it would have been dangerous
for Mr.. Wolfe to have put in an appearance
at the mine. Had there have been sepa-
rate air shaft, experienced miners say, the
explosion could hardly have occurred, or if
1t had the consequences would have been
much less disastrous.
DR.. Rice, county coroner, was at the mino
yesterday, and the inquest will be held to-
day. The large blacksmith and carpenter
shop close by is being used as a morgue,
and at this place the inquest will be held.