The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-04-05
AN AWFUL CALAMITY.
Ono Of the Most Terrible Mine Ac.
cldents Ever Recorded happene
at Rice Hin. Mo.

The most horrible mine disaater that
has ever occurred in the West happened
at Rich Hill Miss ouri, in Keith K PEI ry' 8 No.
q mine, and, ais a result, II large number OF
men were entombed and thousands OF dol.
lars worth OF property destroyed. 1t is
reported that forty lives have been lost.
Just at the dinner hour, when the men
were ascending, eight at II time, on the
cage. u terrible gas explosion occurred,
filling every entry with flame OF fire
which shot out OF the shaft a distance OF
two hundred and forty feet. IT cannot be
ascertained just how many men are yet in
the mine. The superintendent made the
following statement: / went out as soon
as possible, and found the south cage on
which the men always ascend. stuck IN the
shalt about half way to the
bottom, with eight men on it. |
went down on IL tub lowered with ropes 8
frenzy-in fact they were crazy. some
shouting and other singing. l found it i'm
possible to have this cage hoisted, as the
timbers were all blown out of position.
We finally managed to be hoisted by
means OF ropes and pullies, in u iainting
condition. and 1t was then ascer.
tanned that the north cage could be
orked by clearing some timbers which
had been driven through from the
SOUUu 6uNit. WIS py
saving them short of. l 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 Smallwood and Mat Dule-
hand responded. When we reached the
bottom lCoked through into the entry
and saw a light, and / asked who was
there and voice responded Gray" and
| told him to put out his light. l then
l.. hut
he WIS SO exhausted that he could
not do SO, and ] reached through
the small aperture and dragged HIM on to
the cage. Just as :his was done wind
rushed with the velocity OF q cyclone up
the entry putting out all our lights but one.
This was followed by two loud reports
and seethng flame OF fire, which came
with a deaiening roar. completely envelop-
ing us for length OF time which seemed
like an age and shot out Of the mouth OF
the shaft 24O feet above our heads,
and we were all horribly burned,
and thought our time had come. and the
flames receded as suddenly as they had
come, and we had to abandon the at tempt
to save the Others. yelled to the men on
the top to hoist away, but it was some
time before they got the signal or under
stood my meaning. The moments thus
spent we're living death. thought they
cOulQ nOU near NE, anu COHcluueu we
would have to crawl through into the
south shaft and undertake to climb
out that way. l was just in
the act OF doing SO, when l
felt the cage move, and we ascended about
thirty feet, when the cage began descend
ing. l thought the machinery broken. and
that we were falling to an awful and GER
tain death. The wall that went up from
those men was heartrerding and | shall
never forget it. All at once, however. the
cage came to sudden stop and again be-
gan responding to the pressure OF ropes
and pulleys, and we were soon at the top.
1t is probable that all who were in the
mine at the time OF the first explosion were
lost. The bravery Of Supt. Sweeny almost
cost him his life. About eighty-fye miners
were employed in the mine. and the proba-
biIities are that half OF them wero out.
They are mostly negroes, who came from
Springfield. Ill. when the mine was opened
less than a year ago.