The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-04-04
Terrific Explosion in a Missouri
Coal Mine.

RIcH HILL, Mo-, March 29.-The most
horrible mine disaster that has ever occurred
! in the West happened ut noon to-day in
Keith & Perry's No. mine, and, as a result.
a large number of men are entombed and
/ thousands of dollars worth of property de-
stroyed. At the dinner hour, when the men
were ascending eight at time on the cage, a
terrible gas explosion occurred, filling every
entry with flame of fire which shot out of
the shaft distance 0i0 feet. Ii cannot be
asccrtained tonight just how many men are
yet III the mine, but at IL O'Clock one man
had been taken out dead The work of re-
moving the debris and cleaning the shaft
has been going on all the afternoon, but it
will be several hours before much can be
done toward entering the mine proper. A
reporter called at the residence of the super
intcndent al IL O'Clock and found him prop
ped up in a chair with his flce and hands
bandaged and scarcely able to talk, but he
made the following statement:
AT just seven minutes after noon was
I telephoned that an explosion had occurred
T ~ w W Nuith !, iOuI lliiitS VI
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 it
l went down on a tub lowered with ropes,
and found them all badly burned and in
frenzy, in fact they were crazy, some shout
ing and Others singing | found it impos-
sible to have this cage hosted, Us the tim
bers where all blown out of position. We
finally managed to be hoisted by means of
ropes and pullies, in fainting condition.
and it was then asceriained that the north
cage could be worked by clearing some tim
bers which had been driven through from
the south shaft. This was done by saving
them off short
:" then called for volunteers TO 20 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
Dulehand responded. When we reached
the bottom lookea through into the entry
and saw light, and ! ased who was there
and voice responded Gray ond told
him TO put out his light l then asked him
10 crawl 10 me, but he was so exhausted that
hc could not do So and | reached through
the small aperture ond dragged him on to
the cage. just as this was done a wind
rushed with the velocity of a cyclone up the
entry. putting out all our lights but one
This was followed by two loud reports and
a seetiiing flame of fire, which came with
deafening roar. completely enyeloping US
for length of time which seemed like an
age and shot out the mouth of the shaft 240
feet above oar heads, and we were all horri-
bly, burned. and thought our time had come
and the flames reccded as suddenly as they
came, and we had TO abandon the attempt to
save the others.
Il yelled 10 the men on the top TO hoist
away, but il was some time before they got
the signal or understood my meaning. The |
moments thus spent were living death |
thought they could not hear me. and con-
cluded we would have to crawl through into
the south shaft and undertake to climbing |
out that way. was just in the act of do |
ing so when l felt the cage move and we |
assembled about 20 feet. when the cage began
descending. ] thought the machinery hro-
ken and that We were falling to an awful |
and certain death. The wall that went up !
from those men was heartrendiny and | |
shall never forget il. The knowledge that |
at the top were their wives extending their
arms ready to clasp and shield them from
further danger was maddening enough 10 !
destroy reason All at once, however, the |
cage came to sudden stop, and again began |
responding to the pressure of ropes and pull I
leys. and We were soon at the top"
1t is probable that all who were in the |
mine al the time of the first explosion are |
dead. The bravery of Superintendent |
sweeny almost cost him his life, and is !