The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-04-05
An AWFUL CALAMITY.
One ct the Most Terrible Mine 40.
cldonts Ever Recorded Happens
at Rice MIL Me-,

= &
TIE .ne.t horrible min; Ia d i. that
at Rich Hill. Miss ouri in Keith 4 Psi ~ NJ:
mine, and, as Il result d large number OF
men were entombed and tholsanda 81 dol.
lars worth, OF property dsssroy5d: It is
reported tiat forty lives have been lost.
just at the dinner hour, when tho men
were ascending, eight at a time. on the
cage. a terrible gas explosion occurred,
filling every entry with q flame, OF fire
which shot out OF tho shaft 4 distances OF
ascertnined just how many men are ret in
the mine. The superintendent made the
following statement: went out 40 soon
as possible and found the south cage on
which the n,ep always ascend. stuck IN the
i sottom "o ~ish < halt n rsy Of to ting
vent dPxh; on \ tub lowered, With ropes
ifenzy Yin TACT they were crazy. some
shouting, and other singing. found il i'm
possible to have this cage hoistsd, 40 tho
timbers were all blown out OF position.
We finally managed to he hoisted by
means OF ropes and pullies, in faintins
condition. and 1t was then ascer.
tanned that the north cage could be
orked by clearing some timbers which
had. been driven through from tho
saving them short off. then called for
volunteers to 80 down with me to see il
any OF the poor fellows at the botton NJ
could be got out. Robert Brick, George
Henry, Charles Smallwood and Mat Duic.
hand responded. When we reached the
bottom Looked through into the entry
and saw a light. and I asked who wxs
tod him !" TO- ' put out iiis iieht: t aen
asked Him Is crawl to me, but
he was 30 exhausted TINT. he could
not do SO. and l. reached through
the small aperture and dragged him on to
the cage. just as this was done a wind
rushed with the velocity of Il cyclone up
the entry putting out allour lights but Que.
This was followed by two loud reports
and a seething flame OF fire, which camo
ing us Tor length OF time which seemet:
like IN age, and shot out of the mouth of
the shaft 240 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 attempt
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.
spent we're a living death. l thought they
could not hear me, and concluded we
would have to crawl through into the
south shaft and undertake to climb
out that way. I was just in
tho act OF doing 80. when
felt the cagc move, and we assembled about
thirty feet. when the cage began descend.
Ing. thought the machinery broken. and
that we ere falling to an awful and GER
tain death. TIE wall that went up from
those men was hcartrending and 1 shall
never forget 1t. All at once; however. the
cage came to I: sudden stop and again he.
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 lie. About eighty five miners
were employed in the mine. and the proba.
bilit;es are that half of them were out.
They are mostly negroes, who came from
Springfield. III, when the mine was opened
less than year ago,