The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-04-13
An AWFUL CALAMITY.
Ono Of the Most Terrible Mine 40.
cidente Ever Recorded happens
at Rice Mn, Mo.

cldonte Ever Recorded Nappens
at Rice Aill, Mo.
The most horrible mine tlisaster that
has ever occurred III the West hanpened
at Kich Hi. Missouri, in Keith & PEI rvs No.
mine. and. us II result, q large number OF
men were entombed and thousands Of dol
lars worth Of property destroyed. It is
reported that forty lives have been lost
Just at the dinner hour, when the mon
we're ascendint. eight at n time. on the
sss sGsc. 4 terrible gas explosion occurred,
filling every entry with 9 flame OF fire
which shot out Of the shaft a dist ance OF
two hundred and forty feet. It cannot l,s
ascertained just how many men are vet In
the mine. The superintenient made the @
following statement: went out as soon
ne possible, and found the south cage on
which the men always ascend. stuck IN the
Sossom, s@s,s ao9n1 Si.h .sss ss way On to the
went down on tub lowered with ropss
and found them all badly burned and in a
Irenzy-tn TACT they were crazy. some
shouting and other singing. found II i'm.
possible to have this cage hoistsd. Us the
timbers were all blown out OF position
We finally managed to be hoisted by
mean. oi ropes and pullies. In fainting
condition. and it was then ascer.
ssinsd IT, inc !, that h ,i the north case could be
had been driven ie through "Sess rom ~"ise sse
south shaft. This. WAS done by
saving them short off. l then called Tor
volunteers to go down with me to see il
any 0i tho poor fellows at the bottom
could be got out. Robert Brick, George
Henry. Charles Smallwood and Mat Duie.
hand responded. When we reached the
bottom lC"ked through into the entry
and saw a light, and asked who was
haR md Gf
told him to put out his light. 1 then
asked him to crawl to me. but
he w.s so exhausted that he conl,i
not do SO. and reached through
the small aperture and dragged hlm on to
the cage. just as .his was done a wind
rushed with the velocity OF a cyclone up
the entry putting out all our lights but ono.
This was followed by two loud reports
and seething flame Of fire, which cnme
with . deafening roar. completely envelop.
ing US for length oi time which seemed
like IN age, and shot out of the mouth OF
the shalt $40 feet above our heads,
and we were all horribly burned,
and thought our time had come. and tho
flames receded ms 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 1t was some
time before they got the signal or under.
oVpOu ivy uIeNuitik. 1U6 moments JnuS
spent we're living death. thought they
could not hear me. and concluded We
would have to crawl through into tho
south shaft and undertake to climb
out that way. was just in
the act OF doing SO. when i
felt the cage move, and we ascended about
thirty feet. when the cage began descend
Ing thought the machinery broken, and
that we were falling to nm awful and GER
tain death. The wall that went up from
those men was heartrending and l shall
never forget it. All at once, however. the
cage came to Il sudden stop and again he.
gan responding to the pressure oi ropes
and pulleys, and we were soon Mt the top.
itis probable that all who were in tho
mine ut the time of the first explosion were
lost. The bravery uf Supt. Sweeny almost
cost him his life. About eighty five miners
were employed in the mine, and the proba.
bilities are thnt half OF them were out.
They are mostly negroes, who came from
Springfield. III, when the mine was opened
less than q wear ago,