The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-11-15
MINE DISASTER IN KANSAS.
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY
BURIED ALIVE.
Golfers 112 Feet Underground-Black
Damp the Cause-Every Man in the
Mines Supposed to be Dead.

A terrific explosion that broke windows in
the little village of Pittshurg, Kansas, and
spread CONSERVATION among its inhabitants,
occurred on Friday night For a few mo-
ments the startled people scarcely dared to
stir ont of the buildings rhv violence of'-Lne
sh eek having been so great as to hurl dishes
from their shelves and demolish chimneys.
Half an hour after tho explosion the viii
layers, who were preparing to go to the
mines, were startled by ragged, bleeding
man, who almost staggered into the arms
of the searchers He said that No. 2 shaft
at Frantenac, mining suburb of this vii
lage, had been destroyed by an explosion,
and that all the men in the mine at the time
save himself and q Dane, whom he left
bleeding at the mouth of the pit
were undoubtedly dead. Horses were
quickly harnessed to wagons, and in a
few moments the villagers were hurrying
through the fierce snow and sleet storm
which was prevailing. AT thu mouth Of the
mine the tremendous force of thu explosion
was apparent. There were huge seams in
the earth and the timbers of the hosting
apparatus were shivered and burned. Foul
gases were also escaping. The Dime who had
escaped with the man who alarmed the viii
layers, lay in the mud with his face covered
with blood. For long time it was thought
he was dead, but he regained consciousness
in a few hours and is now at his home. He
cannot speak and does not know what caused
the explosion. His clothes were in ribbons.
There were 160 men in the mine at the
time Of the explosion, and as they were at
work IL feet below the surface, it is be-
lieved that not one survived the terrible
shock, which must have destroyed every
thing within the pit. AS soon as the rela-
tives of the miners, who live in the little cot
tages at Frantenac, recovered from their
alarm they ran to the mouth of the pit and
made pitiful appeals for their husbands,
fathers and sons to return to them. Although
the storm was severe and the cold exceed
ingly bitter for this time of year, the poor,
scanty- clad women stood about in the water
until long after midnight. Big fires were
built near the mouth of the pit and beside
the shaft. At these blazing piles the women
placed their children, while they them
selves tried by all kinds of entreaties to in
shafts to enter the pit and rescue
their relatives One rescuing party
started down the shaft at Z o'clock, but was
forced to turn back owing to the foul air.
Another attempt was made at 9 o'clock, but
the plucky Iescuers were again forced to
abandon their work. They could hear no
sound from the chambers below, and this led
old miners to believe that ali TIE men in the
shaft have persisted. Those who started
down the shaft early in the evening say that
the shock has destroyed whole drifts and
that it is probable that the men in the lower
levels are buried beneath tons Of slate. Black
damp is supposed to have caused the explo-
sion. Most of the miners at these shafts
came originally from Illinois and Pennsyl.
vauia