New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-11-14
disastrous Mine Exnlnsinn

!
The officers of the Kettle Greek Coal M;n;no
company belonging to Wiliamsport, Pa.
are In receipt OF information that a terrible
SSAplosioHS occurred at their mines located in
oilnCon county on the line of the PHILADELPHIA
q Erie railroad. The superintendent. George
~. Miller, upon hearing a heavy report pro-
Z ceeaed TO the spot when he at once saw that
a, violent explosion had taken place
Inc necessary arrangements were quickly
nitiqe 10 carry the air to the face
WORK, ana men entered the mine TO
leafn the particulars of what had
occurred. An appalling state of affairs was
found to exist inside OF the twenty-one men
VINO mao been working in the drift only three
OF 1onr had escaped death or injury At The
sha OF an hours hard work fourteen dead
Doules were recovered from the drift Two of
Gnose VINO were injured subsequently, died
ohe man was missing and his remains were
i i2u out IN the woods, where they had been
pioWn by the force of the explosion through
the air shaft. The total number of killed Or.
iaOaily injured was found to be seventeen All
puGiouf OF them were Hungarians or Italians
Inc force OF the explosion was shown in
Ine TACT THAT bodies were blown clear out of
Che mouth OF the drift. Everything possible
was done lt,, Tor the injured by the mine physi-
clans. The bodies of the dead were taken
charge OF by an undertaken and prepared for
interment.
1t is thought that in making a blast a
gas feeder" was struck, filing the chamber
WIN gas which coming in contact with a
naked lamp produced the explosion. A ssgas
FEEDER is pocket of gas imbedded in the
coal. AS soon as a pick is struck into it the
gas escapes and If anything ignites an explo-
SION follows. 1t is generally conceded that
Ghere was good ventilation, and the mines were
luily supplied with air appliances The su-
Pefntendent says the accident could not have
peen loreseen, and that no blame attaches to
any one.
Many rumors are going the rounds, and
among them is one that the direct cause of
Ghe explosion was the inexperienced use of
dynamite in the mines. In conversation with
one OF the drivers who escaped it was learned
mat an Italian had gotten 100 sticks of
the deadly stuff from the storekeeper
IN the morning, and had also gotten
4oU caps and had returned after
1use, but as there were none in stock it IS
supposed that he had tried to set it off in
some other way, thus causing the explosion.
In blacksmith shop near the scene of the
olsaster laid the charred and unacceptable
remains OF August Person, who was blown
out through the air shaft fifty feet in the air,
and some OF his clothes can be seen hanging
TO limb OF q tree near by. Next to him is
Mike Currens, who was blown 200 feet out of
the mouth of the mine, and was found dead
IN ditch still cftnging to the handle of his
shovel.
John Farrell, mule driver, tells this story:
l was behind pushing the car, and in sticking
up my head saw q flash. | Immediately
dropped to the ground, moving quickly as
possible toward the mouth of the drift, and
escaped uninjured. My mule and a Swede
miner along side the animal were killed in
stantly. felt but little of the effects of the
explosion, and it's force must have been all
above me, although all the timbers at the
mouth OF the shaft were carried out 200 feet
beyond the mouth of the drift.