Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-06-19
DEADLY FIRE-DAMP.
A Pennsylvania Goal Mine Horror
Reported.
Tho Victims Cut on By Wall OF Flame
some Few kescued stricken Wives ana
Mothers Watch the Mouth of
the Pit.

|
Mothers Watch the Mouth of
the Pit.
DUNBAR, Pa, June IT, Yesterday
morning at il;lO o'clock sullen roar
shook the miners dwellsing on the Hill
farm, in Fayette County, near this
place, and hundreeS OF affrighted per
sons, Nho knew tho sound we'll, feared
another mine disaster and they reasoned
far too we'll.
In a moment the news had spread
that the Hin farm mines, owned by
Philadelphia parties, had exploded. A
rush was made 10 tho mouth OF the pit,
but ingrcss was impossible as smoke in
dense volumes was issuing forth.
Fifty miners were in the slope when
the explosion occurred. OF these fifty
eighteen we're in the left heading and
thirty-two in tho ght Those in the
left got out all right, but the retreat OF
the others was cut of and not one es-
capped. The men we're at work about
$40 feet from the mouth Of the slope
when the explosion occurred.
Near the point at which the heading
started an air hole had been drilled and
gas and water had accumulated in IT,
Patrick Kerwin penetrated this air hole
with his pick. whereupon strong
stream Of water gushed out Kerwin,
alarmed, sounded the danger signal,
and his assistant, Patrick Hayes start
ed hurriedly for the main entrance and
had scarcely moved when the foul gas
was ignited from his lamp. The explo-
sion that followed was terrific What
little air there was in the place drifted
to the right of the main entrance.
The fire followed swiftly and before
the men could be alarmed all hope Of
escape was cut of by the flames.
Following is a list of the missing
miners; Il. Joseph Brlgner, married;
Richard Brigner; Milt Ferney, married;
Barney Moss; Peter Eagan, forty-four
years old; Robert McGuill, single; Mar
tin Cavaner; John Cope, married, and
Andy Cope, his SON. Pat Dovlin, mar
ried John Debanney, married; John
JOY, married; John Debanney, son;
Delvin Davis. married; Thomas
Davis, son; Pat Cahill. married
William Cahill, single Pat Court
ney, married Joni Courtney. his
son; Jack Mitchell, married Dan
South, married. James Shearn. single;
David Hayes; William Hayes (son);
James McCleary, married: Thomas Mo
Cleary, married; Elmer Dewey single;
Joseph Bigler, aged thirty, wifo and
three children; Barney Maust Emanuel
Maust (brothers); John Mitchell. mar
ried.
At point near where the explosion
occurred the bodies Of Daniel Shearn.
fire boss, and David Hayes were found
They had evidently attempted to escane
through the flames ..nx rnrned IN
at the mines, the smaller gang drilling
of to tho left, whilc the larger, some
thirty-hve in number, went TO tho right
and descended some 500 feet from the
surface.
When the water was tapped, young
David Hayes, who had seen the affair,
leaped forward at the call and turned
down tho left drift in deluge Of
water TO warn his endangered comrades
below. just as he passed the air
shaft that had been broken into
the rush OF waters had changed to
the ugly roar OF food. Then as young
Hayes swung by the shaft, a flash OF blaz-
ing light slid through the shaft from
end TO end IL seemed. The daring youth !
carried an open burning miners lamp in
his hand and he had hardly taken step
beyond the roaring shaft when the
sparks ignitcd reservoir OF the deadly
fluid, Are damp that had already |
accumulated and he sank a corpse
ten feet toward the men whom
he had certainly doomed. In an
instant an unquenchable fire sprang up
in the nine foot vein Just between the |
main entrance and on the right drift, |
forever shutting in the thirty-two men
imprisoned there.
David Hayes, driven mad by the fate
Of his son, dashed into the sulphurous |
smoke and strangling fire damp, only TO |
fall blindly beside his son and 10 be /
drawn out an hour later with James |
Shearn, both recognized only by their |
wives.
The Are, famed by air from the main /
drift and from the fatal shaft ITSELF |
soon sprung into an awful conhagration. I
Pat Kelly, who was driving a mine car
near the place at the time says the ex- /
plosion seemed nothing, but the blind
ing, strangling smoke and gas followed |
him like a iend to the very door of the 1
shaft and poured out after him.
The miners from the left drift escaped |
blackened and bruised but safe, and /
they tell fearful story Of the sight
Just beyond the blazing coal on the
right whore half imagination and half /
fact, showed them a score Of terrible /
faces walled in by flame no man could
pass and live.
The explosion was one of the most
and deadly in the history of
the coke regions. In the Leiseuring
disaster Of 1883 twenty-three men lost
their lives.
Thousands Of people gathered at the
mouth OF the mine yesterday afternoon.
Among them were the parents, wives
and sweethearts OF the unfor-
tunates. and strong guard Of police
was necessary to prevent any OF them,
mad with anguish, from rushing into
the deadly hole.