The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-17
THIRTY-ONE MINERS KILLED.
4 LAMP IGNIJES GAS IN THE HILL
FARM MINE, NEAR DUNBAR, PA.

DIo of Fire and suiTOcRt iOn-Trrrible
Scenes Around the Mouth of the Mine.
DUNBAR, Pa. juno lG.-Thirty-one miners
were killed by tho explosion OF gas IN tho coal
mines at Hill Farm owned by the Dunbar Fur
! mace Company. 4 mile west OF here at 1880 this
! morning. The bodies Of two of the unfortu-
mates were taken out. The others are still on
tombed in tho mine, whore n fierce fire
Is raging. There Is little doubt Tint all
arc dead, although their end came
! slowly from sutIocation. desperate efforts
! have been made TO clear the way
| and recover the bodies. but without avail A
reecuinG party OF 100 men headed Ivy Mine In
spector KeiHhly OF this district, spent tho
afternoon in the Inflated pit, but up to 10 to-
night have been able to rescue only two bodies.
Both OF these men had died from the force OF
the explosion. They are badly burned. Their
features are distorted and distgured. and they
could only be recognized by their clothes.
There were 1fty-seven miners in tho pit
when tho explosion occurred. They were at
work in the headings of to the right and left Of
the main entry about 5000 feet from tho
mouth Of the slope. Near the point Mt which
the heading started in different directions M
air hole had been drilled recently. This waR
pinch hole Gas and water had accumul a. ed in
II. few minutes before the explosion oc-
Cured Patrick kerwin penetrated the air hole
with his nick. strong stream OF water gushed
out Kerwin was Mortified. He sounded the
alarm. His assistant. Patrick HAYES started
hurriedly for the main entrance. He had
scarcely started when the foul gas was ignlted
from his lamp.
The explosion which followed was terrific.
What little air there was in the place drIted to
the heading to the right OF the main entrance.
Tho fire followed swiftly, and before the thirty
mar hA MI al oil n
was shut off by the flames. The twen,y.six
men employed in the left heading we're notified
OF the danger in time TO save their lives al
though their escape was thrilling end was ac-
companied by the Widest confusion.
At a point near where the explosion occurred
the bodies OF Daniel Sheeran. fire boss. and
David Hayes were found They had evidently
attempted to escape through the flames. APP
pended is full list of the missing miners:
Joseph Brigner. married; Richard BriGner
Milf lerney. married; Barney Moss. Peter
Egan, A years old; RoLert McGuill. Martin
Cavener, John Cone. married: Andy Cope. son
Pat Dev!n. married: John DELANEY, married
John JOY, married John Dchunney hoy: Da-
vId Davis. married; Thomas Davis. SON.
Pat Cahil married: William Cahlll. sin
gle; Pat Courtney. married. John Courtney.
tsonl: Jack Mitchell. married. Dan South.
married; James Shearn. Danny Shearn. David
Hayes father William Huyes som: james
McCIeary. married. Thomas McCleary. mar
ried; Elmer Dewey, Joseph BiGloy. 80. wife
and two children Barney Maust. Emanuel
Maust tbrothers); Pat Courtney. 40. married:
George Courtney SON. II. and John Mitchell
40. married.
The explosion was one OF tho most disastrous
and deadly in tho history Of the coke region.
In tho LeisenrinR disaster in 1888 twenty-thr
mon lost their lives. At Col }. NJ. Reeds works
at this place two years earlier FIVE men were
killed. while ut the Youngstown works n year
later fourteen lives were lost. This latest
calamity has unnerved the community and
the inhabitants are wild with excitement
Thousands OF people gathered at the mouth
of the mines this afternoon. Among them wero
the parents. wives. children, and sweethearts
OF the unfortunates, and strong guard OF
police was necessary to prevent many OF them.
mad with anguish, from rushing into
the deadly hole. Wives. widowed by
the calamity, stood about lily clad
and sore footed. luing to sleep
their babes In arms. Mothers wrung their
hands and cried aloud for their boys. while
children from : to = y ye Of age hurried
capped miners in the hope OF finding their (
fathers or brothorS.
Their suffering was pitiable, md. while the .
authorities OF the company we're eXerting all .
their energies t. recover the bodies. the total
! hsenre OF Information regarding the fate OF
the missing men made their distress more So
we're and nouns and gronns went NJ uncon-
SciouslS from many OF the pnched lips III the
The entrance to the Hill mines is on a steep
knoll, and Just To the lot and within iitI yards
washed stones perching through the luXurant
growth OF grass and shrubbery. To-day there
we're no MARKS OF neW;;made, graves. To-mor-
These works furnish coke Tor III" Dunbar
Furnace C9mnnny. which owns Them, George
Parrish OF Wilkes harre Is President OF the com
lany. Samuel Dickson and J. C.. BuI!itt OF
,ndel The nE% has been H Mry
ul. II has n capita stock Of SiOu.O0O. ion-
derable OF this, ann"unt is hold in lniontown.
,asn notified OF tho disaster. and the auihori-
les here have hccn instructed do everything
rHo have suffered by the calamity.
The Sc"ttda!e Rolling Mil Company This
yeninG sent force %n OF men toad tho rescuors
york; and send al their employees. The Oly-
liant furnace people teleGlEphcd Tonight
ices will not be uerdel. ms more mon have al
cldv volunteers thnn can lind work 10 10.
as m"ti,lei TORMENT. lie IS eXpoctcd 6m"at
lorruw morning. lh" loss b. the explosion
anm.t now o he e, asc"raInrh viii b" heayy.
'orks Will have to lie abandoned
nm" AsSUc' afr i'Tr'E
At midnight tonight the smoke md gas
'Om tho right shaft poured M the mainrTIt.
nd after trials almost hoynnd human endur-
nre the IescuIng party gave NJ AL hOncs Of 1
yer recovering their comrades bodies rjom
nat entrance. and turned their attention 10
10 Ferguson mine, on" ana half miles away
At this hour they Hr" striving (" penetrni"
ON that nine, int the flames and srIokn
ak every effort. The universal and unNil ing
erdirt from the old miners about Tho .hu'ti =
,-nlrht il that Tho CntOubcd mon have either =
cen killed outright by tho explosion, or ater /
V Suilocation. i
Tho latter seams to bc tho moro probable. M !
u ( In part, ~ sOundlngS woie hrnIl rom !
le Ell Omhrl men as late ~ | &c .orh ms =
rernOon. These grew weaker and wraLcr n
owcNcr. and hal! m hour later even the most "
oprml OF tho Wiling rescuers couII hear .
lthing.
7 he men shy that had they known tha shnrt
rs to he broken into they would never have I,
lterrd tho nine, a. either water or gas would ;,
lrrly hay" followed. since in those regions :
ls always come from The upper shnle Tho +
yuors. however and In fact, some OF the mon :
rmScly"S, say l. WAS an accident pure and a
lHple, that could lot be avoided.
Rich Mans Attempt at Suicide.
'ursrrrn Mas. Juno IG,- "A desperate attempt at v
ll,h "a