The morning call., 1891-01-28
One Hundred and Ten Men
Killed in an Explosion.
Sixty Bodies Removed. From a Wrecked
Pennsylvania Coal Mine.
Deadly FiTe-Damp SuTOcateS the Miners Who
Were Not Killed 0utriSht-NOne
Living to Tell the Tale.
Special to THE MORNING CALL.


the ii. c. Fricke Coke Company to-day
eighty sturdy miners were ushered into
eternity and a number seriously injured
Ihe explosion occurred this morning
shortly after O'clock, and it is
supposed was the result of the igni-
uoh OF miners oil lamp, and after
damp, which was followed by the fre-damp
explosion. Nearly every workman was
Sufiocated, and few men realizing their
awful situation fell TO the ground, thereby
preventing the gas from striking them.
Inc persons not killed are in such critical
cohdltlon that their deaths are momentarily
expected. Up to this writing fifty bodies
have been recovered, all without signs of life.
The fire, which broke out after the explo-
sion, was soon extinguished by immense
faDs which were put in operation. The gas
has about all been driven from the pit and
the work of rescuing the entombed miners
commenced
The mammoth plant embraces 500 ovens,
and is one of the largest plants in the coke
region, but it is hard of access. 1t is
situated near the Union Works, where an
explosion recently destroyed the entire
shaft.
1he affair has cast gloom over the entire
coke region, and tonight hundreds of
miners are fiocking to the scene of the dis
aster, Offering assistance.
oNERsHADows THE DUNBAR DISASTER.
The appalling loss of life in the Dunbar
disaster is more than overshadowed by the
destruction Of fe in the mammoth calamity.
The news spread throughout the entire
coke district with great rapidity aud every
body was awe-stricken.
Collins have already been ordered for
eighty persons from Mount Pleasant under
takers No one escaped from the mine IN
condition TO tell the story of the awful dis
aster 1t is estimated there are sixty wives
and families left wholly dependent on the
charity Of the world for sustenance by this
disaster. In fact, they are almost penniless,
as the plant has not been running full for
some time and work has been exceedingly
scarce.
Everything possible will be resorted to to
supply the widowed mothers and their chill
dren with the necessaries of life. The
Fricke Company will act literally in this
l;eeetion, and Master Workman Peter Wise
cokers of the region.
STORY OF THE HORROR.
This evening a partial story of the disss-
ter was obtained. An unexpected flow OF
gas was struck and the miners working in
the headings connected with flats ., and
were all killed.
The fire boss, as is his duty. had been in
the mine and examined the working places.
His mangled body lies at the Morsue. The
only evidence that he attended to his duties
are the regular certificates Of inspection re-
ceived from him this morning, which guar
anteed the mines to be safe.
The miners knew these certificates had
been filled out and went to work. They
never returned. Superintendent KeIghly,
who was Mine Inspector in the Dunbar
district when that horror occurred was at
the mine when the explosion took place He
Immediately called for volunteers and gath
ering few men about him descended the
shaft. Before doing so he notified General
Superintendent Dinch and that gentleman
ordered all mine superintendents in the
region 20 the scene.
TERRIBLE SCENES.
When the volunteers entered the mine q
sight impossible to picture met them. The
cars, mules and, more terrible than all, the
| men were piled in compact mass against
the ribs, or walls of coal, and not living
| thing was in the wreckage. 1t was almost
as solid rs the coal itself. so terrific was the
| force of the explosion.
This obstruction was removed with diff
| Guilty and they entered the chamber of hor-
rors The first object they discovered
after leaving the main entry was gum
| boot In 1t was the leg of Il man. Farther
| on they found human head, but nowhere
| IN sight was the trunk that had borne 1t;
| but IN few minutes, after walking dis
| tance surrounded by dangers unseen, they
| found the trunk. The ragged neck, with blood
| oozing from it, told the story of appalling
! disaster Working their way in hey found
bodies Strewn along the gangway. One un-
fortunate had met death while on his
| knees in prayer, with his hands claSped
and eyes upfted His body was found in
this position. 1t was pathetic picture.
CRAZED RELATIVES.
While all this was occurring the people
| oil the region were concentrating at the
scene of the great disaster. Women and
| children, relatives and friends of the un-
fortunate victims rushed to the mouth Of
the pit shrieking and sobbing and the scene
was one never to be forgotten.
Following them came physicians and
| undertakers from Scottdale, Mount Pleas
| ant and Greensburg, and after them Father
Lamblng OF Scottdale, who went among
the bereaved with words of SYM
pathy and coincidence. besides urging the
men to greater work to rescue any who
might be alive and imprisoned. The services
OF physicians were little needed, for every
man in the headings where the explosion
| lived.
Dead bodies were brought up every few
| minutes. Every corpse was covered and no
one even ventured to inquire which body it
| was, Tor they knew every one in that part of
| the mine at the time of the explosion was
dead
Superintendent Keighly was sorely dis
tressed. lie had been in two other mine
disasters = Dunbar and Youngstown, but
this was far worse. He said No man
iiving knows the cause of the accident and
1t never Will be known for certainty"
Not SO many were killed by the explosion,
but the dreaded after-damp came and the
un1ortunates succumbed to it. This is
shown by the fact that only those bodies in
the immediate vicinity of the worst wreck
age were mutilated.
| NO SAFETY LAMPS.
One of the fOremen connected with the
| mine said that safety lamps were not used
in IT.. The presence of gas was not sus-
| pected.
John w. Bell, the fire boss at Heckla No. 1.
said About two years ago there was an
explosion of gas at this mine.
| aud one man was burned t1
death. No safety pumps were used here.
There was too much work here for one boss
anyhow. They discharged one couple of
weeks ago to reduce expenses and one man
has been forced to do the work. managed to
secure the last report of the mine insi ector
and it is very important document just
now"
The latest examination of the mammotf
mine by the State Inspector was made or
January 10th. 1t shows that at an inlet
which has a slope for a mile or more away
from the shaft, was So, ,080 cubic feet of air
entering. The general condition Of the
mine was marked fair
AT midnight it is stated that 11O men wer,
killed in the explosion. Sixty bodies hay,
been taken out so far.
The mine is again on fire and it is feare,
that all the other bodies will be cremated.
Wronged Wcman's Death.
New YORK, Jan. 27.-Mrs. Fack, for
! merly the wife Of ex-Sheriff James Flack, die