Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-11-09
TEN KILLED
And Four Injured in a Mine E1-
plOSiOn at NantiCOke.
EXPLOSION OF A SAFETY LAMP
Ignitss the Gas and Does the Fearful Work o.
Dsath-It Was Sunday and Only Fourteen
Were in the Mins Ess the Result
Woald Havs Been WORSE

NANTIcoKE, PA, November S.-The
usual quiet Sunday of this mining Will
age was disturbed about 4:3O O'Clock
this afternoon by the announcement
that terrible explosion of gas had oc-
Cured in No. shaft Of the Susque-
hanna Coal Co., by which number OF
men had been killed and Others terribly
injured.
But short time elapsed before the
news spread throughout the town and
large crowd gathered at the scene In
cluding relatives and friends OF the
miners employed in the mine and while
they waited for news from the shaft the
scene was narrowing in the extreme.
1t was soon learned, however, that
owing to the fact that this was Sunday
there were but fourteen men at work In
the mine. OF this number six were in
stantly killed, and several others so
badly burned and injured that they can
not survive, many so seriously that they
were in such condition that they could
not bear removal from the mine.
The killed are:
WM. j. WILLIAMS, miner, aged nifty
years; wife and four children.
HENRY 2. JONES, town clerk. OF
Nanticoke, fire boss, aged forty years,
wife and two children.
WILLIAM JONATHAN, aged thirty
five years, wife and four children.
JOHN ARNoTT, aged forty years, vile
and four children.
CALEB JErHING, aged thirty years,
wife and four children.
THOMAS LLOYD, driver boy aged
eighteen years.
The critically injured are David Pow
ell, aged thirty-two years; David A.
Smith, agen twenty-Seven years; Ihom-
as Thomas, aged nineteen years, step
son of Foreman David w. Evans; Hen
ry Williams, son of William j. William,
who was killed instantly, wife and six
children; Howell Jofhenski, Polander
and two Polanders whose names couio
not be aScertained.
The accident was caused by the ex-
plosion OF safety lamp, the flames OF
which ignited the gas. The existence
of this element. was known, ana the
safety lamp, which is generally uSeo
successfully in the presence OF gas, was
being used by the men during their
operations.
The mine, which is one u the best
operated by the SusQuehanna Coa4
Company, is not seriously damaged.
Later.
The scene about the mouth OF the
shaft was heartrending. AS soon as
the news of the explosion was noised
about town, the wives and children OF
the men who were imprisoned gathered
at the opening.
The wives wept frantically and the
children played about unconscious OF
the fearful doom their fathers had met
A searching party was organized as
soon as possible and the brave men
went down the mine to rescue their fell
low workmen.
They had struggled with the danger
GUS after damp, and after almost losing
themselves in the cavern, cropping in the
dark, came upon the bodies OF the vic
Tins. The force of the explosion had
dashed to pieces several mine cars
standing on the tracks Of the mine.
Some of the victims were beheaded
and Others disemboweled. 1t was a
fearful spectacle. The remains were
taken to the mouth Of the shaft, and
from there to their homes in ambulances
and on stretchers.
After each one followed the mans
wife and children. Four more of the
injured have died;
HOWELL JoHENsKI, aged thirty-two
wears, wife and family OF small chill
dren.
John MALoNEY, aged thirty years,
wife and three children.
DAVID Il. JAMES, aged thirty seven
years.
w. J. WILLIAMS, JB., aged twenty
three years, son of w. j. Williams who
was killed.
Four more are badly injured and one
of them will die.