Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-01-28
Wholesale Death in a Pennsyl-
vania Coke Mine.
OVER SIXTY BODIES RECOVERED,
Only One Person Who Saw the Ac'
cident Alive to Tell the Tale.
CROWDS AROUND THE FIERY TOMB
At the Time of the Explosion 200 Me1
Were at Work

the Flams-An Army Of Rescuers ut
work-ons Order for EIgh Comns-
An Appeal for Help Issued.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Pa, Jan. 2s-Fully
10 miners were suffocated by the gas
which exploded during the morning in
the Mammoth shaft of the Fl. G. Frick
Coke Company. Sixty bodies have been
recovered, but last night the mine
caught fire. and the horrors of cremation
may be added to those of suffocation.
disaster has been more than over
Swallowed by the destruction wrought
by this accident.
Sixty Bodies Recovered,
The explosion occurred shortly after
8 o'clock, and it is supposed was the re-
suit of the ignition of miners oil lam D.
The afterdamp which followed the fire.
damp explosion suffocated nearly every
workman. The persons not killed are
in such critical condition that their
deaths are momentarily expected. The
fire which broke out after the explosion
was soon extinguished by the immense
fans which were put in operation. AS
soon as the gas had been driven from the
pit the work of rescuing the entombed
miners was begun and SO bodies have
been recovered.
Thinks All Were Killed.
One hundred and ten men were en-
ployed in that part of the mine in
which the explosion occurred, and not
one was left to tell the story of the dis
aster Not more than so men were
killed by the explosion. The othere were
killed by the after damp, and, while
some of the bodies are horribly torn,
burned and mutilated, others were
found with their teeth clinched on the
iron.
Mine Boss Eaton, who escaped about
one minute before the fatal explosion, is
the only individual remaining to relate
the story.
Only One Man Escaped.
John Boles, who has a brother in the
fatal shaft, relates the following story:
'tAbout 8 o'clock we heard a loud report
in the direction of the shaft. We imme-
diately started for the opening. only to
find suffocating volume of smoke and
gas gushing therefrom, and at once
knew what was wrong. We began the
ing the shaft of gas. This we accom-
plished by starting the large fans. am
fully convinced that every man who was
in the shaft at the time was killed,
either by falling timbers or by the after
damp"
Women Rush to the Mine.
When the news of the explosion was
carried to the miners families in the lit
tie houses dotted on the hillsides, moth.
ers, wives, sisters, daughters and sweet
hearts rushed to the shaft. But the
story was soon told. "All the men in
flats Nos. 2, and are dead. AS fast as
we we get their bodies and they are iden-
titled and fixed for burial we will send
them home" A sob could be heard here
and there, and many walked away with
bowed heads. The women bore the news
heroically.
Everybody Awo-Srricken.
Language is too weak to describe the
scenes at the mines. The news spread
throughout the entire coke region with
great rapidity, and everybody was awe
stricken. The collins have already been
ordered for 80 persons from Mount Pleas
ant undertakes, and it is understood
that the Prick Company, the owners OF
the plant, will bear the expenses of the
same.
ResOusrs at Work.
As soon as the mine experts had ar.
rived systematic plan for the recovery
bodies was agreed upon. The first party
went down the shaft to fat No. 4 Three
hundred feet from the shaft they found
a pile of earth and human bodies which
nelled through, and the party turned of
at right angles along the haulage road,
at the extremity of this there was man
with his head blown off.
Overcome by Gas.
At this point several of the party,
among them Superintendents Ramsey
and Laird, were overcome by the after
damp and had to be carried back to
purer air. In the haulage roads of fat
NJ L,
counted in one heap in fat No. 2.
Fighting Fire.
Once or twice fires were discovered
where the explosion had ignited small
heaps of dry coal dust. Large Quanti-
ties of water were turned on the flames,
and after several hours of hard work
they were extinguished. Then q bucket
brigade was organized. Every little
spark was suppressed before it coul Id
spring into flame.
An Appeal for Aid.
Master Workman Wise has issued the
following to the workmen of the coke
region: ''The sad news of a disastrous
explosion at the Mammoth mines has
just reached me, and fear many famil-
les have been left destitute. therefore
appeal to you to promptly render what
aid you can to assist the families of your
brethren who have been killed"
Mr.. FrIck Filled with Transformation.
PITTsBURa, Pa, Jan. 2S.-The news Of
the explosion was received by Mr.. II. @.
Frick in this city. He was filed with
CONSERVATION at the extent of the disas-
ter, and said: awe have never had an
accident like this in any of our mines.
The mammoth plant was thought to be
in the safest of hands, when we gave it
in CHI arge of Mine Inspector Fred Keigh-
ley. No expense has been spared to make
| eur mines as safe rs possible"