Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-11-09
KILLED IN A SHAFT
Eight Miners Meet Awful
 Deaths at NanticOke, Pa.
SIX OTHERS FATALLY HURT.
The Explosion of Safety Lamp Oaus ed
 the Terrible Disaster.


 the Same Notwithstanding Scenes at the Mouth of the Mine Horrible Ap- pearanoe of the Corpses - Another Theory of the Accident.
 NANr1coKE, Pa, Nov. 9.-A terrible explosion of gas occurred yesterday af- ternoon in No. l shaft of the Susque- hanna Coal Company's mine, causing the instant death of eight men and SO badly burning and injuring several others that is feared they will die. The killed are:
 WILLIAM J. WILLIAMS, 50 years ol d, leaves wife and four children.
 PERRY R. JONES, Town Clerk of Nan ticoke, fire boss, 40 years old, wife and two children.
 WILLIAM JONATHAN, 86 years old, wife and four children.
 JOHN ARNoTT, 40 years old, wife and four children.
 CALEB LETTING, 30 years old, wife and four children.
 THOMAS LLOYD, driver, IS years old.
 DAVID L. SMITH, 27 years old.
 HENRY WILLIAMS.
 The critically wounded are: David Powell, 32 years old; Thomas Thomas, 19 years old; Henry Williams, D. w. Evans, Howell Jofhenski, 8 Polander; two Polanders, names unknown.
 When the news of the disaster reached this town, there was great excitement. as it was feared many had been killed, and the relatives and friends of those known to be employed in the mine focked to the scene While they wa it. ed for news from the shaft, the sc enc was narrowing in the extreme.
 Women and children ran hither and thither, wringing their hands, wailing and weeping and seeking news and sym pathy from relatives and acquaintances in the crowd. It was soon learned that, owing to the fact that it was Sunday, there were but fourteen men at work in the mine at the time of the explosion.
 The smell of the fatal after damp that found it's way to the surface only added to the fever of suspense and all these anxious ones could do was to wait.
 The officials of the mine soon had a band of brave volunteers together, and after the engines were set in motion these heroes entered the subterranean caverns.
 They grouped their way through the darkness, fearful that they might be overcome by the after damp, or that they might encounter another body of gas that might have accumulated be- cause of stoppage of the air current. Soon they came upon their fellow work uleu anu A nOITlDlS SCouo 11 was.
 One by one the unfortunate men were tenderly lifted and carried to the foot of the shaft and were hoisted to the sur face.
 Then scenes were enacted that moved the hearts of the stoutest men; scenes that are witnessed only when the death angel stalks mercilessly abroad in a coal mine.
 Ambulances were soon on hand and <Nf ho fob f1 fhaSr homes. Others were carried there on stretchers
 Some of the corpses presented a hor- rible appearance, the flesh hanging by shreds to the bones and the features dis torted beyond the possibility of recogni- tion. Those who are still living are not in much better condition and their death is hourly expected.
 One of the rescuing party told thrill ing story of the search for the victims. They nearly lost their way in the dark ness, and they felt the gas and after damp coming upon them.
 Some of them were growing faint and could go no farther, when they provi- dentially found the air current and were saved from 8 fate as horrible as that met by those for whom they were through the wrecked cars and debris until they came upon the mangled bodies of the men.
 They gathered the mutilated remains together and cared for the injured, then carried them as speedily as possible to the frantic wives and children above
 These were all either killed or badly hurt. The injured were in such con dition that they could not be removed from the mine and it is feared all will die.
 The accident was at first thought to have been caused by the explosion of a safety lamp, the flames of which ignited quantity of gas which had for med in the shaft.
 It is now thought that the gas was ignited by a naked light in the han da of some one of the men.
 The damage to the mine will reach $20, 000