The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-01-30
COFFINS FOR 100.
One Of the Most Terrible Acct
dents in PeRHsyIVania's
Mining History.
Over a Hundred Miners Killed
by an EXplosion-Not One
Escaped.
Sixty Bodies Thus Far Recovered,
Some of Them Mutilated Beyond
Recognition.

PITTsBURG, Jan. 2S.-The explosion al
the Mammoth coke works mines al
Mount Pleasant was one Of the worst
If not the worst, ever known in the his
tory OF Pennsylvania mining. A special
representative of The Times and United
Press says: Out Of the 131 miners killed
IN the mine explosion at Mammoth
Mine No. I, sixty of the bodies have
already been recovered. The mine is OIL
fire and it is thought that many of the
unfortunates viii be burned before it is
possible to reach them. An army OF
men are at work IN the pit endeavorine
to stay the fire and recover the dead
bodies. They are making but little
Roadway.
A Few Identified.
The names of the identified thus fan
are as follows:
August Lunk, Jr., Mike Stoneick, ST.,
Stephen Swartz, William Burchell,
Steven Horen, James Duple, James
DoFi William Snaitt, Patrick Lumbley,
Prz Newell, Louis Lewis, William
Lewis, James Murphy, Jacob Meyers,
John Kochers, Martin Brannon, George
Wilson, Mike Kelley, Frank Keskey,
John Eaton and David Gordon
The other bodies taken from the mines
are so horribly mutilated that they can
not be identified. AS they are brought
out the bodies are removed to one of the
company houses and prepared for burial.
Several unGertakers are engaged at this
work. The Westmoreland county coro.
ner is at the scene and is preparing for
an investigation. One hundred and ten
men We're employed in that part of the
mine in which the explosion occurred
and there was
Not One Left to Tell the Story
Of the disaster. Not more than fifty OF
the men were killed by the explosion.
The others were overcome by the after
damp, and while some of the bodies are
horribly torn, burned and mutilated
others We're found with their teeth
clinched on the iron rail Of the pit-road.
Others We're found with their faces
plunged into the water and not few
We're found upon their knees as if en-
gagged il prayer. Fire Boss Sheath was
identified by his boots. Lis body was
scattered about in dozen places, and
his
Head Was Torn from His Shoulders.
Both legs were torn off and that part
Of his body, recovered was roasted
and blackened. His left hand, clutch
ing his lamp, was found over 100 feet
from the trunk of his body. One of his
gum boots was found fifty yards away,
one Of his feet with part of a leg at
tached was found also. When the parts
of his body were collected and sent in q
sheet to the pit mouth, they We're identi-
fed by an engineer recognizing the
boots.
Little Information Obtainable.
There is little information regarding
the horror. Everybody in the pit was
killed The position of the bodies told
the story Of their end. The force of the
explosion was felt for miles around and
caused panic among the pupils in the
township school house nearly q mile
away. The men employed IN Mammoth
No. =, separated by 100 acres Of coal,
felt the shock and were the first to sound
the alarm. Superintendent Keighley, a
thoroughly competent man, sent to all
OF the conpany's mines III the district
for aid, and from 10 a. N. until mid
night an army of men We're engaged IN
carrying out the dead.
The scenes around the shaft mouth
are indescribable. Mothers. sisters.
children and old men crowd about eager
to recognize their loved ones. Their
wailings and shrieks of anguish strike
terror TO the stoutest hearts. Scarce q
house in the hamlet but is in mourning
and the work Of carrying out the dead
continues.
An Appeal for Aid.
District Master Workman Wise has
issued an appeal to the miners and coke
workers throughout the coke regions for
prompt contributions in aid of the fa1ni-
lies of the unfortunate victims of the
disaster.
The news Of the explosion was received
by Mr.. Fl. G. Prick in Pittsburg during
the afternoon. Mr.. Frick was filed
with CONSERVATION at the extent of the
disaster He said: 1--WE 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 charge of Mine In
spector Fred Keighly. No expense has
been spared to make our mines as safe
as possible.
Twenty-Five trimmed collins have been
shipped from Pittsburg to Mt. Pleasant.
Another lot of seventy-fve has been or.
da,.ad for Slni1,1ra ant tia r,,.,,i,nor