The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1891-01-29
Continued from first page.)
ANNIHIIATED MINERS.
MOST HORRIBLE EXPLOSION IN A
PENNSYLVANIA coLLlERY.

OF ITO Workmen In the Mine Not One
Escaped Alive-Sixty Bodies Recovered
Mutilated Beyond Recognition - In
describable Scenes Of Anguish Among
Wives and Children.
PITTsBURa, Jan. 28.-The explosion at
the Mammoth coke works mines at
Mount Pleasan. VI, one of the worst,
if not the worst, e,er 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. 1, sixty of the bodies have
already been recovered. The mine is on
fire and it is thought that many Of the
unfortunates will be burned before it is
possible to reach them. An army Of
men are at work in the pit endeavoring
to stay the fire and recover the dead
bodies. They are making but little
Roadway.
A Few Identified.
The names Of the identified thus far
are as follows:
August Lunk, Jr., Mike Stoneick, ST.,
Stephen Swartz, William Burchell,
Steven Horen, James Duple, James
Dori, William Snaitt, Patrick Lumbley,
Priz Newell, Louis Lewis, William
Lewis, James Murphy, Jacob Meyers,
John Kochers, Martin Brannon, George
Wilson, Mike Kelley, Frank Keskey,
John Eaton and David Gordon. a
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 undertakers 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 were 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 were found with their teeth
cinched on the iron rail of the pit-road.
Others were found with their faces
plunged into the water and not few
were found upon their knees as if en-
gagged in prayer. Fire Boss Sheath was
identified by his boots. His body was
scattered about in a 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 a
sheet to the pit mouth, they were 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 a mile
away. The men employed in Mammoth
No. 2, 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 company's mines in the district
for aid, and from 10 a. m. until mid.
night an army of men were engaged in
carrying out the dead.
Indescribable Scenes of Anguish.
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 ont the dead
continues.
An Appeal Tor AID.
District Master Workman Wise has
issued an appeal to the miners and coke
workers throughout the coke regions TO,
prompt contributions in aid of the fami.
lies of the unfortunate victims Of the
disaster
The news of the explosion was received
by Mr.. 81. G. Frick in Pittsburg during
the afternoon. Mr.. Prick was filled
with CONSERVATION at the extent Of the
disaster. He said: I'VE have never
had an accident like this in any of ou1
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-five has been or,
dered for shipment iri the morning. :