St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-28
DEATH IN 4 MINE
CHASTITY Scenes at the Shaft
Of a Coke Company in
Pennsylvania.
An Explosion Of Fire Damp
Causes the Loss Of Over
One Hundred Lives.
The Sad Work Of Rescuing
Entombed Miners Now in
Progress.
Sixty Families Robbed. In
stantly Of Their Only
means OI SuPpOFIs
Language Too Weak to Des-
cribe the APPALLING Scenes
Of Horror.
Soldiers From Pine Ridge
Killed S.ld, Wounded In a
Railway Wreck.
The Conductor Of the Military
Train Responsible for the
Accident.
Language Too Weak to Des-
eribe the APPALLING Scenes
Of Horror.
Soldiers From Pine Ridge
Killed sld. Wounded In a
Railway Wreck.
The Conductor of the Military
Train Responsible for the
Accident.

SCoTTDALE, Pa, Jan. 27.-By an eX-
plosion of fire damp in the mammoth
shaft of the II. G.. Frick Coke company
to-day, 11O sturdy miners were ush-
cred into eternity, and number
injured. The explosion occurred
this morning shortly after O'Clock, and
1t is supposed was the result of the
ignition of a miners oil lamp. The
after damp, which followed the fire
damp explosion, suffocated nearly every
workman. A few men, realizing the
awful situation, fell to the ground,
thereby preventing the gas from, strik-
ing them. There is not a soul left to
tell the story. The persons not killed
are IN snch a critical condition that
their deaths are momentarily eX
pected. Up to this writing, fifty
bodies have been recovered, all
without the sign of life. The fire
which broke out after the explosion was
soon eXtinguiShed by the immense fans
which were put in operation. The gas
has about all been driven from the pit
and the work of rescuing the entombed
miners has been commenced. General
Manager Lynch. of the II. G. Frick Coke
company, is on the scene helping to de-
wise means to rescue
The Perished VVOrlkmen.
His assistance is Invaluable, as he has
had many years experience in mining
operations. The mammoth plant en-
braces 500 ovens, one of the largest
plants in the coke region, but it is hard
OF access. 1t is situated near the United
works, where an explosion recently de-
Stroyed the entire shaft. The affair has
cast gloom over the entire coke re-
gion, and tonight hundreds of miners
are tiOcking to the scene of the dis
aSter, offering assistance. The appall-
ing loss of life in the Dunbar disaster is
Overshadowed by the destruction of life
In the mammoth calamity. Language
is too weak to describe the scenes at the
mines. Horror is piled on horror. The
news spread through the entire coke
region with great rapidity, and every
body was awe-stricken. The collins
have already been ordered for eighty
persons from Mount Pleasant under
takers, and it is understood that the
Frick company, the owners of the plant,
will bear the expenses of the same.
The only man who escaped from the
fatal mine was Nine Boss Eaton.
Among those killed are John Bever-
age and James Boles, formerly of this
place. The former resided here for
many years, and was held in high es-
TEEN by everybody. He was a road
man in the shaft. EX-Mine Inspector
Keighly, the superintendent of
The Fatal Shaft,
Is nearly distracted. 1t is a singular
fact that misfortune seems to have fol-
lowed him. His experiences in the
Hill farm disaster resulted in his ten
dering his reignation as mine Inspector
Master Workman Peter Wise, eX-Mas-
ter Workman r. d. KerfoOt, James Nc
Bride. Mike DiSman and John Rhyme.
Secretary Parker and James Keegan,a ,all
prominent labor leaders, left last night
for Mammoth, to render any assistance
in their power, financially or otherwise,
to the stricken and bereaved families.
1t has been estimated that there are
sixty wives and f amllieS that are left
wholly dependent on the charity of the
world for sustenance by this disaster.
In fact, they are almost penni-
less as the plant has not been
work has been exceedingly scarce
since the dullness has set in the de-
mand for coke. Every means possible
will be resorted to supply the wild
owed mothers ana their children with
the necessaries of life. The Frick
company will be liberal in this direc-
ton, and it is understood that a SUBJ
scriptiOn paper will shortly be cir
culated to obtain money to support the
unfortunate families. Master Work.
man Peter Wise addressed the follow
irg letter to the miners and cokers of
the region tonight:
Appeal to the Knights.
"SCOTTDALE, Pa, Jan. 81, 1891. TO
the members of the Knights of Labor
and wOrkingmen of the coke region:
The sad news of disastrous explosion
at Mammoth mines has just reached
me and l fear many families have been
left destitute. l therefore appeal to
you to promptly render what aid YOU
can to assist the families of your
brethern who have been killed. The
master workman and committees at
each works will kindly take the matter
In hand and act as relief committee.
Let the committee selecta "check men,
ber' and each miner run as MANY
wagons as he can under the circum-
stances contribute, and arrangements
will be made with the companies to paw
the amount, and thus prompt aid can be
given. Drawers can adopt the same
plan, and day men can contribute from
their days work and have the same de-
Quoted in the Office. This aid will be
separate and apart from any public con-
tributions, aud will be forwarded to
district officers who will apply 1t to the
relief of those for whom it IS contrib
uted. [Signed] PETER WISE,
District Master Workman,