Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-02-05
TELEGRAPHIC.
The Latest News BY Wire from
all Over the World.
over a Hundred Killed.

Youngwood, Pa, January 28.--A few
minutes after y o'clock yesterday morn
ing o faint puff OF dust rolled from
shaft No. OF the Mammoth mine
owned by the Frick Coke company.
There was no shock nor sound, but the
cause OF that puff OF dust sent more than
100 men into eternity. The men below
had struck an unexpected how OF gas.
Men went to the rescue Immediately.
The first object they found was hu-
man head, but the trunk 10 which II be-
/ longed was nowhere to be seen. One
man was found dead in the attitude OF
prayer.
One hundred and ten men wero en-
ployed In that part of the mine and not
one was left 10 tell the story OF the ac-
cident. Not more than fifty were killed
by the explosion, the others being suf-
located by the fire damp. Some OF the
bodies we're horribly torn, burned and
mutilated. Others were found with
their teeth clenched on the iron rail oi
the pit road.
One hundred and seven bodies had
been taken from the Inflated mine up to
10 o'clock this morning. tits estimated
that the remains OF at least seventeen
hore victims OF yesterdays explosion
are still in the pit, but 1t Is thought
hat all will be out in a few hours.
This catastrophe, while involving
more than five times the loss OF life oc-
casioned by the Dunbar disaster, diff
fors in many respects from the latter
At Dunbar the explosion set fire TO the
mine. The shaft for days and we, 'ts
was roaring furnace, adding horrors v
the great fatality. In yesterdays 90
curence this was not the csse, and by
the perfect working OF the fan pure air
was forced into the mine and the work
Of rescuing was begun at once. Fifty
collins arrived from Pittsburg this
morning and fifty more will reach here
tonight. An additional order for
twenty-five more was sent this morning.
The cause OF the explosion has not yet
been determined The victims will be
buried by the company. Many Of the
unfortunates are Hungarians and viii
be sent TO Scottdale for interment.
An official OF the Frick company said
this morning; 1T may never be known
how or why the explosion occurred.
The accumulation OF fire damp was
probably the cause, but 1t was never
known to exist In any quantity before:
In fact, il may be said that the Nam.
moth mine has been free from damp.
There Is a theory that n pocket OF nat
ural gas was reached and that the oper-
alton Of the ventilating fans now pre-
vents any accumulation Of it.n
The disaster has some remarkable
features. 1t was as deadly, as sweeping
and as complete as the sinking OF ship
in mid-ocean. It's history Is TO be told
by those who do not know 1t, for there
Is no tongue OF all those that wagged In
the openings OF that part OF the mine
where the disaster occurred TO describe
It's details.
IL comes TO you like some whirlwind,
with blue tints Of rainbow, and when
II bursts into flame 1t passes over your
body like great log. God does not
often let man live to tell what had
happened TO him. II it catches you up
right, you are like leaf In tornado
and II rends the ribs OF slate In the
openings like the ribs Of a straw rick.
That Is what miner who has been in
the coal mines thirty-five years says OF
the after damp" the 'black death OF
the darkness and the silent echoing
passageways where men delye.
lean coal mining has there been such an
accident, with such
complete humiliation Of all within its
reach.
The Mammoth mine has been notable
always as being particularly free from
gas. Fire Boss Smith, man who had
worked in mines In Great Britain and
this country for thirty years made his
usual careful inspection Of all the rooms
and headings at the customary time,
about o'clock this morning. His duty
was 10 enter every place where men
worked and 10 mark upon the walls Of
the room or heading the sign OF his ap
proval-the figures Of the day OF the
month.
Youngwood, Pa, January 2s.-At q
o'clock to-day ll0 bodies had been re.
covered FROM the coke pit, where dis.
explosion occurred yesterday
OF this number ftty-three have been