The record-union., 1892-02-29
An Explosion of Giant Powder
Causes Loss OF. Life.
ONE YOUNG MAN LITERALLY BLOWN.
TO PIECES.
Two Prisoners Confined in the Orc.
vile Jail on Charges of Robbery
Effect Their Escape by Digging
Through the Jail walls-An Aged
Pioneer Commits suicide.
Special to the REooRp-UN1oN.

special to the RECoRD-UNIoN
GRASS VALLEY, Feb. 2S.-The worst
mining accident that has occurred in this
community since the explosion in the
Empire dryhouse, five years ago, result
ing III the death Of three men, took place
yesterday morning at 7:l5 o'clock in
the Omaha and Lone Jack consolidated
mine.
A bright, merry lad was decapitated.
dlsmembered and disemboweled: a miner
with large family lies dying; another
VIII perhaps lose the sight of an eye, and
! three others are mangled about the face
and head.
The news of the disaster spread like
WlIdtlre, and in a few minutes a stream
OF people We're hurrying to the mine,
distant about two miles and half from
town. The widest rumors were rife, the
dead being placed at from three to six,
and the names of ten men not Injured
being given.
The lying reports struck terror to the
hearts OF scores of wives, children and
other relatives of the employees of the
NINE Wnlte-faced men, historical, half
talntlng women and weeping children all
joined IN the rush TO the mine, while 9TH
erS, deprived of their strength by fear.
sat III their homes as though turned to
stone, listening for, yet dreading the ap-
proacn OF every footstep and fearing the
worst.
The day shift men had just been low
cred into the mine and were preparing
for work. Phillip Gladden., the dead
| boy, Thomas Penberthy, Charles Nihel,
William Meier, William Coombs, Ed
ward PaIamounter and Matthew Laity
We're in advance of their fellows, and
made their way to point in the IlO0-foot
level where they were accustomed to de-
post their dinner-cans, in the neighbor-
hood OF strong box for the storage of
| the giant powder and caps used on each
shift.
Laity had been to the box and was re-
turning from it to go to the 1900 foot level,
his place of labor. gladden. was STOPPING
IN the act of depositing his can under the
! powder-boX, and the other men were
passing Laity when the explosion oc-
Cured, wounding and throwing every
one of the six men to the ground.
Five minutes elapsed before the other
| employees of the mine could penetrate
the sut1ocating smoke and begin the work
| of rescue. The wounded were tenderly
conveyed to the surface, covered with
| blood and groaning with pain. When
the fragments of the boy gladden. were
| found men wept like babes, and even the
strongest shook with emotion. He was
| but Is years of age.
| Several of Penberthy's left ribs were
crushed into the lungs and his death is
] hourly expected. Nihel was terribly
wounded about the face and head and
! will probably lose the sight of one eye.
| Coombs, Palamounter and Laity were
very severely wounded in the face and
head and Meier in the groin. With the
exception of Palamounter the wounded
are ali married men with large families
dependent upon them.
| There were, perhaps, score of caps and
not over a half-score of sticks of powder
in the box. After questioning the
wounded men Superintendent George
Mainhart thinks that Laity was the in
nocent cause of the disaster, although he
denies it. 1t is thought he had been to
! the box and procured powder and a cap,
and while placing the latter on the fuse
| en- route from the box he scratched the
cap or Inadvertently struck it against the
rock wall of the drift, the consequent ex-
plosion by conclusion exploding the
| contents Of the box.
Laity's denial is given full credence by
| all who know him, as he is an old and
experienced miner, and the fact that he
was not badly injured emphasizes his
| denial.
! The Coroner's jury returned verdict
/ of accidental death, and was unable to
ascertain the cause of the explosion.