The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-01-27
FATAL mime DISASTER
Scores Killed by an Explosion
in Indian Territory.
Many Bodies Recovered Charred
Beyond Recognition.

A dispatch from South McAllister Texas,
says: The lives of about 200 miners working
in shaft No. s Of the Usage Coal and Mining
Company, situated at Krsbs, Indian Terri
tory, have been lost by an explosion which
occurred there about S o'clock in the after.
noon. .. -
The day men had just come to the shaft
and the night men, With their lamps and
kettles, had gone down to take up their ten
hours work.
Suddenly a loud, rumbliug report was
heard and the earth shook as though by an
earthquake. This was followed q minute
latter BY the escape Of q large puff Of smoke
from the mouth Of the main shaft.
The day men already up had not yet
started for their cottages, and they realized
at once that the explosion was In the mine.
Their first though was to rescue the $40 poor
fellows who were known to be in the pit.
A frightful difficulty was met at the out
set. The lower portion OF the shaft had be-
come blocked by a mass Of debris hurled
from the siding when the shot was fired
which ignitsd the gas and caused the terrible
blow-up. As many of the men who had
been relieved had congregated near the cage
ready to como up they were covered by the
debris, and thus damned up the only avail
ablemeans Of exit.
After awhile a few Of the survivors were
able to relieve the pressure from the shaft,
forty Of them being subsequently brought to
the surface in buckets by those who were
outside Of the shaft. While this was going
on about eighty others reached safety by
means OF an old tunnel. They were terribly
disigured audsome Of them were so badly
injured that they could scarcely walk or
move. ,ii
As soon as the news Of the disaster had
reached the adjoining village q big crowd
gathered near the mouth Of the pit, being
mainly composed Of the wives and children
and other relatives Of the entombed miners.
Their cries, means and prayers were dis
tressing, but no persuasion was equal to
forcing them away to their homes. So
great was the lamentation that it inter
tered greatly with the work Of the rescuers
BY noon next day 14S miners had been res.
cued, most of these being unconscious and !
all weak and much exhausted. At daylight,
however, ten dead bodies had been SAINT up,
all blackened, d~isagured, unrecognizabls.
As soon as the full extent Of the disaster I
was known q dispatch was sent to w. Farm
ham, Vice-President Of the company, In st.
Louis Mo-, who at once returned word to
hurry up the rescue and secure the remains
Of the killed and not forget to allay as far as
HOSoiIlC Uu0 u2ln0iy VI VhO poS1 "VSA3Oh WH~
had lost their husbands and the poor chill
dren who had lost their fathers.
Early that afternoon q temporary cage
made and started IN operation. This ex-
pedited the rescue Of the men who had been
Imprisoned In the pit.
The crowd around the mouth Of the pit
had by this time reached g thousand, and 80
great was the pressure on the workers that
a line had to be drawn beyond which
the Borrowing and curious were not per-
mitted to 90 thereafter. Every man res.
cued was injured and all described their
horrible suffering while hemmed In by the
debris and compelled to breathe the sick
ening, choking ges.
The names Of the injured could not be as
certained with anything like accuracy. ow-
ing to their scattering among the village
houses. OF the men in the mines about 150
escaped, the remainder being in the mine,
unrsscued,. on the evening OF the second
day after the explosion.
Many of the men effected their escape by
climbing no through the airshaft. One OF
the men who escaped In this way climbed
fully 450feet with q broken leg. Many OF
those who climbed to the top were badly
burned, In some cases the flesh stripping
from their hands as thu grasped the ladder.