New-York tribune., 1892-01-09
SCORES OF MINERS KILLED.
AWFUL RESULT OF AN EXPLOSION IN A
coal PIT
LIVING MFN STILL IN THE NINE BTaSGISG
CHNERED AND DISTGURED BODIES TO
The SUEFACE-PATHETIC SCENES
II VILLAGE OF THE
INDI ~ TERRITORY
INDI ~ TERRITORY.

Kansas City, Jan. S." The Times dispatch
from South McAllistcr, I. T. says:
Twcnty-fou hours have elapsed since the ter
rbly fatal explosion in the Csagc Mine at krcbs,
but it Is still impossible even to estimate the mum
{ her Of the victims. The number who came up
alive after the explosion is still uncertain and
ran he asccrtancd only by a house toulouse
yass. which is now being made as rapidly as
possible. From the facts now in hand it is be-
lcved tlot the killed will number
fully lGO. the injured 1I5. about
onc-half of whom will probably die from tho
effects of their injuries. Al the hour Of the cX
plosion ) o'clock Yesterday afternoon there were,
as near rs can be learned about 400 men in the
mine. They were the day shift, and were just
preparing to ascend when the explosion took
place Six men who had already been hoiscd in
the cage had just stepped the platform at the
side Of the shaft. The cage blown through
the roof of the tower and 100 feet In the air.
tongue Of fame shot mp the shaft and above
the ground fully 90 feet, which was followed 10y
- terrific report which WIS heard for miles around
and shook all the neiehborine country so violently
that people in thr surrounding mining towns
four and five miles distant thought an earthquake
was rocking the ground.
The men already above ground were proStrated
10y the force of the explosion. but did not receive
severe injuries. The scenes about the mouth OF
the shaft Immediately following were fearful in
the extreme. Weeping wives mothers AMI sisters
nockcd 10 the scene from the village al the sound
Of the explosion, their faces blanchcd with dread
and many OF them hysercal to the point of in
sanity. The arshaft tho only way of escape for
Tie cntOmbed miners. was n point where the rela-
tiycs of the men congrcgacd. Many Of the miners
were able 10 make their way out of the tomb. and
they were welcomed at the surface by thcir wait
ing friends. The injured We're quickly taken To
places Of shelter and were tenderly cared for.
one man with broken lcg climbed all the
distance Of 400 feet through the arshaft and
fell unconscious he reaohcd the surface. Others
who were terribly burned ahorrd painfully up
the ladder, strips of Gcsh falling from their
hands and arms thcy grsped the rungs. 1t
is believed that fully one-hof of the entomhcl
miners escaped by ;hc airshaft Many of them.
however, received mortal injuries and, although
none of them is known TO have died. at this
hour - p. m.I it is believed that in some
cases death is not far distant. The news of the
disaster spread quickly through the village sur
rounding krcb-. Every physician at once voun-
iccrcd his services and hastencd to KIehs ready
20 DO his duty OF mercy. Hundreds of miners
from the McAlsicr fields hurried to the scene
- do what they could toward assisting in the
rescue OF the cntomhed men aud the recovery of
tie bodies 81 the dead
The work of rescue was hegun at once, and
has continued all through the dreary hours Of
last niclt and to-day The work was terribly
/ hazardous. but the hope that some of the un-
fortunate ;rcn might he rescued alive spurred the
,cscucrs on IL many deeds Of bravery and
y,rstble sclfsacrfcc The explosion had en-
urry changed the topography Of the mine. Many
tunnels were closc1 entirely. and big loose
houldcrs were balanced pcriluu>N on shelves Of
rucl, adjoining the airshaft and the main shaft,
which breath of air might almost hurl down
upon the rscucrS. Notwithstanding these dan
GERS the rcacucrs kept bravely at their work, and
at Il O'Clock this evening had recovered about
forty bodies. They worked at both the air>hatt
and the main shaft and bodies were taken out
Iv both WAYS Those idcut;cI were imnc-
diaiciy claimed and carried away by rca-
tilcs or friends 80 tiiat accurate count of the
number ha, not yet been ma1'
Those identified twcnty-tArcr in number. are ~
fellows: Gcorgc Lindsay 81. George LINDSAY, Ir.
William Russell William : Russell. Gcor-e Rus
,cll. John Icr. Silva Icr, Michael Jacomo
Edward Bloldon, Joseph Honion, Joseph
tennessee. Stephen Ncrlcno, Eugene CampaS-
Icnictf Moss, Justph (ar0htO. Antonio tennessee.
Thomas cain. Drago Rocco. John Quinn. Jane.
QUINN Nailork quinn, Michael McShanc AMI
Edward kibbc.
A. thc various places used as morgucs there were
abu,.t seventeen Identified bodies and pieces Of
bodies
The search by the rcscuing party still continues
| There is one dishcaricnng fact connected with
the work up 10 the present time, and that Is
that not livir9 miner has been found All
the bodies 80 lar recovered have been founi
10 hc burned charrcd and manned IN almost
every ease ncyOnd recognition. In fully
hall the ease, identification hH, been possible only
from the clothes or ,hc contents oi IA, pockels.
I'm some case, limb, had been severed from their
bodies 10y the force OF the explosion. and in others
the bodies had been burned To a crisp and charrcd
almost beyond resemblance 10 human forms.
There are two encouraging facts Whlch urge
the rescucrS on To the work. No fire followed
the explosion; at least, there have been no SlSnS
Of any and there are known 10 br llNc men en-
tombcd in the tunnel behind fallen hOuldcts. lhe
r.scucrs can hear faint knockings and iar-on
, shoutngs
! They are digging in the direction whence the
sounds come and hope yet 10 r"sctc some Of
the men alive. The wreck about the mouth Of
the mine and at the bottom oi thc hosting shait
j. so nearly complete that the work is dreadfnlly
slow. All the bodies in plain view nave been
wircn can be partially hidden under
fallen bouldcrN and misses ct Wi'rH- ri,,
zoe, sicadily along and frequently lhe cage is
boistrd containing the body OF victim.
/ The cause Of the explosion Is 'till uhdcier,
mined The probability Is that som" miner hrci
4 blast without orders. which ignilcd either AZ
rumnlatcd gas or coal dust. All who haV" been
srrn say they have no idea how the explosion
was caused. -
( ,oth,tic in the extreme Those VINO did not 20
l., thr sccnr of the horror and VINO had missing
rolatiyrs were nearly cralcl with anxiety, while
/ ,hoc who's" relative h'd rr'"'heI To lhrm i Sur
! from thc iavs of death were nearly crlzed with
oy The different miner, organizations meet
/ i,,nioh, 70 arrange the details Of the funerals Of
! the dcnd.
FATAL EXPLOSION or NINE CAS-
Ntln n.ip ID.