Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-14
THE MINING DISASTER.
Probably Two Hundred Men Are
Dead.
The Explosion Caused BY Firing a Shot
When Gas Was in the sIine-The
Rescuing Parties-The Scene
Terrible.

MCALESTER, l. T., Jan. 0.-At 5: 10 p.
M Thursday mine No. IL. owned by
the Usage Coal & Mining Co. at Krebs,
four and one-half miles east of here,
exploded.
At the time $50 men were in the
shaft, most of whom were waiting for
the cage to take them out, and the foot
of the shaft is one mass of dead bodies.
Eighty-fve came out by an old entry
and forty-two were saved by the shaft,
most of whom are more or less burned
and bruised, and half will proba bly, die.
This leaves about 223 men yet in the
mine, and in all probability 200 are
dead
At 7:1O a. m ten dead men were
brought out and only one could be rec
ognized, the remains were so mutt
lated.
One man climbed ont of the shaft
$50 feet deep, by working from bracket
to bracket and was saved
Thousands of anxious wives and
mothers are eagerly watching each cage
as it comes to the surface. hoping to
see their loved ones, only to turn away
disappointed.
SOME OF THE DEAD AND INJURED.
The dead in mine No. IL at Krebs so
far are as follows: William Russell,
James Quinn, William Quinn. Fred
Kibble, George Lowery, August Fetta,
John Williams. L. Hunt, Robert Pow
ers, William Mitchell, William Russell,
Joseph Clark. Henry McSham, Willie
McSham, Giovanni s. Ferro, John Fab
bozziok. Tim Collins. James Farmer
and George Lindsay. Up to o'clock
forty-eight men had been taken out
dead and 100 seriously injured. most of
whom cannot recover, being badly
burned and mutilated on account of the
slope cavi G in on the west side of the
shaft
The list Of injured. so far obtained,
is as follows: George Hardin, Jr.,
George Hardin, ST., Frank Hathaway,
Joseph Osland. Enoch Church, Willie
Church, William Williams, Charles
Martin, Louis Toobe. Joseph Toobe,
Giavanni Blessent, Frangea NJ. Recci,
Antonio D. Domeco, Frank Tozzie,
Brany Bicmo and John Rossi
THE REsCUING PARTIES.
The rescuing parties are being badly
delayed in reaching the entom bed men
and it will be impossible to give a cor
rect estimate of the number killed and
injured for some time. William Will
liams was the first to reach the surface
by climbing from bracket to bracket
up the shaft, distance of $50 feet. He
was at the foot of the shaft when the
explosion occurred, and by some mira
Gle was not killed, he being the on Y
one out of twenty-five men who were
waiting for the cage that was not killed
outright.
Enoch and William Church, brothers,
were working in run Is on the west
side and had a narrDw escape. They
heard the explosion and were both
knocked insensib;e bv the shock
Enoch came to and thought his brother
was dead and left hi n to escape. Yes
terday morning William was taken
out and is still alive, but is not expect
ed TO live.
The scene as reported bv those who
entered the shaft was horrible. Limbs,
arms and headiess bodies were stacked
in a pile and only five out of twenty
four could be identified. Six small
boys who attended the fans were mutu-
lated so badly that their own parents
could not recognize them and will be
buried side by side.
One father carried his little son aged
ten about 500 feet and then left him
in order to save himself, thinking he
was dead. This morning at 10 a. M he
was taken out, and on reaching fresh
air was found to be alive. Imagine the
Joy of the father and mother who were
waiting for, as they supposed. the re-
mains of their son, to find him alive
and unhurt.
The scene around the pit top was a.
heartrending one. On all sides can be
seen little groups Of anxious, weeping
ones, mourning the loss of a dear
father, husband, brother or SON
The explosion is supposed to have
taken place in cell or room being
worked by George Lowery, and caused
by firing what is known as a window
shot
H,rbin Must Hang.