Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1892-01-15
FEARFUL LOSS OF LIFE,
OVER ONE HUNDRED DEAD IN
the kRGD0 MINE.

OVER ONE HUNDRED DEAD m
the kRGDe MINE.
Osstresaiag xcsnss AttsaAing the Reesv.
cry - The CharrsA and nlschensA lBsslies
Minors Werkiae Eisressy - Reach
Their Entsnbsa CsnraAes.
villa Wesk q the Mast.
Additional particulars Of the terrible
miae disaster near NcAlester, I. T.,
only too fully confirm the first reports
sent out. A careful estimate BY A.
sistant Manager Krebs places the dead
ct $50 and the Injured ct go. OF these
At least 100 will die, o they are burned
% that the flesh 10 dropping from their
bones.
At 5 o'clock In the afternoon there
were, - near - caA b. learned, about
80 Mo1 h the milne, asye the laAAat n.
~ 4 ~ n sIi6wx
1e1t pF6felfnH tO 1S043iS when the ex.
pl0sl0n took place. Gix men who had
slroady been hOistsd In the cago had
just stepped On the platform at the side
Of the shaft. The cage WAS blown
through tho roof Of the tower and fifty
feet into the Air. Flames shot up the
shaft and above the ground fully 100
feet. which were followed by terrible
report which was heard for miles around
and shook al the neighbOring country
so violently that people In the surround
ing mining towns four and fl4e miles
distant thought an earthquake was
shaking the ground.
The men already above ground were
prostrated by the force Of the explosion,
but did not receive serious injuries. The
scenes about the mouth Of the shaft Inn.
mediately following were fearful In the
extreme. Weeping women focked To
the scene from the village 1t the sound
Of the explosion. many Of them hyster-
icsl to the point Of insanity. The air
shaft, the only way Of escape for the
entOmbed Iainers, was the point where
the relatives Of the miners cOngregated.
Many Of the miners we're able to make
their way out Of the tomb, and they
we're welcomed Ut the surface by their
waiting friends. Tho injured we're
quickly taken to places OF shelter and
were tenderly cared for. One man with
broken leg climbed all the distance Of
400 feet through the sir-shaft and fell
uncOnoclOUo ~ he reached the surface.
Others who we're terribly burned labored
painfully up the ladder, strips OF flesh
falling fr0m their hands and arms ~
they grasped the ladders rounds.
The news Of the disaster spread quick
y through the villages surrounding
Krebs. Every physician at once voaun.
toered his services and hastened to
krebs ready to do his duty Of mercy.
Hundreds Of miners from the BraidwoOd
and McAlester fields hurried to thu
scene to do what they could In assisting
In the rescue Of the entOmbed men and
the recovery Of the dead.
The work Of rescue, which was begun
at once, Was hazardous, but the hope
that some OF the unfortunate men might
be rescued alive spurred the rescuers %
to many deeds Of bravery and possibly
self-sacriflce. The explosion had On.
tirely changed the Topography Of the
mine. Many tunnels were closed en-.
ttrely, and big loose bowlders were bal.
anced perilOusly on shelves OF rock Cd.
joining the air-shaft and the main shaft
which breath would almost huri iown
upon the rescuers. Notwithstandina
these dangers, the rescuers kept bravely
on At their work. The rescuere worke "a
at both the air and the main shafts, and
bodies were rescued by both routes.
The mines have long been regarded -
dangerous, ~ there are few escapes and
the ground 10 very gassy. The exact
cause Of the fearful cstastrophe 10 not
known - yet. but It 10 believed BY those
who escaped to have been caused BY .
premature explosion, which took place
before the usual safety precautions could
be taken. Whom the shook occurred
many Of the men were ON their way to
the outlet to 90 homo. Those who were
Int the neighborhood Of the main shaft
were hurled heavenward through the
opening. going sixty feet above the sur.
face Of the earth. Eye Witnesses to the
external appearance Of the explosion dc.
scribe 1t - one Of the most frightful ex-
hibitiOns imaginable. 1t was nearly
dark. suddenly there was pun of smoke
through the tower: there then came
roar and the superstructure all gave
away and after il came the beichinR
flames blsekened In spots with human
bodfes. Then are spouted for an
hour then died away, leaving the
iron windlass and steel hOlsting
apparatus intact. In half an hour the
cage WAS lowered, and at one OF the
levels young man got on, neareF dead
than alive, He tried to bring his father
with him. but the sire pushed his son ON
the platform with the little strength
that he had left, and o. the iron car
shot upward the old man fell back and
expired.
During the night the cage was run to
the lower levels, but no attempt could
then Be made to explore the mine. AZ
every landing dead and dying are taken
out. Many bodies are 20 burned that
they are not recognizable BY any one.
The search BY The rescuin0 party eth
continues. There 10 ono disheartenins
fact connected With the search up to the
present time, and that 10 that mot one
live miner has been found. All the bod
les 20 far recovered have been found to
be burned, chafred, and manned in 81.
most every case beyond RECOGNITION. In
fully half the cases Identification hes
been possible only from eltAcr the
clothes or the contents Of the pockets.
In Some caees limbs had 4beea severed
from the bodies BY the force Of the ex-
plOsiOn, and In others the bodies had
been burned to . crisp and chafred 81.
most beyond resemblance to human
form. There afe two encouraGing facts
which urge the rescuers on to the work.
No fre followed the explosion, ct least
there have bsep NO signa OF any, and
there are known 10 be live men entomb.
ed IN the tUnnsl behiAd fallen boWldeFi.
Tho rescuesS can hear faint knockinap
and far-o4 shoutings. They ars diGgine
10 the direction whence the sounds cone
and hope yet to rescue some Of ths nSa
Alive.
One hundred OF the wounded are be-
Ing cared for In the improvised hospital
In tho blacksmith shop. Special trains
from Kensas and Texas have brought
large bodies OF nurses aud surgeons cent
hers BY order OF the General Nanaeer
Of the mines, Maj. =. n. Mcdowell, of
6t. Louis, who h n0w-on his way here.
Nearly all Of the wounded will dc.
The Osage Mining Company wss Or.
9Anised In loee by Congreesnan =. Il.
6tsphens ct New York, WHO bsailt TIE
HIfhaAsHr4 nj =