St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-15
PERISHED IN A MINE.
Many English Miners Find Death
in the Bowels Of the
Earth.
Twenty Taken Out Dead, and a
Number OF Others Still in
the Death Pit.

LONDON, Dec. IA fearful eXplo-
sion occurred today at the Bamfurl0ng
coIiery, Wigen. The men went to
their work as usual this morning and
after the colliery had been inspected in
the usual way. The men had not been
at work long when terrible explosion
shook the earth and a cloud OF smoke
shot up through the shaft into the air.
A multitude of people rushed toward
the mine and the greatest excitement
prevailed. 1t was soon ascertained that
a large number had persisted and the.
Waiiing and weeping OF women
and children made an lndescrib-
able scene. Steps were immedl-
ateIy taken to ascertain the full eX-
tent of the disaster, and crowd OF vol
unteers promptly offered to explore the
pit. Owing to the fire which followed
the explosion. and which ragged fiercely
in the mine, it was difficult for the res
cuers to get at the imprisoned miners.
Notwithstanding the fire and other OBJ
stacles, the work of rescue proceeded,
and volunteers were not deferred by
danger or difficulty in their efforts to
save their fellow miners from the terri
BILE death. After several hours work
the mine. The rescued men were in
bad condition when brought to the top.
Despite the efforts to extinguish the
fire the flames spread to the engine
house at the head of air tunnel. This
stopped the pumping of air into the
mine. and added greatly to the peril OF
those who were in the pit. The fire was
not subdued until 5 O'clock this after
noon. Some little time after the
bodies OF twenty of the miners
who had been suffocated by the
noXious gases left in the mine after the
explosion were brought to the surface
by the recruiting parties. Though the
work is extremely dangerous, the ex-
| ploration of the workings is continued
| in the hope that some OF the miners Ill
| the pit at the time of the explosion may
| have reached places OF safety where
they are waiting the approach of the
| reScuerS.
The rescue parties report horrible
scene in the mine. In the main roads
the bodies lie in twoS and threeS as the
men fell, faces down and heads toward
| the entrance of the shaft. Large Sec
| lions of rock nave collapsed. Amid the
ruins were found mangled bodies
and half burned limbs. The
ruins have entirely backened
the mine, and therefore mel
searching for bodies are unable to give
any estimate of the number lost. Sew
eral miners who were just alive wheT
found died on their way to the surface
or shortly after being taken from the
car. One rescue party reached the sur
face half-sutfocated by the heat ant
smoke caused by fresh outbreak of thu
fire.
The rescued miners believe that TIN
explosion was caused by sparks from
the engine house, which is said to hay,
caught fire few minutes before the eX
plosion. Men were sent through TIL
mines warning the Iaborers, and man,
of those nearest the shaft escaped. III
miners who worked further from It'll
shaft tried to rush through fire an
smoke and were sutfocated III the effort
The work of rescue will be continue
through the night, although there
little hope that more men will be take
out alive.