The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-01-09

lilo cAploolOu, anu III OtncLo THO oOQltS n8u
been burned to crisp. and charred
almost beyond resemblance to the
human form. There are two encourag-
ing facts which urge the rescuers on
to the work. No fire followed the expio-
sion. at least there have been no signs of
any, and there are known to be live men
entombed in the tunnel behind the fallen
bowlders. The rescuers can hear faint
knockings and far-otf shoutings. They are
digging in the directions whence the
sounds come and hope yet to rescue some
of the men alive. The wreck about the
mouth of the mine and at the bottom of
the hoisting-shaft is so nearly complete
that the work is dreadfuliy slow. All the
bodies in plain view have been brought to
the surface. but there are others which can
be seen partially hidden under fallen
powders and masses of debris. The work
of digging these from their graves goes
steadily on. and frequently the cage is
hoisted containing the body of another
victim.
The cause Of the explosion is still unde-
termined. The probability Is that some
miner fired blast without orders. which
There is no means of learning the cause
now. and there may never be. unless some
of the survivors happen to know the facts.
All who have been seen say they have no
idea how the explosion was caused.
The scenes in the village of Krebs to- day
were pathetic in the extreme. Those who
did not go to the scene of the horror and
who had missing relatives were nearly
crazed with anxiety, while those whose
relatives had returned to them safe from
the jaws of death were nearly crazed with
joy. At the various places used as moraues
there are about seventeen unidentified
bodies and pieces of bodies.
AT 10 o'clock tonight forty-eight bodies
had been recovered from the mine. Among
the fatally injured are Geo. Harbinger,
Geo. Harbip. jr.. Frank Hatha way. Joseph
Osland. Enoch Church. Willie Church.
VIM. Williams, Charles Martin. Louis
Toobe. Giovanni Blessant, Francis Tozzie,
Braniz Bicumo. John Rossi
Those who first went down the hosting
as terribly revolving. Legs. arms and
headless bodies were lying in q mass at the
bottom or the shaft and scattered all over
the various approaches. Twenty-four
bodies were found at that point, but only
six of them could be identified. Six small
the fans were killed outright and were
found dead at their posts.
1t has been learned that the explosion
was caused by Geo. Lowry exploding what
is known as a window shot"
The latest estimate of the number of
missing is 146. arrived at from the follow
ing figures: About four hundred men were
In the mine at the time of the explosion;
forty-eight dead bodies have been re-
covered, the names of ninety-elght men
slightly and seriously injured are known
and about fifty escaped without injury.
SHAMoKIN, Pa, Jan. ga terrible ex-
plosion occurred in No. vein at the Neil
son shaft this morning. resulting in the in
slant death Of q laborer. the fatal injury of
miner and the slight burning of the in
side boss and inside superintendent. The
victims are Paul Grunseki, single, laborer.
killed; Philip Desert. single. miner. fatally
injured; George Steele. inside superintend-
ent, hands and face burned; Fred English.
inside boss. injured about the head and
body. Desert. who was an old miner, &C.
companied by Grunseki, entered No. 8
vein with the intention of lining q
chute which had been placed in new
breast. While engaged in their work
Steele and English Joined them and the
work was continued under their super
vision. Grunseki was a 'greeDy" at min
ing and carried lamp which did not give
the proper protection. While the miner,
together with Steele and English. were en-
gagged in conversation regarding the work
q current of gas which had worked itself
out of one of the assures, f0ated towards
the laborer. who was busily engaged. An
experienced miner would have detected the
gas and made every possible hasta to
escape, Grunseki gave it no attention. and
continued his work. Suddenly he raised
himself mp. and the flame from his lamp
was forced in the midst of tho gas. An ex-
plosion followed. aud tho unfortunate
workman was hurled like o cannon-ba
into the arms of Desert. who. on seeing that
danger was imminent, had fallen to his
knees. Steele and English beat hasty re-
treat, but not before the gas had spread to
where they were. Both were injured. and
when they went to Deserts rescue they
found him unconscious, with his face,
hands and breast frightfully burned. At
his eide lay the body of Grunseki. He
was mangled about the head, and his
flesh fairly sizzled.