St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-14
Gas EXplodes in the Sterling
Colliery Near Shamo-
kin, Pa.
One Man Instantly Killed,
Four Injured and Seven
Entombed.
Rugged Rescuers Driven
Back by the Poisonous
Black Gas.
Two Of the Buried Men Res
cued After Two Hours
of Work.

SHAMOKIN, Pa, Oct. 13.-An eXplo-
sion of gas occurred at the Sterling col
liery this morning, supposed to have
been caused by a fall of coal breaking
miners lamp. One man was killed,
four injured and seven others entombed.
1t is believed that the latter are dead.
Up to night the searching pa rty had
been unable to reach the missing ones,
owing to so much ''black damp" The
following are the names of dead and in
jured:
Dead Thomas O'Gara, married.
Probably dead: Benjamin Thomas,
married; Samuel Collins, married; Pat
rick McDevitt; Isaac Gonney, single;
Joseph Kelchie, married; Michael
Wetcbcock, single; Charles Bellcanager,
single, and Joseph Milnstoek, married.
Injured: Horace Price, loader, ter
ribly cut and mangled; Samuel Rogers,
loader, cut and bruised; William Mack.
driver, cut and mangled; Daniel Reed,
driver, skull fractured, burned and cut,
will probably die.
The work of Rescue.
News of the awful disaster was soon
carried to the homes of the miners and
a moment later the wives and mothers
OF the unfortunate men had gathered
about the mouth of the pit. All were
excited. and most of the women were
crying and wringing their hands hyster-
lcaily. The pit boss and mine superin-
tendent were aware OF the necessity of
prompt action, land gathered all the min
erS IN the vicinity and organized them
into squads that the work of clearing
away the wreck9ge and rescuing the
entombed men might tie done night and
day until it was accomplished. The
women were tenderiy, but firmly, urged
to stand back that they might not in
any way hinder the work.
In less than half an hour the task was
begun. The first squad of rescuers,
barred to the waist. entered upon the
task with jealous determination. But
determined though the rugged work
men were. they were frequently driven
back by the poisonous black gas. Sew
eral OF tie jealous wCrkmrn were over
come by II and had 10 be carried out.
The WORK had been in progress two
hours when two men made their appear
ance from an old shaft almost overcome
by gas. The appearance of these men
at the entrance Of the mine WAS greeted
with shout Of JOY from the little gath
ering outside. Ihe hySterical women
had become cooler by this time. The
half-proStrated miners were quickly
cared for,and by the very women who
short time before were wringing their
hands iii despair.
Hn an Old Ganggyay.
An hour later the sturdy rescuers sue
ceeded IN liberating Irving Wards. He
was hardly able TO speak above whis-
per. Some brandy was administered
and he was in little time able to tell the
anxious wives, mothers and friends of
the men still buried in the mine what
little lie knew of their condition.
I'VE all started by short cut for the
bottom of the SLOPE" he said, but L
grew faint from inhaling the POISONOUS
gas. lost my way, and after wondering |
don't know how long sank helpless
where | was found. As near as
can make ont the men are in an
old gangway which is now closed
by a mass of rock which fell
short time after the explosion" 1t is
impossible to say how long it will take
to dig the unfortunate miners out Of the
Old entry, where they are supposed to
be imprisoned. There is no means of
telling how thick the mass of rock is,
and another hinderance is the poisonous
air. Six mules were killed by the ex-
plosion. AT II o'clock at night two men
were taken out in an unconscious con-
dition and will probably die.
This was pay day. and a large number
of the wOrkmen were out OF the mine
when the accident occurred. The col
liery is one of the largest in the Shamo-
kin district, and is owned and operated
by the Philadelphia & Reading Coal
and Iron company.