Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-25
.SAFETIES NOT SAFE.
The Naked Lamp Can't Be Charged
With the York Farm Disaster.
SIXTEEN is NOW THE DEATH LIST.
Hairbreadth Escape Through an Aperture
of 13 Lucky Minors
PROGRESS OF The WORK OF RECOVERY

PoTTsvILLE, July 24-The list of vic
Tins of Saturdays explosion of gas at York
| Farm colliery, on the outskirts of this city,
has increased to 15 dead and one momen-
tarily expected to breathe his last. Thus
not one of the men living in the vicinity of
where the explosion occurred will be able
to tell the tale of the disaster excepting
Llewellyn, the man who first noticed the
presence of gas and the unusual running of
coal, and who, by strictly complying with
colliery rules, had gone to inform the fire
boss of these unusual indications, and was
thus absent from the vicinity OF the ex-
plosion.
His story is that he and his 'butty, I"
Christian Hornicker, whose body still lies
buried in the mine, had fred shot with q
battery in breast No. on the second lift,
and Immediately there was strong rush of
gas and run OF coal. This gas rushed up
the airway connecting the first and second
lifts and was ignited, it is supposed, BY one
of the safety lamps that was either upset
and broken or faulty, and the terrible ex-
plosion followed, whereby the men working
in the immediate vicinity we're affected as
above mentioned.
Obstacles in the Way Of Rescue.
The gangway, filed with fallergs rock,
coal and timber, ccysereo Ut, che bodies Of
some of them. sand with the continued fall.
ing, as.Tbe material is removed, forms q
carrier that the unceasing efforts Of tine
/ rescuing bands will be some time in sufi-
ciently removing to recover the last two
bodies still in. H.
When tie explosion occurred, Contractor
| Dolan's gang Of tunnel men were engaged,
| 13 in number, under James Tierney, several
| hundred feet further in the mine on the
second lift, and made narrow escape with
] their lives. An immense quantity Of the
I fallen debris had blocked the mouth Of
the tunnel in which they were at work,
leaving small aperture, only large
enough for man to crawl through. To
run steam pump, had broken and was
blowing directly in this hole in the faces of
the men as they endeavored to escape.
Tierney, seeing that to get out alive re-
quired immediate action, drove his men
back, , ,and, at the risk of his own life, crawled
to the broken steam pump, covered it up,
and then, going back, sent his men through
one by one, after which he came out him.
SELF and with his gang set to work at the
recovery of the bodies of those less for
tunate than themselves.
Progress OF the Work Of Recovery.
W. A. Lathrop, General Superintendent
of the Lehigh Valley Coal Company, was
an early visitor at the colliery to-day, and
with Mine Inspectors Gay and Stein went
below to advise and assist in the recovery
of the remaining bodies At 1:40 to-day,
while they were below, the body of James
~.
surface.
Of the volunteers, many are foremen of
other collieries in this vicinity, and none
but the most experienced are allowed be-
low the surface. All handle the picks and
shovels and few are willing to cease their
labors when the relief gang is sent below.
Superintendent Leckie is foremost of the
rescuers, and has not left the scene Of the
disaster since the explosion occurred. It is
expected that the bodies of Harrison and
Hornicker will be recovered before morn
ing.
The complete list of the victims follow,
all of whom are now dead but one:
GEORGE .KRIsE. Of Middle Greek, u years,
wiIEfAM IIff, JONES. Minersville years. single,
william NJ. wEIMAN. Minersville. 81. wife
ANTHoSY PHWTTXLivicH. PottsviIle. 30, wife
HERMAN WEINER. st. Clair, IS, wife. large
THOMAS JONES. Minersvile. IS. wife and four
children miner.
ANTHONY STOCK, Yorkville, 16 SINGLE laborer.
HENRY MADARA, Pottsville, 81, wife and i've
E6Wasb fSsa GuRRAN. G1fs M. Laee. IS, wife and two
THOMAS F. LHNDERs. Pottsville. q years, wife
and child, laborer.
R. ". ALLOTT. Pottsvile, q years. wife and
esDh. g. 'na1fsD HGEoT %'nfF fo,tsvle years. SINGLE
laborer.
JAMES HARTSOLL. Llewellyn, 81 years, wife and
one child, mine carpenter.
JOHN HARRISON. Wadesvile, 30 years, wife and
three children, fire boss.
Christian HoRNICKER. "a years. ST. Clair,
wife and three children miner.
GEORGE STOCK. Yorkville, % years, recently
married. still living.
Of the above, Henry Madara. Thomas
Landers, Robert and Charles Allott and
Edward Curren, who were still living when
taken from the mine, died since last even
ing.