The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-01-21
AN APPALLING DISASTER.
ONE HUNDRED MEN BURNED TO
DEATH lNACOAl MINE.

The Explosion Blocked the Shaft and
Those Who Escaped Had to Climb Out OF
tho Mine eUnaided-H eartronding Scenes
at tho Mines.
KANSAS CITY, Jan. 8.--A Journal
special from McAllister, Indian Terri
tory, says: A report has reached here
from shaft No. S, of the Usage Coal and
Mining Company at Krebs, that a terri
BILE explosion occurred there at IS o'clock
last evening from the effects of which
two hundred lives will probably be lost.
1t was just before the day shift changed
Off and came out of the mine for sup
per when a puff of smoke was seen to
escape from the mouth Of the single
shaft to the mine, and Immediately fol-
lowing this there was heard terrible
report followed by a rumbling as if of
rolling thunder.
Men at the top of the shaft at once
sounded the alarm and made prepa-
rations to send down rescuing party,
but f0uno that the mouth OF the shaft
had beer completely closed up by
ing had been done toward getting the
men out eXceptto organize relief party
which was to begin at once on the de-.
bris. The Times special from McAlliS.
ter, Indian Territory, says: Twenty
tour hours have elapsed since the ter
rlble fatal explosion in the Usage mine
at kreb's, but it is still impossible to
even estimate the number Of victims.
The number who came mp alive after
the explosion is still unknown and can
be determined only by house to house
RAPIDLY as possible. From the facts
now at hand it is believed that the
killed will number fully 1C0, the in-
iurrd 115, about one half Of whom VIII
probably die from the effect OF their
Injuries. At the hour Of the explosion,
5o'clock yesterday afternoon, there We're
as near as can be learned, about 400
men in the mine. They were tie day
shit and were just preparing to ASCEND
when the explosion took place. Six
men who had already been hoistcd in
the cage had just stepped on to the
pla! form on the side Of the Shaft. The
cage was blown through the roo: of the
tower and fifty feet in the air. The
men already above ground were pros
trated by the force of the explosion, but
did not receive serious iUJuIiCS. The
scenes about the mounh of The shaft
immediately following were fearful in
the extreme. Weeping wives, mothers
and sisters locked to the scene from
the village ut the sound Of the rNplo-
sion, their faces blanched with dread
and many of them hystericil TO the
point Of insanity. The air shaft, tho
only way of escape for the cntumHcd
miners, was the point where relatives
OF the miners cOngregated. Many Of
the miners were able to make Their way
out Of the tomb and they were wei
coined at the surface by their waiting
friends. One man with Il broken leg
climbed all the distance of one hundred
feet through the air shaft and fell ul-
conscious as he reached the surface
Others, who were terribly burned,
labored painfully up the ladder, strips
OF flesh falling from their hanis and
arms as they grasped the ladder rounds.
1t is believed that fully one-half the en-
toned miners escaped by the air shaft.
Many of them, however. received mortal
injuries and although none of them are
known to have died, at this hour, = i.
m 1T is believed that in some cases
death Is not raI diotnnt.