River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-10-20
DEATH IN a MINE.
An Explosion In n Pennsylvania coiiiery
by Which One Man Is kilied-Eight
Others Buried with Little of Hope
Rescue-SeyeraI Hurt.

An Explosion IN a Pennsylvania Coiliery
by Which One Man Is killed-Eight
Others Buried with Little of Hope
Rescue-seyeraI Hurt.
SHAMoKIN, Pa, Oct I4.-An explo-
sion of gas occurred at the Sterling
colliery Thursday morning, supposed
TO have been caused by fall of coal
breaking a miners lamp. One man
was killed. four were injured and
eight others intombed. IL is believed
that the latter are all dead. Up to this
time the searching party has been un-
able TO reach the missing ones, owing
to SO much '.blaek damp" The fol-
lowing are the names of the dead and
injured.
Dead Thomas oCara.
Probably dead-Benjamin Thomas, Samuel
Collins, Patrick McDevitt Isaac Gonney,
Joseph Kelchiem, Michael Wetchock, Charles
Bellconager and Joseph Milnstock.
Iniured-Horace Price. terribly cut and
mangled; Samuel Rogers loader, cut and
bruised. William Mack, driver, cut and
mangled: Daniel Reed. driver skull fractured,
burned and cut viii probably die.
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 greatly excited and most of
the women were crying and
wringing their hands Historically.
The pit boss and mine superin-
tendent were awake to the necessity of
prompt action, and without loss of time
gathered all the miners in the vicinity
and organized them into squads. that
the work of clearing away the wreck
age and rescuing the entombed men
might be carried on night and day I'M
til it was accomplished. The women
were tenderly 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 zeal and determination
that gave the weeping women hope
that their loved ones might yet be
saved. But, determined though
the workmen were, they were
frequently driven back by the
poisonous black gas Several OF
the Jealous workmen were overcome
by it and had to be carried out. The
work had been in progress two hours,
when two miners who had been impris-
oned in a new entry made their way,
half dragging, half carrying two others,
who were SO badly overcome that they
were unable TO get ont alone.
The appearance of these men at the
entrance of the mine was greeted with
shout of JOY from the little gathering
outside. The hysterical women had
become cooler by this time. The half
prostrated miners were quickly cared
for by the woman who short
time before were wringing their
hands in despair. An hour later
the sturdy rescuers succeeded in
liberating Irwin Edwards. At the
time of the explosion he was with the
men still entombed in the slope and
who, it is feared, have been suffocated.
He was hardly able to speak above a
whisper. Some brandy was admins
tered and he was in a little time able
to tell the anxious wives, mothers and
friends of the men still buried in the
mine what little he knew of their con
dition.
I'VE all started by short cut for
the bottom of the slope" he said. "but
grew faint from inhaling the poison
ous gas, lost my way, and after wan
dering, / don't know how long, sunk
helpless where / was found. AS near
as can make out the men are in an
old gangway which is now closed by a
mass of rock which fell short time
after the explosion"