Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-11-24
EXPLOSION IN A COAL MINE.
Two Miners Instantly Killed and
Ten Seriously Injured.
Twenty-Five Tons of Powder Explode
with Fearful Roar--Causcd by Fizz-
Ing Fuse Throwing Fire,

Twenty-Five Tons of Powder Explode
with Fearful Roar--Causcd by u Fizz-
ing Fuse Throwing Fire,
STEUBEyviLLE, o.. Nov. 21.-At the
Blanch mine of the West End Colory in
the West Virginia yard, % kegs Of blast
ing powder exploded with fearful roar
and deadly consequence at 1915 p. III. to-
day. Bad as il Is. ii is providential that the
explosion did not occur 10 minutes later,
or every home at the Blanch mine. would
have been mourning its dead tonight.
The explosion was caused by tz2ing
fuse throwing fire into u miners can, the
explosion of which fired others, until the
volume Of flame was sufficient to explode
the whole stock of loose powder.
The miners had been losing powder by
theft. and they kept days supply in
boxes, which were left open at the noon
hour, The men in the mine had just begun
to come in to where the powder was stored,
and in Il few minutes more most oil them
would have been there.
A stunning explosion in the mine,
great blast of flame and smoke from the
mines mouth and then roar, was lying
out to the country round, that told only
too well that there was death ami disaster
ut the mine. The scene that followed
cannot be told in words. The women who
had husbands. brothers, sons or sweet
.N"'t a. hhN hihSN'iib liN 'NAS S''t'l'f
frantic
Crowds came swarming to the mines
mouth just us they dropped their work or
left their tables their faces white with
dread, and the one eager inquiry on every
lip, who Is in the mine 2'
Wives and mothers were there, tearfully
impluring the men To go i'll where all
knew that death lurked in the air, either
to rescue those who were not past rescue
or learn the worst mt once
As soon rs they had time to recover
from the shock the mine boss and d squad
of brave fellows took their chances ON the
bad air and went in. Then there was
brief wait-more trying, perhaps, than
the awful moments that had preceded it,
Then the advance Of the rescung party
appeared bearing among them the Scared
and mutilated victims Of the explosion:
John Prasky, dead; Wesley Anderson.
colored. dead; Michael Chuker, fatally
wounded; William Anderson, Colored, legs
broken, hip dislocated, face torn and
otherwise mutilated; will die. He was
going into the mine when the powder en-
ploded, and blew lin 80 feet along the
drift and over u trestle. John Anderson
coored, blown along the drift and had his
head Wcdgcd under a coal car, he may re-
cover; Lawrence Campbell. burned about
the arms and head; John Xaging burned
about the arms, back and head, sent to
Pttsbnrg to the hospital; Ed. Cook OF
Cleveland, burned 50 that he will die; John
Gillespie Of Akron, o., burned about the
| head; Mathew Wright burned about the
arms. head and back; George Tceters,
| burned and injured internally John
Ramsey, badly burned about the body,
| but will recover.
| The explosion did comparatively little
| damage, 81 far as known, TO the mine or
| its equipment.
| That more of the miners were not suffo-
Gated was due to the prompt action of
miners James Clark and james Borden,
who, when the big dour that closes the
drift was blown from its fastenings,
| quickly placed It in position again.
The works belong to L. C. Smith of New
| Cumberland, and William Smith and John
| McNutt of Wellsville, Ohio.
| The mine had been in operation since
May, 1891, and 80 men were employed there
| to-day.
There IS still one man unaccornted for in
connection with the disaster miner
named John Hully.