Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-24
TEN KILLED BY GAS
And Three More Corpses Will
Perhaps Be Found at
York Farm Colliery.
THIRTY MEN FACE DEATH.
A Rescuing Party of Picked Men
Forcing Their Way in the Ruins.
AN OLD FEEDER BEING PIERCED
ID Thought to Fave Released the Subtle
Fluid Which Exploded.
THIRTY MEN FACE DEATH.
AN OLD FEEDER BEING PIERCED
THE CORONER AWAITS DEVELOPMENTS

PorTsvILLE, July pa frightful ex-
plosion occurred on the York Farm colliery
about IL o'clock to-day, by which eight
men are known to have been killed out
right, two died afterward from the injuries,
and it is believed that three more have also
suffered the same fate. At this writing the
known killed are as follows:
John Harrison. of wadesville fire boss),
leaves wife and three or four children;
Thomas Jones. Minersville, carpenter, mar
ried: Harry Jones, son of Thomas, single;
William Wehman, New Castle street, Miners
vile: James Hartzel Llewellyn; Anthony
Stock, boy, leg broken and burned, died
arterward: Henry Madara, badly burned.
died afterward.
There are believed to be three more
among the killed-George Bright, single,
fremont, boards in Pottsville; Herman
Werner, ST. Clair, wife and seven or eight
children; Anthony Gutchiavage, Pole, wild
over. The injured are:
Thomas Lands, Fishback. badly burned:
Robert Allott and son, of Pottsville; George
Stack, Yorkville, married, leg broken and
burned; Edward Curran, Pottsville.
The Scenes After the Disaster.
The explosion completely closed the
EduS"dN, NlbH sCNtldl Sdis "hlSh "SiC w
the track AT 10 o'clock several men were
known TO be closed in, but how many or
what tie extent OF their injuries was impos-
sible to ascertain.
The scene at the colliery has been
one of the greatest excitement. Hun
dreds of men, women and children
are gathered about the mouth of
the slope, waiting for the tidings of loved
ones who NAV be either dead or mangled
in the workings. Officials canhot tell how
many men were overtaken by the disaster
as the confusion attendant upon incidents
of this nature is so great. 1t is estimated,
however, that there were fully 80 men en-
gagged in close proximity to the scenes Of
the explosion.
Rescuing parties have been at work ali
the afternoon, at the great risk of their own
lives, forcing their way to the face of the
tunnel where the explosion occurred, with
the hope that some unfortunate may have
ESCAPED instant destruction, and also with a
set discrimination to bring out the bodies of
the three missing men. As this cannot be
accomplished without building brattices as
the debris is removed, the work is neces-
sarily slow, and it will require many hours
before the face of the tunnel is reached.
ARescuins Crew of Picked Men.
The rescuing party is composed of bosses
and the most experienced miners in the
company's employ, and all possible speed
Is being e1erted by them. One miner who
was engaged near by, is still missing,
Christian Hornicker, of St. Clair, and it is
feared now that he is also killed.
Anthony Stock, vino was among the in
jured, died shortly after reaching his home.
George Stock, his brother, aged %, Is in
critical condition. He is a young married
NoI1 ha snf,,
died this evening. He is about 80, with a
family of three children. The other in
jured will probably recover.
The cause of the explosion is not definite
ly settled, but the only plausible e1plana-
ton given by experienced men who are ac-
quainted with the work, is that "feeder''
which had become filled with gas was struck
while tunneling, and thus released,
the gas ignited from the safety
lamps The workings of the first
lift are in a sad condition. The tunnel and
gangways in different sections are filled
with debris, and il will take many days to
clear it away. Loaded mine wagons are
wedCed crosswise in the gangways and
rocks. Tmbers and debris are SO piled
upon them that the rescuers have hard work
making their way to the 'front.'
The Explosion as Heard in the Nine
workmen in distant parts of the mine
say the noise and force of the explosion were
terrible. Men 500 yards away were thrown
to the ground As soon as entrance could
be made to the mine, numberless volunteers
offered their services, but none but the most
tried were selected, and they at once set to
work.
The first brought to the surface were the
injured. Preparations had previously been
made, and the requisite materials were on
hand for their speedy relief Physicians
at once took them in charge, and all that
medical skill can accomplish is being done.
The body of Thomas Jones, of MinersvilIe,
was recovered in the tunnel and brought to
the surface at $50, and it is expected his
companions Harryison and Hartzell, will
be reached in a few hours
Coroner Golden impaneled a jury, who
have reviewed the remains of the unior-
tunate dead, and they have now adjourned
10 await further developments.
York Farm collierv is owned and oper-
ated by the Lehigh Valley Coal Company
and the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad
Company, lessees. -Four years ago the
Lehigh Company purchased three workings,
which at that time and for 40 years
previous had been abandoned and
were filled with water. Several millions of
dollars have already been expended bv this
company in cleaning the abandoned gang
ways of water, retimberirg and in driving
tunnels 10 iHleIb6cL lIS ulUerent veins, ana
great success has rewarded their efforts
Ignited From a Safety Lamp
The risk in the contention with gas, which
exists in great quantities in operations once
abandoned, has been great, and many mine
explosions have occurred in the past few
wears by which miners working at this
place have been seriously in jured, and a
few instances where death has followed;
but this accident is beyond all parallel.
In this mine are many small counter gang
WAYS some of which are not so readily
cleared of gas, and in some cases old gang
WAYS long abandoned, called leaders, exist,
which have been closed for years, and in
which immense quantities of gas have ac-
cumulated. Safety lamps, which are used
entirely in these workings, were of no avail,
and it was from one of these "sateties" the
gas was exploded.
= Lease of Life for Murder Mater.