Evening journal., 1892-10-15
THE SHAMOKIN TRAGEDY
Five Lives Were Lost in the
Sterling Mines Explosion.
EXPERIENCES OF THE SURVIVORS.

Two ofthe Men, After Having Given Them
selves Up for Lost Were Released from
the Cell in which They Were Imprisoned
by Another Explosion of Gas.
SHAMOKIN, Pa, Oct l5.-The awful ca
lamity at the Sterling mine was the most
thrilling that has occurred in the anthra-
cite regions since the famous Greenback
disaster of lsSs. Eight men were penned
in the mine for twelve hours, and when the
100 rescuers reached them only four were
found alive-Patrick McDevitt, Michael
Wetchock, Joseph Kctchie, and Joseph
Minstone.
All day the rescuers, led by Superintend-
ent Jefferson, labored to reach the chamber
Of death Their progress was slow, for the
black damp was strong and every few min
utcs some Of the men would succumb TO its
fatal power They were Immediately placed
in cars and hauled to the surface and new
men took their places
Finally the brave rescuers gained direct
passage to the entombed men in one of the
gangways a short distance from the bottom
of the slope There they found Ketchie and
Wetchock unconscious. The stricken min
ers were carried to the surface when
Ketchie recovered. The latter told fear
full story Of suffering and gave information
which led to the finding of three Of the
dead men.
. Drank Oil and CHcwed Wick.
Ketchie said that he and Wetchock sep
arated from the others and started TO find
the right path A half dozen falls of coal
prevented them from making any headway,
and at last they found themselves in de-
serted chamber Coal and rocks kept fall
ing, and penned in on all sides they gave
up all hopes Of escaping.
Wetchock said he was hungry, and driven
TO despair he drank the oil from his lamp.
Ketchie chewed the wick and also drank
the oil from his lamp. They then went to
sleep, expecting never to awaken. The
black damp was gathering about them
and they were awakened by loud report
caused by small explosion, which occur.
rences are numerous after terrible calami-
ties.
A current Of air swept through their
prison and they found that the last explo-
sion had shattered one side Of their pen.
ketchie and Wetchock half dragged them.
selves toward the bottom Of the slope, and
once the latter was struck on the head by
falling rock and fell unconscious into a
ditch. Ketchie seized him and pulled him
along. On the way they stumbled over
three dead bodies and going a hundred
feet farther Ketchie let go Of his senseles.
companion and sank down by his side
Here they We're found soon afterward by
the rescuers.
An hour later the rescuing party which
went over the route suggested by WetchocB
and Ketchie came upon the bodies Of Col
Inns Thomas and Doney. They lay side by
side and all had died from foul air. Non,
of them was burned nor struck by falling
coal or rocks.
Five Are Dead.
A thousand feet farther back Minstone
McDevitt and Belcavage were found Tn,
latter was dead, and black damp was fast
ending the lives Of the others. All wer,
removed TO the surface. McDevitt sale
that Minstone, Balcavage and himself go
lost in an abandoned gangway, and numer
GUS falls Of coal cut of the current Of air.
McDevitt started to dig, Belcavage anC
Minstone having succumbed. At last hl
found a hole in the side of the chamber
through which he crawled and dragged thu
uncon scious form of Minstone after him
He was going back to secure Belcavag
when the black damp overlook him and hl
sank TO the ground
Thus far the fatalities are confined t,
fve-Thomas O'Gara, whose body was TIN
first recovered Samuel Collins BENJAMIN
Thomas, James Doney and John Belcavage
The injured are still in a bad way an,
more deaths may occur.