Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-03-12
.[NTOMBEO IN A PIT.
Two Hundred Miners
Are Buried.
BUT FEW ESCAPED ALIVE
And Their Injuries are Such That They
Will Probably Die.

In the coal pit when there was a terrific
explosion OF fire damp. The explosion was
at the Anderluis coiliery. The cage and
the yentilator at the mouth OF the pit
were shattered. The destruction Of the
ventilstor adds an element of great danger
TO the situation.
4 large number OF the miners arc mat
ried. and their families are at the pie
mouth frantic with grief
The explosion occurred !n gallery 400
feet below the surface. Here we're work
Ing 2s0 men. Of this number forty es-
capped by means of the second shaft, and
sixteen Others were rescued la a terribly
and. it Is believed, fatally injured condi-
tion.
The explosion occurred at o'clock In
the morning 1t was very heavy, and the
ground for large area
Rocked and Trembi~d
for several seconds afterwarh. Houses
were shaken to their foundations, win.
dows were loudly ratified and smashed.
and crockery and other articles were
thrown about and broken. The residents
of the place were at first paralyzed with
fear, but soon realized the nature Of the
trouble. Almost before the trembfings
ceased. the inhabitants began TO rush
from their dwellings, and crowds OF ex-
cited men. women aud children. the faces
of all blanched with horror, focked To the
mouth Of the fatal pit. Almost every
family In the place had relative or
friend among the men employed In the
mine.
The scene around the pit soon became
one OF great excitement and anguish.
Piteous shrieks and cries resounded on
every side. as IL was at first thought every
ne in the mine had been killed. The
women In the sureing crowd were cspe-
cially loud In their lamentations, as they
realized that the explosion would likely
bercarc them of husbands, sons. fathers.
brothers or swcetbearts. Just as soon ~
the deadly fumes which had been rushing
up the shaft In sitting volumes had been
dissipated and II was thouyhtthe pit could
entered with some safety. hundreds OF
brave men volunteered to descend TO res
cue survivors or bring out dead bodies.
Arrangements were quickly completed
for making a thorough search of all the
chamters and galleries In the mine, and
down the shaft amid
A Chorus Os Prayers
from the women that their efforts might
resnlt in restoring the imprisoned men
safe 10 their families. The searchers had
TO proceed with much caution. As huge
piles IT debris which continually ~e,arred
their passage had to be removed before
any advance could be made and their own
lives were menaced by the possible fall of
immense masses Of coal from the roof and
walls.
There was a long interval Of painful
below by the watchers Mt the mouth Of the
pit that the rescuers had reached some
miners and were ready 10 have them hoisted
up. The cries, prayers and shrieks of the
anguished crowd were redoubled as the
limp and black forms OF thirty to forty
poor men were brought to the surface. All
the victims were either dead or badly In.
jured, and the face Of each WAS fearfully
disfgured. The countenaces- -yere smeared
with blood and were completely black
from smoke and dust, and were swollen
ont of all proportion.
a Great sheet of Flame
must have swept through the mine, as the
hair. boards and eyelashes Of all the un.
fortunate men had been burned of, and
besides the cruel cuts and bruises they
had received, their bodies were horribly
burned.
Kind hands bore the victims from the
place, and the wounded men, groaning
pitifully at every step, and followed by
s0rrowinR friends, were conveyed to tue
:nfirmary. a large staff of doctors and
nurses had already arrived at the infirm.
Rry, all necessary medicine and instru.
ments were at hand and everything posi-.
bic was done for the relief OF the victims.
The crowd at the mouth Of the pit con.
stantly increased as the day wore on Peo.
pie flocked from every direction and soon
the place was packed with q mass of
struggling, vociferating men and women.
all cndeavoring to get nearer the pits
mouth and catch glimpse Of the mu.
tila,cd forms as they were slowly hauled
/. up the shaft. All were desperately anxious
TO gain the slightest inform alton in regard
~ the safety Of relatives and friends.
The lerge force o! gend'armes which
had been hurri d TO the scene were almost
entirely unable ,, cope with the crowd.
and IL was only with the greatest difficulty
thai they were able To force a passage
through the mass OF inen bearing u
stre;cher containing the msngled forms.
The Crowd Was Mad with Grief
and women. young aud old. sobbing and
shrieking In the most heartrendiug man
ner, struggled with all the energy OF de-
spsir TO force their way to the narrow hu-
man lane. and catch glimpse of the men
as ench successive batch Of biackeped bod
les was carried through. When some
bleeding form was recognized, . shrek
more piercing than the others would tcnd
the ai-, and In many instances women
tainted away.
or the men thus tar brought out Of the
mine alive, only q few are likely TO re.
cover. In every instance the men were
dreadfully bruised. torn aud burned. and
wero also prostrated by inhaling tho
choke damp. which poured 10 volumes
through the mine The noxious gases
which till prevail In the mine. owing TO
the ventilator being destroyed by the ex.
plosion, greatly retsrds the work OF tho
rcscuing parties. - it Is impossible to
safel q breathe the heavy air for any length
Of time and there IL constant danger OF
another explosion.
Owing 10 the condition OF the mine
hardly q shadow Of hope IL entertained
that any Of the miners still entombed esn
survive. The latest oficial sstima,e pieces
tse nufnbey of doad M 0DO