Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-14
TERRIBLE MINE DISASTER.
The Death List VIII Reach to More
Than One Hundred.


At Least $50 Others wounded--A Most
Appalling Casuaity--Little Hope for tho
Entombcd Miners.
KANSAS City, Mo-, Jan. S.-A Jour-
nal special from McAlster, Indian terri
tory, says; A report has reached here
from shaft No. B of the Usage Coal and
Mining Company, at Krebs, that terri
Bile explosion occurred there Mt o'clock
last evening, from the effect Of which
two hundred lives will probably be lost.
II was just before the day shift
changed off and came out Of the mine
for supper when puff of smoke was
seen to escape from the mouth of the
single shaft TO the mine, and immedi-
ately following this there was heard
terrible report followed by rumbllng
us If of rolling thunder.
The men at the top of the shaft at
once sounded the alarm and made pre-
parations to send down rcseuing party,
but found that the mouth of the shaft
had been completely closed up by the
debris. When the messenger left moth.
ing had been done toward getting the
men out except to organize d relief
party, which was to begin at once on
the debris.
There are between $50 and 200 men
entombcd in the mine and it is believed
that every one will lose his life, for the
shaft is single one with no means for
air to get to the entombed men. II was
impossible to get any further particulars
from the seat of trouble last night
THE HORRIBLE NEWS CONFIRMED.
KANSAS City, Mo-, Jan. S.-A coniir.
nation has been received OF the cxolo.
sion at krohs, |. H., near McAlister last
night. Over 200 mon were killed and a
large number fatally injured. Ten
bodies have already been taken out ..
the shaft.
Later reports mitigate to but slight
extent the result of the awful mine dis.
astcr at Krcbs, |. r., Thursday night.
Moro than 100 miners were burned TO
death, and $50 more We're fearfully
scorchod or cntombed alive. Many Of
the wounded cannot recover,
The McAllister mines dol the prairie
at intervals from quarter TO half n
mile, and each is surrounded bv the
usual cluster of novels, which serve Tho
purpose of homes for thcmin oGc4t
homes present Il pathetic picture i,5.,,a,.
There is not one Of them which does
not mourn the loss OF either a member
or friend.
Very little has yet been accomplished
in the way Of relieving those who
may still be alive and hclnmed in by the
falling walls. II is probable that al
least Il week will clapse before all tho
men can be reached. Many Of them, no
doubt, are still alive.
CAUSE or THE EXPLOSION UNKNOWN.
The exact cause of the catastrophe IA
unknown, but il is supposed that some
miners fired blast without warning or
authority, the blast igniting either the
accumulated gas or coal dust and caus-
ing the great explosion, which was ter
rifle.
One of the hoisting cages had just
come to the surface with six men
aboard. AS the last man stepped from
the platform, the cage, propelled by the
explosion, shot up through the roof of
the tower, some 80 or so feet above.
while the frames blew skyward a hun.
dred or more feet, followed by a report
which was heard for miles.
Nearly half the men employed in the
mine escaped by climbing the air shaft.
HEROIC CLIMBERS.
One man, whose leg was broken nv
the explosion, climbed the entire 45O feet
to the top of the shaft Others climbed TO
the top whose flesh was SO badly burned
that ii would strip from their hands as
they clasped the ladders.
IL Is difficult to identify the bodies az
they are brought to the surface. All ara
olackencd almost beyond recognition.
whiie many are mangled and charred to
the extent that fragments of their cloth
ing or contents of their pockets alone
serve to prove their identity.
BRINGING up THE VICTIMS.
There were about 400 men at work.
and as near as can be ascertained about
lop oil them escaped injury.
Each trip of the cage brings to light
new victim, which the volunteers care
luliy carry to the mine blacksmith shop
winch has been utilized as n tcmporarv
morgue, and through which the anxious
crowd oil miners wives and children
surge IN search Of the absent members
OF their families.
ANOTHER EXPLosIoN-Two KILLED
SIX HURT.
SifAMoKTN, Pa, Jan. San exnlo-
sion of gas at the Nelson collerv tb;s
morning killed Philip Deserts and Paul
Grunzie and injured six Others. Tia
cause OF the explosion is not known.
The moulders in Hamilton, Ont. haze
been notified of reduction of Ia nor