The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1892-01-14
a DEADLY BLAST.

q DEADLY BLAST. :fss
Horrible Results Of a: ExploaIoa & n
Indian Territory Mins-Forty-Nine dead
Bodllss Taken Out. apd Il q Thought
the Dsath.I.ist win Reach 100.
SouTu MCALLIsrER, i. T.. Jan. a.
4 The horrors of tho Diamond mine dis
aster at Braidwood, Ill, about eight
years ago, were reenacted here Thurs
day night and Friday except that ii
this instance fire instead of flood was.
the instrument Of destruction. AZ
the miners were preparing to leave
shaft No. II at Krebs, s miles
from here, operated by the Usage Coal
& Mining Company, shortly after &
O'Clock Friday evening, terrific ex.
plosion occurred spreading death
among 400 or more miners at work
1t Is impossible at present to
obtain any accurate information
as to the number. of the lives lost
OF. persons injured, but it is known that
at least 100 men are eDtombed in the
mine, and it is only possible to ascer.
tain their number by a canvass from
house to house, which is being made by
committee appointed for the purpose.
A careful estimate by Assistant Man
ager Krebs places the dead at 1870 and
the injured at 200. OF these at least
100 will die, as they are burned SO that
the flesh is dropping from their bones.
At IL o'clock Friday night forty mine
bodies had been recovered from the
shaft OF these twenty-thr had been
identified
| The explosion occurred about s p. m.
! Thursday, at which time there were
about 400 men at work in the mine.
They were the day shift, and were just
preparing to ascend when the
explosion took place. Six men
who had already been hoisted
in the cage had just stepped
on the platform at the side Of the
shaft The cage was blown through
the roof of the tower and so feet into
the air: Flames shot up the shaft and
above the ground fully 100 feet, which
were followed by a terrific report
which was heard for miles around and
shook all the neighboring country VIC:
lently.
The men already above ground were
Frustrated by the force of the explo-
sion. but did not receive severe inju-
ries~ The scenes about the mouth of
the shaft Immediately following were
fearful in the extreme.
Many of the miners were able to
make their way out of the tomb, and
they were welcomed at the surface by
their waiting friends. The injured
were quickly taken to places of
shelter and were tenderly cared for.
One man with a broken leg climbed all
the distance Of 400 feet through the air.
shaft and fell unconscious as he reached
the surface. Others who were terribly
burned ]abored painfully up the ladder,
strips of flesh falling from their hands
and arms as they grasped the ladders
rounds.
No attempt can yet be made TO ex:
plore the mine. At every landing dead
and dying are taken out. Many bodies
are so burned that they are not recog-
nizable by anyone. Fully fifty have
been taken out still alive and placed in
the nearest homes, but of these five
cannot live. The burns are all of wide
area. not to speak of the effects of the
inhalation of gases by the unfortu-
mates. There are now thirty bodies in
the blacksmith shop awaiting disposal
or Identification.
There are two encouraging facts
which urge the rescuers on to the
work. No fire followed the explosion
at least there have been no signs of
any-and there are known to be live
men entombed in the tunnel behind
fallen powders. The rescuers can hear
faint knockings and far off shoutings.
They are digging in the direction
whence the sounds come and hope yet
to rescue some of the men alive.
The mines have long been regarded
as dangerous, as there are few escapes
and the ground is very gasy. The ex-
act cause OF the fearful catastrophe is
not known as yet, but it is believed by
those who escaped to have been caused
by premature explosion, which took
place before the usual safety precau-
tions could be taken.
FOUR MEN KILLED.
A Boiler Explosion in Chicago Which Re-
suits in Los. of Life.
CHICAGO, Jan. 9.-Four men were
killed and two Others probably fatally
injured by boiler explosion Friday
evening in the Warren Springer build
ing, 195-2O7 Canal street. The
names of the dead are: Patrick
Rogers, tiren, an; Arthur Hall (colored),
fireman.; Edward Bush (colored),
helper; John Lee (colored), fireman,
died at county hospital. The injured
are: James Higgins, fireman, badly
burned about the head, legs and hands;
Henry Oswald, helper, horribly scald-
ed. minute before the explosion
occurred the engineer had made
an inspection of the boilers and
had found three gauges of water
in each of them. The boiler room
was completely wrecked, the center of
the room being heaped up with broken
boilers, iron pipes and other debris,
and lying beneath this mass were the
six men, the sole occupants of the
room. The wreck was quickly cleared
away and the killed and wounded re.
moved, the latter being sent to the
county hospital. The damage to
the lullding and machinery will
not be above $4,000 or $l5,.
OOU ana this is fully covered
by insurance. No one around the
building seems able to account for the
explosion, as all who are connected
with the machinery and boilers declare
that everything was in perfect order
and that all the men were attending TO
their duties
| A Veteran Gone.
| WAsH1NGToN, Jan. 9.-Rear Admiral
c. R. P. Rodgers (retired) died here
Friday evening of heart trouble. He
had been ill for some time
CHRISTOPHER Raymond Perry Rodgers was
born in Brooklyn, NJ ", November II, lS19
His father was captain in the navy and many
OF his ancestors occupied distinguished places
In the government service. He served in the
Seminole and Mexican wars with distinction
and was commissioned a commander OIL October
Is, 1851. He won distinction on the Wabash
and as feet captain of Rear Admiral Du Points