Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-04-02

SHAMoKIN, PA. April IA miners
lamp caused an explosion In the Nelson
shaft az o'clock this morning.
Many miners escaped but 1e or Is
are still In the mine with poor prospects
OF escape. A number Of mules perished
from sutfocation.
Nick French, Pat and Jas. Brennan
and John Ryan are among the missing
men. Owing 10 yesterday being a holi-
day there were not as many men at
work in the mine as usual. The mine
is operated by Langdon ~ Co.
Ten dead men have been recovered.
They are: John Roole, married; James
and Mike Brennan, single; John Ryan,
single; Frederick Ginter, single; John
Burtt, married; John Garry, married;
Joe Bortez, single; Nick Dolton, mar
ried, and Frank Shupis, single.
IL ia not known whether there are
any more In the mine, which Ia burning
liercey, with momentary danger OF an
explosion.
Despite this force OF men and OFF,
cials are bravely battling the danes and
the gas. The dead were all found In
the red ash vein, to which place the
smoke found its way from the vein 800
feet below. One thousand men ara
thrown out OF employment.
The fire started about twenty feet
from the bottom OF the slope, where
there Is an oil house which is used by
the men TO change their working clothes
before leaving the mines.
About ten minutes 20 2 this morning
a Hungarian was filling his lamp and 10
exploded, igniting the oil. He rushed
from the oil house, and the flames
spread.
Attempts we're made to fight the fro,
but those who started 10 do so were COM
pelled TO fee for their lives. They sue
ceeded In reaching the bottom OF tho
shaft. and were hauled 20 the surface
along with some belated mipers, who
owe their lives 10 the fact thar they Or
not 90 TO work az their usual time. The
ten men who lost their lives were AZ
work In the red ash vein, located nearly
100 feet above where the IRE broke out.
Through an air way from the lowe-
vein 70 the red ash vein tho smoke
poured, suffocatIng the unfortunates
like rats in trap.
the vicinity OF the burning mine, from
the air passages Of which great VOL
umes OF smoke were Issuing. Tho
scenes were most distressing. The
wives and children OF tho imprisoned
men uttered .agonizing cries and i'm
plored the men m the crowo TO rescue
their loved ones.
Abomt midday resculDg party OF six
brave men went down the shaft and en-
tered the burning vein. The smoke
was so dense that they were compelled
10 lie down on their stomachs and keep
wet sponges TO their nOstriis 10 avoid
suffocation. When they had proceeded
4 short distance they came across the
bodies OF two men locked In each others
arms.
They were the Brennan brothers.
James and Michael. Further on tho
bodies OF eight more men were found,
making ten dead In all. The bodies
were removed TO the surface with much
difficulty. They were taken TO the
blacksmith shop, where the most pa
thetic scenes were witnessed.
Three Of the men we're married and
had large families. The others were
young men, averaging less than twenty
Eve years OF age. Only two mules were
gotten out alive. Five were found with
their necks resting over each others
bodies. How they got together Ia this
position IS mystery. There are alto
qether 30 dead mules In the mine.
Ate o'clock this evening Superinten-
dent Gay announced that the ten bodies
removed from The red ash vein COM
prised the total number Of dead.
The loss 70 Langdon & CO., the opera
tors OF the mine, will reach $4,000.
The remains OF the victims will be
/ buried on Tuesday next.