St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-12
Persisted IN A MINE,
Gas in 4 Welsh Coal Pit Ig-
nited by Spark From
an Engine.
TU0 Hundred Men IN the Mine
When the Explosion
Occurred.
Over Fifty Of the Unfortu-
mates Undoubtedly Burned
TO Death.
Rescuing Parties Driven Back
By the Dense Smoke and
Flames.

LONDON, April IA spark from an
engine ignited the gas IN the coal pit
near Pont psidd. Wales, ana caused
the gas to explode. \ ,arge number of
miners were at work at the time, and
the explosion caused terrible havoc
Three hundred miners are entOmbed in
the mine. The engine house is in
flames. and there is the greatest fear
that hundreds may have persisted. The
TeScuers who went down were driven
back without being able TO bring up
more than five OF the dead, and the fate
OF the other miners is in doubt. The
most agOniZing scenes are witnessed,
ana thronss of men. women and chill
dren. relatives of those below, are
crowded about the mouth of the coal
pit.
Later adviceS from Pont Prldd do
not tighten The calamity. and the worst
fate Is feared fer hundreds of miners.
The pit Is worked in sections, one being
above another. The fire resulting from
the explosion, broke cut in the eastern
section. From this section seventy
men succeeded in reaching the surface
through the mann dip WORKING, led by
a miner who knew the roads. Tney
Had Terrible Struggle
to get out, forcing their way through
fire and smoke. Many of them were
Scorchcd and all were terribly exhaust
Ell when they emerged to safety. They
to tI,s H.,
were left behind, tut. on the contrary,
expressed their dread that all those in
the mine had persisted
At 9:45 O'clock this evening il was
still impossible to obtain more than
meager details OF the accident in
the POnt Pridd coal mine. The first
alarm was given at 2:30 this after
neon. The sparks from an engine in
four-fCOt seam are supposed 10 have
lgnIted pile Of cotton waste. The
flames spread 10 the work, and finally
Ignited the intiammable gas in the seam.
fIames and smoke gave to the 200 men
at work IN the seam the first warning OF
approaching danger. All ran toward
the landing. Many were Oyertaken by
the IRE and smoke, fell and were left to
their tate 10y their comrades in advance.
Comparatively few of the men who
plosIon reached the landing.
Heseuers Driven Back.
At the entrance of the shaft a rescu-
ing party was formed by the pit sur
veyor. The party got as far as the
landing at the seam where the fire start
ed. but was driven back almost immedi-
ateIy by the dense smoke issuing from
the seam. The surveyor took his men
4 hoT
hours rest they went down again, and
forced their way ten yards into the
workings. They found four dead bodies,
which they brought back with them.
Attempts TO go further into the work
lngS were vain, as the wood work
was burning. and large masses of
runs were falling necessarily from the
roof. One of the rescue party who ven
tured too far was killed. The men who
saved themselves immediately after the
hire broke out were too much confused
and frightened to observe the positions
oil their fellow WOrkmen. They were
unable to give any clear account of the
distribution of the miners, and the
work OF rescue must therefore proceed
under all the difficulties OF uncertainty.
Not only are scores of miners families
at the mouth of the pit, but also the
miners who were saved and the men of
the other shafts. There are numerous
volunteers TO undertake
The Work of Rescue
as soon as it becomes possible. AT
present the flames and smoke would
render any such undertaking vain, if
not fatal to the party making the de-
scent. There is little doubt, moreover.
that most, if not all, of the men left be-
low nave been suifOcated or burned to
death. Hand grenades, barrels of
water and pipes attached to fire engines
on the surface are being used to eXtin-
guish the flames in the mine. In two
sections OF the mine the fire was
put out. The extinction of the
names has been followed in
each case. however, by the aecumu-
Iatloh OF gas, and it is feared that ex-
piOSlOnS may follow shortly. Another
4tleunpt to enter the seam in which the
MIe started has proved reSultleSS. Al
ihOugh the rescue party saw six dead
DodleS, they were prevented by smoke
ana heat from reaching them. Where
the hre had been eXtinguished they
were also unable TO make any progress,
DIS they could not remain in the foul at
moSpnere. The number of men still in
the mine cannot be ascertalned. though
{ is known to be well above fifty.
There is 4 little hope that some of them
found refuge at such distance from
the burning sections that they are still
alive.
At midnight the fire was again burn
ing in all directions in the mean near
the shaft. The service pipe which was
used to pour water into the mine has
burst. The difficulties in the way of
IL. i
greatly, and the rescue of the men be-
low is regarnnd as LnnnleSS.