Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-04-12
MINERS IMPRISONED.
Fifty Supposed 10 Be In a
Burning PIT.
NO LIKELIHOOD OF RESCUE.
Particulars Of An Awful Disaster In q
Welsh Mining Town.

LoGDoN, April IA frightful mining
accident occurred yesterday in Wales. A
spark from an engine ignited the gas In
the coal pit near Pont Pridd, causing
terrible explosion. The exact number OF
lives lost is not known, but 800 miners
were entombed. The rescuers who went
down were driven back without being able
10 bring up more than five of the dead.
The pit is worked in sections, one seam
bexg above another. The fire, resulting
from the explosion, broke out In the east
ern section. From this section 70 men
succeeded in reaching the surface through
the main dip working They hal a terrible
struggle to get out, forcing heir way
through fire and smoke. \ my were
scorched and all We're exhausted when
they emerged to safety
At n late hour last night $50 had been
rescued, more or less bruised and injured.
The timber work over the shafts were still
sblaze, and there was little hope Of reach
ing the flames.
The Utmost Confusion Reigns
about the mouth OF the pit, which Is sur
rounded by wailing relations and friends
of entombed miners The disaster was
caused by sparks from an engine at a four
foot seam, where 200 men were employed
filling in a quantity OF cotton waste. The
waste took fire and that part of the col
liery was soon mass of flames The
smoke drove the workmen to their stalls
and to the landing Several, however,
were suifocated before arriving there. The
man In charge Of the elevator immsdi-
ately brought up all those who succeeded
in reaching the landing, but was compelled
To make the ascent Immediately, on &C
count Of the great rush of flame.
When the party reached the surface
volunteers were called for, and q company
was organized. An attempt was made to
reach the landing, but the party was
driven to the surface by dense smoke,
many being nearly suffocated. Again an
attempt was made at rescue This time
there was better success As the flames
had consumed most OF the infammable
material in this part of the mine and the
smoke had largely cleared away, the men
reached the landing in safety and after
cropping about managed to penetrate about
80 feet, where the bodies of four men were
found and brought to the surface.
When the smoke had cleared away suffi-
GENTLY to allow another attempt at rescue,
Hugh Bramgwell, Manager Jones and
CnutT INttSe u6-
scended the shaft and penetrated as far as
the east main dip, where
Seventy Men Were Found
huddled together and rescued They were
In an almost unconscious condition, but IL
is believed that they will all recover. A
mass of timber was then encountered
This prevented further progress.
Seventy-five men are here believed to be
imprisoned, and every effort is being made
to rescue them alive. One unknown man
of the rescuing party accidentally fell
down the shaft and was killed. His body
has not been recovered.
The great pit is still on fire and that the
rescuing party Is still busily engaged In
fighting the flames and clearing away the
debris Every effort is being made TO pre-
vent another explosion by keeping up
good ventilation. 1t Is reported that the
bodies of six miners have been seen, but
that the rescuing party has so far been un-
able to reach them. Very few hope that
the men now in the pit will be rescued
alive. They are supposed to be In the
heading beyond the fire. II Is now esti-
mated that the number of men not yet res
cued Is not less than 80.