The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-04-12
PRICE FIVE CENTS
ANOTHER MINE HORROR.
Fifty Men Perish by an Explosion in a
Welsh Mine.

Fifty Men Perish by an Explosion in
Welsh Mine.
LONDON, April 11.-A spark from
an engine ignited the gas in coal pit
near Pont-y-Prlddo, Wales. and
caused gas to explode. A large num-
Der of miners were at work at the
time and the explosion caused terri.
BILE havoc. The exact number oflives
lost is not known but 300 miners are
entombed in the mine, the engine
house Is in flames and there is the
greatest fear that hund eds may have
persisted. Rescuers who went down
were driven back without being able
to bring up more than five of the dead
| and the fate of other miners Is in
doubt.
laboratories from Port,Y- Priddo
do not Tighten the calamity and the
worst fate Is feared for hundreds of
miners. The pit was worked in sec.
lions, one above another. The fire re-
sulting from the explosion broke out
in the eastern section. From this sec.
ton seventy men succeeded in reach.
ing the surface through the main gap
working led by miner who knew the
roads. They had o terrible struggle
to get out, forcing their way through
fire and smoke. Many were scorched
and all terribly exhausted when they
emerged.
They brought no good news as to
those left, but on the contrary express
ed dread that all those in the mine
had persisted.
At 9:15 o'clock this evening it was
still impossible to obtain more than
meagre details of the accident at the
Ponty Pridd mine. The fret alarm
was given at 2:30 this afternoon.
Sparks from an engine in four foot
seam are supposed to have ignited
pile of cotton waste. The flames
spread to the work and finally ignited
the inf1amable gas in the seam. The
flames and smoke gave to 200 men at
work In the seam the first warning of
approaching danger. All ran toward
the landing. Many were overtaken
by the fire and smoke, fell and
were left to their fate. Comparatively
few of the men in the Seam at the
time of the explosion reached the
landing.
At the entrance of the shaft res
cuing party was formed by the pit
surveyor. The party got as far as the
landing at the seam where the fire
started, but were driven back almost
Immediately by the dense smoke
Issuing from the seam. The surveyor
took the men back to the surface.
After half an hours rest they went
down again and forced their way ten
yards into the workings. They found
four dead bodies which they brought
hanly xyitln 30 f,,,
Their into the workings were frus.
trated. One of the rescue party who
ventured too far was killed.
Men who saved themselves immedi-
ately after the fire broke out were too
much confused and frightened to OBJ
serve the positions of their fellow
workmen. They were unable to give
any clear account of the distribution
of miners and work of rescue must
therefore proceed under all
difficulties of uncertainty. Not
| only are scores of miners
families at the mouth of the pit, but
also miners who were saved and men
of other shafts.
There are numerous volunteers to
undertake the work of rescde as soon
as possible. At present the flames
and smoke render any such undertake
ing vain if not fatal to the party MAX
ing the descent. There Is little doubt,
moreover, hat most IL not all the
men left below have been suffocated
or burned to death. Hand grenades,
barrels of water and pipes attached to
fire engines on the surface are being
used to extinguish the flames In the
mine: In two sections of the mine
the fire Is put out. Extinction of the
flames has been followed In each case,
however, by the accumulation of gas,
and 1t Is feared other explosions may
follow shortly.
ATTEMPT AT RESCUE.
Another attempt to enter the seam
in which the fire started has just
proved resultless. Although the res
cuing party saw six dead bodies they
were prevented by smoke and heat
from reaching them. Where the fire
has been extiuguished they were also
unable to make any progress as they
could not remain in the foul atmos-
phere. A number of men are still In
the mine. How many cannot be as.
certaiDed although 1t is known to be
over fifty.
At midnight fire was burning In all
directions near the shaft. The SER
vice pipe used to pour water into the
mine burst. Difficulties in the way of
queuching the fire increased greatly,
and the rescae of the men below is
regded as hopeless.