Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-12

A Spark From an Engine Causes . Friehtful
Explosion.

Spark From an Engine Causes Q Erightful
Explosion.
A frightful mine accident occurred Yesterday
ct Pontypridd, Wales spark from an engine
ignited the gas in the coal pit and cau.ed the gas
to explode. large number Of miners were at
work at the time and the explosion caused ter
rible havoc.
The exact number Of lives lost il not known,
but it il known that 800 miners are entombed
in the mine. The engine house is in flames and
there is the greatest fear that hundreds may
have persisted. The rescuers who went down
were driven back without being able to bring
up moro than five Of the dead and the fate Of
the other miners il in doubt
The most agonizing scenes were witnessed,
and throngs OF men, women and children rela-
Hves Of those below, were crowded about the
mouth of the coal pit.
The worst fate is feared for hundreds Of
miners. The pit 10 worked in sections, one
seam being above another. The fire resulting
from the explosion broke out in the eastern
section.
From this section seventy men succeeded in
reaching the surface through the main dip
working. led by miner who knew the roads.
They had q terrible struggle to get out, forcing
their way through fire and smoke. MANY OF
them were scorched and all were terribly ex-
hausted when they emerged to safety. They
brought no good news as to those who we're
left behind, but, on the contrary. expressed
their dread that all those in the mine had per-
ished.
At 9:45 o'clock last evening it was impossible
to obtain more than meager details of the ac7
cldent. The first alarm was given at 2:3O yes
terday afternoon. The flames spread to the
woodwork, AM finally ignited the infiammabls
gas in the seam. Flames and smoke gave to
the 200 men at work in the seam the first warn
9nnYOach1nD danOar fnxro ard
the landing. Many were overtaken by the fire
and smoke. fell. and were left to their fate by
their comrades in advance of them. Compare
tiveiy'few Of the men in the seam at the time
of the explosion reached the landing.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
A rescuing party was formed by the pit sur
veyor. 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 his
men back to the surface. After a half hour q
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 workings
were vain, as the woodwork was burning and
large masses of ruins were falling necessarily
from the roof. One of the rescuing party who
ventured too far was killed.
The men who saved themselves Immediately
after the fire broke out were too much con-
fused and frightened to observe the positions
OF their Acknowledgment They are unable
to give any clear account of the distribution of
the miners, and the work of rescue must, there
fore, proceed under all the difficulties of un-
certainty.
Not only were scores of miners families at
the mouth of the pit, but also the miners who
were saved and the men Of the other shifts.
There we're numerous volunteers to undertake
the work of rescue soon as it became pos
slble. There was little doubt that most. if not
all. Of the men left below had been suffocated
or burned to death.
At midnight the fire was again burning in all
sections of the mine near the shaft. The sery-
ice which was used to pour water into
the mine burst The difficulties of quench-
ing the fire have increased greatly and the res
cue of the men below is regarded as hopeless
Another attempt to enter the fire seam
proved resultless. Although the rescue party
saw several dead bodies they were prevented
by smoke and heat from reaching them