Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-22
KILLED IN A NINE.
Fatal Result Of the Carelessness Of q
Mine Foreman.

eeeA AeCDoAt VI inc C0o Oh U
Mine Foreman.
The carelessness Of mine foreman caused
an explosion Of gas in a colliery at Plym.
outh. Pa, yesterday afternoon by which 1--we
men were instantly killed and six others
seriously injured. The names Of the dead
are:
d. N. Jones of wilkesbarre. aged g. con-
| tractor; leaves q wife and I'VE children.
William Jones of Wilkesbarre, AIRED 6
rockman; leaves q wife and two children.
John Flanagan Of Wilkesbarre, aged IS
mason; leaves a wife and six children
Owen p. Jones Of Plymouth, aged S.
mason; leaves a wife and six children.
Joshua Lightly Of Plymouth, aged IS. A.
sistant mine foreman; leaves a wife and five
children.
The injured are:
o. L. Evans Of wilkesbarre, rockman, one
arm and four ribs broken.
Thomas Williams Of Wilkesbarre rock
bruised
James Morgans of Plymouth, timberman,
severely cut on head and face.
Joseph Cummins of Plymouth. leg broken.
FOOT crushed and head badly cut.
~ B. Davis Of Plymouth. laborer. shoulder
dislocated.
o. l. Williams of Plymouth. laborer. face
and hands badly cut.
The Accident.
The accident occurred In the Lance No. II
colliery Of the Lehigh and wilkesbarre Coal
Company at Plymouth. two miles from
Wilkesbarre. at 2:06 o'clock yesterday after
noon. and was one Of the most peculiar ever
known in the coal regions. Two masons,
Flanagan and Jones. were building q high
stone wall at one end Of the Cooper LOO
foot gangway In order to reverse an air cur
rent. D. NJ. Jones and William Jones, two
rock contractors. were experimenting the
timbering Of an air shaft sixty feet deep
which was being sunk from the Cooper
gangway to workings below.
while these men were at work Assistant
Mine Foreman Lightly descended the main
shaft to inspect the work. He had a naked
lamp in his cap. and passed along the sane-
ways and down an inner slope on his way to
the cooper gangway. at the same time stop
ping to talk to several miners on the way.
The entrance to the Cooper vein is by a
short rockway. and he had not entered this
more than twenty yards when the nakei
light ignited the gas and a terrific explosion
occurred. Lightly's body was hurled from
and charred almost beyond recosnition
The force Of the explosion swept every
tning before II, and was 80 great that the
rush OF air passing along the l.OOO-foot gang
way tore down the high wall Masons Flan-
nigan and Owen p. Jones were building.
crushing them to :iea.h beneath the debris.
AT the same time the workmen In the
shaft were struck down BY Il ma IS Of rock
and timbers shaken from .he sides by the
force OF the blast. D. NJ. Jones and william
Jones were both instantly killed and many
or the rockmen and laborers at work with
them sustained more or less severe injury
RcscuinE the Victims.
The force Of the explosion was felt
throughout the entire mine, and miners in
the vicinity Of the fatal gangway hurried to
the foot of the shaft to send the news to
the surface.
A rescuins party was quickly organized,
anG. headed by Mine Superintendent ID. b.
Lewis. entered the workings. The effects Of
the explosion were everywhere apparent.
Masses of top coal and rock had been
shaken down by the blast, rails were torn
up. ties were twisted into fantastic shapes,
cars were shattered to kindling wood, props
and timbers torn down and the whole gang
way covered with debris
The body of Lightly. who caused the ex-
plosion. was found at the mouth of the
gangway torn and crushed and the bodies
OF the other unfortunates were discovered
under the debris at the wall and in the
shaft. The injured were taken to the sur
face and cared for.
Lightly has been foreman for fifteen years
end knew that the gangway was full Of gas