The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-02
Ten Of the WOrkmen Cut Oh nm lhs d
Shaft and Overcome BY the Dsnse 6neko
That Quickly Filled the Nina
Disastrous Result Of the Burnin0 of1ko
Higgins Hotel at Bradford, "a.
Five Lives Lost and Twenty-Fivs Peroon1 q,
iured Joseph JeffersOns Summer ucne
on Buttermilk Bay Destrcyoa
Ten wOrkmen Suffocated In . Coo1 Hl<5cn>
shamohin, Pa - y.

Ten WoTkmen Suffocated I'm q Coo1 xI&21n&
shamOkin, Pa. Is. 49,
SHAMoKIN, Pa. April Lone Of tho 80
distressing disasters that ever ocou1ro1 ~
the anthracite region followed the o<nlo-
sion of a lamp In the Neilson colllo1y uoou
here this morning. The colIiery. whio> &
operated by j. Lsngdon & Co., is one q Vho
largest and best known in the region. pay-
ing superior wages and furnishing work -
its thousand employees the year around.
Fire followed the explosion. and the smoks
which rushed through the air-shsfts cauehl|
ten men who had Just gone to work a 3
vein above the scene of the exploslon -
smothered them to death. YESTERDAY hf1no'
a holiday there were not so many moo q
work as usual Others for the same reason
were late IN reaching the mine. and it 4
owing 10 these fortunate facts that eho
death list is rot very much larger. Tho
dead are:
NICHOLAS DUTAH, leaves widow and ok
join ROBERT. aged twenty-five. single.
JOHN BURrr, married. large family Of email
children.
JOSEPH BoXsTRAX, aged twenty -sishf.
JOHN GARRY. aged forty-fve. married
FREDERICK GINTEN, aged twenty-dvop<
FRANK sHUPIs, aged twenty-five, single.
JOHN RYAN, aged thirty-iive, single.
JOHN BREMEN. aged twenty-one, single.
MICHAEL BRENNEN, aged twenty eight
single
The fire started about twenty feet frou
the bottom of the slope, where there ID "a.
oil house. which is used by the men -
change their working clothes for otheyp
before leaving the mines. About tn.
minutes to O'CLOCK this morning.
Hungarian was filing ~
lamp. and 1t exploded. igniting tsio
oil about him. He rushed from the oil
house and the flames spread with repidity.
Attempts were made TO hight the firo. but
those who started TO do so were compelled
to fee for their lives They suo-
ceeded In reaching the bottom OF the
shaft and were hauled 20 the surfaoo
along with some belated miners who owe
their lives TO the fact that they did not 90
to work at the usual time. The ton men
who lost their lives were at work at the
Red Ash vein. located nearly one hundred.
feet above where the fire broke out
Through an airway from the lower vein q
the Red Ash vein the smoke poured. ouffo-
eating the unfortunases like rats In tE&p.
Almost the entire town gathered in The
vicinity of the burning mine, from ~ At
passages OF which great voldfe6 - emoko
were issuing. The scenes were most dEce'
tressing. The wives and children Of The
imprisoned men uttered sgonizing cgil>
and implored the. men IN ohQ
crowd TO rescue their loved oocc
About midday arescuing party Of six bBo1
nIen went down the shaft and entered e
burning vein. The smoke was 50 doG0U
that they were compelled TO lie down on
their stOmachs and keep wet sponges to
their noStrils TO avoid suffocation. When
they had proceeded q short distnnoo
they came across the bodies of two.
men locked in each, others arms They
were the Brennan brothers. Further o.
the bodies of eight more men were found.
making ten dead in all. The bodies woy0
removed to the surface with muo0
difficulty. They were taken -
the blacksmith shop, where "a
most pathetic scenes were witnooo6
Three of the men were married and ~
large families. The others were youD1
men. averaging less than twenty-five yoG1
of age. Only two mules were got
sllve. Five were found with tbei
resting over each others bodiess
they got together in this position 10
terry. There were altogether thirty
mules In the mine.