The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-02-01

VIENNA, Jan. 24.-An explosion of fire.
damp occurred today in the Fortschritt
mine at Dux in Bohemis. 1t is known
that four miners were killed and thirty
injured. One hundred men are still en-
tombed in the mine. Every effort is being
made to rescue them.
The accident in the Fortschritt mine
was far more serious than reports this al
ternoon indicated. Dispatches from Dux
tonight cay that eighty miners were killed
and scores were injured. The explosion
occurred this morning when the shifts
we're changing, 4 cage full of miners had
been lowered half wav down the shaft
when the ground trembled, a loud rumb-
ling report was heard and the cable at
tached 70 the cage gave such lurch that
the lowering machinery broke. A rush
of air and dust from the pits mouth. the
sounds of crashing timbers and the cries
of the men in the cage gave warning TO
the men above of the extent Of the disss.
ter. Help was summoned. the machinery
was repaired after Delay OF half an hour
and the cage was rai.ed. Ten of the oc.
cupants had been killed instantly. ten
had suffered fractures from which they
cannot recover; five who had broken
limbs and internal injuries viii live. They
had been half suffocated by the gas rising
in the shaft and said that no man could
live below.
Finding the Dead.
An hour later the superintendent of the
mine and five miners from the night shift
went down in the cage. They were una
BILE TO go more than 100 wards from the
shalt into the gallery. but they found
fourteen dead bodies. OF those fifty men
who were waiting for the cage ten had
been killed and forty partially crushed by
falling timbers or half suffocated bv the
foul air. short distance from the shaft
the superintendent found four bodies
which had been crushed be-
yond recognition by a falling beam.
The bodies and the injured were taken TO
the top, where the whole mining settle
ment had gathered to watch the work OF
rescue The men who had been brought
up from the bottom said that few min
utes after the explosion they had heard
cries and groans from the mouth OF the
gallery, about three hundred yards from
the shaft. There was heavy timber work at
this place and they believed that the men
in this gallery had been imprisoned by
the falling beams. They believed that
some forty men had been at work there.
Shortly before the cage came down, they
said the cries ceased.
a Rescuing Party.
Another party went down at once, and
after three of them had been carried back
to the shaft unconscious. penetrated to
the entrance of the gallery. The enhance
was completely blocked by wrecked wood
work. The party could see several dead
bodies on the other side Of the timbers,
but were unable to get at them and re-
turned to the top empty-handed. 1t is
believed that all the men Ia the gallsry
were suffocatsd or killed by the shock Of
the explosion. Twelve miners who worked
in the extreme interior OF the mine on
the night shift and had not started Tor
the shaft as soon as their companions are
also believed to be dead. Despite the APP
parent hopelessness of the situation a res
cue party is still In the mine and thou
sands have gathered at the pits mouth.
Attempted to Mob OmciaIs.
When the extent of the disaster became
evident the women of the dead mems
families attempted TO mob the mine
officials, accusing them of carelessness In
the management of the mine and Of in
difference as to the fate of thei- husbands
and brothers below. The mine officials
sent to Dux for police, and three COM
panies Of soldiers are csmped in the fields
around the pits mouth tonight The
miners families are still on watch and
will probably remain in the fields all
night, despite the inclemency of the