The Bessemer indicator., 1893-01-28
OVER A HUNDRED DEAD.
A Terrible Fatality In a Bohemian Coal
Mine.

There was an awful catastrophe at Du-.
Bohemia, on the cath. ON, hundred and
thirty coal miners lost their lives as the re-
suit Of an explosion.
A cage full OF miners had been lowered
half way down the shaft when the ground
,remblcd, a loud rumbnng report was heard,
and the cable attached to the cage gave such
a lurch that the lowering machinery broke.
A rush of air aud dirt from the pits mouth,
the sound OF crashing tlmbers and the cries
OF the men in the cage, gave warning to those
above OF the extent of the disaster.
Help was summoned, the machinery was re-
paired after delay Of half an hour and the
cage was raised. Ten Of the occupants had
been killed Instantly by the shock, ten had
suffered fractures from which they cannot re-
cover, FIVE who had broken limbs and internal
injuries will live. They had been half sufIo-
Gated by the gas rising In the shaft and said
that no man could live below.
An hour later the superintendent OF the
mine and five miners from the night shift
went down In the cage. They were unable to
so more than hundred yards from the shaft
Into the gallery, but they found fourteen
dead bodies. OF the fifty men who were
waiting for the cage. ten had been killed and
forty had been partially crushed by fall
Ing timbers or half suiTocaied by the foul air.
A short distance from the Shaft the superln,
tendent found four dead bodies, which had
been crushed beyond recognition by falling
beam
The mch who had been brought up from
the bottom, said that n few minutes after the
explosion they bad heard cries and groan.
hp of ~ al nhp
yards from the shaft. There was heavy tim
her 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.
Another rescue party went down at once,
and after three of them had been carried
back 10 the shaft unconscious penetrated 10
the entrance OF the gallery. The entrance
was completely blocked by the wrecked wood
work The rescue party could see several
dead bodies on the other side Of the timbcrs-
but were unable 10 get at them, and returned
TO the top empty-handed. 1t is believed that
NIL the men in the gallery were suiTocatcd OF
killed by the shock OF the explosion. Twelve
miners who worked in the extreme interior OF
the mine, on the night shift, and Ind moi
started for the shaft go soon as their com
pnnous, are also believed TO be dead
All hope Of rescuing alive the men who
were entombel by the explosion has been
abandoned. An investigation OF the list Of
employees reveals the fact that 1870 men lost
their lives in the disaster, rs it IS generally
conceded that those not killed by the cxplo-
sion nu.t have hceu sin No, ntcI hy tho after.
damp. The mine Is being cleared Of Tho
wreckase as rapidly MS possible. Every effort
will be made TO recover the bodies Of The
dead. Many pitiable and heart-rcndlng
scenes were witnessed about the mouth Of the
shaft when 1t was announced by the mine
officials that beyond shadow OF doubt every
man in the mine was dead. No explanation
has yet been made rs 10 how the explosion
occurred. An immense quantity of after
demp has accumulated In the mine.