The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-10-11
HURLED A QUARTER OF A MILE
Frfghtful Boiler Explosion at q
ShamOkIn Mine Shaft.

SHAMOKIN, Pa, Oct. II. 1S94.-A ter
rible boiler explosion occurred at Henry
Clay shaft this morning. Three dead
bodies have been taken from the debris:
Thomas Carr, married; VIM. Boyle, mar
ried, and VIM. Eslick, single. William
Mclaughlin died after being conveyed
home. The following were injured
J. J. Didian, foreman of boiler house
shaft, fatally burned and manned; John
Flickenstine, fatally burned; VIM. Quinn,
legs bruised and scalded; Peter Heck,
face scalded; Dennis Brennan, head cut
and face scalded. Owing to the great
mass of debris, together with the ex-
element, it is impossible just yet to
learn exactly how many men remain In
the wreckage. Some say there are five
more dead, but the officials say that
the above list of casualties is probably
correct. The disaster, coupled with the
calamity on Tuesday, at Lake Ffdler
shaft, has plunged this city into mourn
ing. The accident of this morning hap
exploding and causing 25 more out of a
nest of 36 to blow out of their nesting
place.
One was hurled a quarter of a mile,
While others were blown in all directions,
some lodging against the breaker, and
the slate pickers narrowly escaped death.
The breaker was working at the time,
and the escapes We're many thrill
ing.
The colliery is operated by the Phila
delphia & Reading Coal and Iron Com
pany, and is the best equipped plant of
that company in this region. The pecu-
mary loss is 100000. Sixteen hundred
men and boys are thrown out of en-
ployment.
Coal from the Sterling and Big Noun
tain mines was prepared for market at
the shaft breaker, which is constructed
of iron.
The shaft payroll amounted to $40, 900
Der month IT will Nkp1V take sly
weeks before the Inflated plant will be
able to resume.
During the repairing of these big work
collieries, now idle, will be started up.
The explosion occurred just after the
coliiery had started. work for the. day.
men who were killed and injured were
standing around the boilers getting warm.
First one boiler went up and the others
followed almost together. The report of
The colliery was forced into idleness at
once for the want of steam, and a big
crowd gathered quickly at the wrecked
boiler house.
The men in the inside working had to
walk to the surface, as the cars could
not be run. The big boiler house and
several adjoining buildings, such as the
completely wrecked. The boilers We're
hurled in every direction, and If the ex-
plosion had occurred a half hour sooner
the lOSS VI lie WOulu nave DcSA SOlAc-
thing terrible, as a great number of men
were standing around waiting to go to
work.
The cause given for the explosion is
that the boilers had become greatly weak
ened by the mine water that was used
during the long drought in the summer.
Lime was used to neutralize the acids in
the mine water, but the boilers are said
to be quickly eaten away by this water.
Victims I'm Illinois.
KEITHSBURG, ILL.,, Oct. IL, 1S94.-A
frightful explosion occurred in Dunn's
coal mine Tuesday night, killing VIM.
Walters and Harvey H. Smith. The ac-
cident was caused by the premature ex-
plosion of a blast. Walters was hor-
ribly mangled. Harvey lived several