The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-10-10
SHA MOKIN. Oct. 9,

SHA MoKIN, Oct. O.
6PHE most disastrous mine fire In
the history of the anthracite
regions Of Pennsylvania, started
v at the Luke Fidler colliery last
night from the naked lamp Of work
man. Five persons are known to be
dead They are: Irwin Burlington,
carpenter: George Brown. miner; John
Giezze. laborer; Michael Buzofiskie,
laborer, and Anthony Z1bert, driver
boy.
Burlington, with number Of other
carpenters, was at work halfway
down the shaft, calking up holes in the
side of the brattice. which connects the
shaft with the air passage. 1t is the
rule when doing this work for the men
to use lanterns, but in this case the
rule was disregarded aud naked lamps
were substituted. Detecting a leak,
Burlington placed his lamp to the draft
and the flame Immediately caught the
boards, which were saturated with oil,
and was taken into the air chamber.
Realizing the awful conse sequences Of
his act the man at once started for the
bottom of the shaft to notify the work
men employed there of their danger,
his companions in the meantime, rush
ing up the shaft to safety. When
Burlington had notified the workmen
below, he stopped to exchange his rub
Der boots for pair OF shoes, and the
delay in doing this cost him his life.
Burlington staggered to within thirty
feet of the door Of the passageway
which led TO the open air, but here he
was overcome by smoke and fell. His
BODY was found this morning. The
other bodies are still in the mine.
A NUMBER ARE RESCUED.
Michael Golden. one of the inside
officials, was at the bottom of the shaft
when the alarm was given and he at
once notified the men working in num-
Der three slope, while John Dunmore
performed like duty for those EN-
ployed in the number two slope. Col
den told the men OF an opening by
which it was possible to reach another
shaft and leading the way for the
seventy men employed In this portion
Of the mines Golden made for the pas
sage. which was safely reached,
although 1t was nearly filled with
smoke. The iron bucket used to hoist
the men holds about six persons. This
was quickly filled, and in response to
the frantic signal given by those below,
the engineer began to hoist. Nearly
ten trips had been made when 1t was
discovered that mum Der were missing,
among them David Edmonds and Harry
Evans. They had succeeded in getting
half way of the old shaft when the
smoke forced them back. The travel
ling way to the east Of the shaft was
then tried with better success, although
the smoke was very strong
When nearly half way to safety
Evans, who is but boy, gave out, and
to save his young eomrade from GER
tain death, Edmunds picked him up
and succeeded In reaching the open air.
Two miners, whose names could not be
obtained, seeing that escape through
the old shalt was impossible, and that
their retreat in the direction Of the
new one was covered with smoke,
groped their way back further and sue.
ceeded in reashing in safety an opening
which came out on top Of the noun
tain.
Among the last to escape from No
slope was Hungarian, who excitedly
told the men at the bottom Of the new
shaft waiting to be hoisted, that there
were three or four fellows overcome by
the smoke while getting out of the
working, and that they were nearly
dead.
LEFT TO THEIR FATE
Somebody suggested that party be
formed to 10 back and rescue them.
but 1t was clearly seen that the course
would be suicidal, so it was abandon.
ed, and the sufferers were left to their
fate. When all who could do so haG
reached the surface and an enumera
tion had been made, it was found that
tour workmen, In addition to Buffing.
, ton. were missing
Superintendent Williams and Min,
Inspector Brennan arrived on the scene
while the men were being hoisted Il
safety sand they organized rescuinl
parties to go to the relief OF those i'm
.soned. Before the places where th,
men were known to have worked coult
be reached, however, the smoke drov'
the reseuers back and the attempt wa
given up. When the report Of the dis
aster reached Springfield and Shame
kin, men, women and children VIII
had relatites working at the min
rushed to the scene, and soon the al
was filled with the lamentations o
those who sought their dear ones,
AS quickly as load was hoisted an
the men could get off the cage the
were seized by their wives or other re
latives and almost smothered wit
caresses.
The fire had scarcely been started
minute before up through the air pass
age shot sheet OF flame twenty fee
high. In three minutes the fan hous
was mass Of blackened einders. Th
flames by this time were communist
ing to the workings below, the beds o
anthracite were beginning to ignite
and the whole mine in the vicinity Q
the bottom Of the shaft was soon
seething furnace.
WORK OF FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The Shamokin Fire department be
gan to pour water into the mine with
mn hour after the fire starte d, but thu
TAR without any preceptible effec
Sarly this morning Outside Forema
francis Kohlbreaker, accompanied b
number of men, went inside to se