The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-09
LAST. EDITION
MINE EXPLO OSION.
Largest Fire Known in Coal
Regions, Miners Killed.
Fifty Workmen Had Thrilling Escape.
CareIessness Of a Carpenter.
BY the Associated Press.

SHAMoKJN, Pa, Oct. Q. By an ex-
plosion on Luke Fidler mine shaft one
man was killed and four Others are in the
mine with no avenue of escape. The shaft
is on fire. Fifty-five other workmen were
taken out alive.
The most disastrous mine fire ever
known in the western anthracite coal
fields is now raging at the Luke Fidler
colliery. 1t is the result OF a carpenters
negligence. Fifty other workmen who
were employed had thrilling escapes as
they were compelled TO grope their way
Though smoke and noxious gases in order
to reach the fresh air and safety.
The four men who are still missing haze
been smothered before this as all parts
of the big mine are certainly filled with
smoke and deadly after damp. The hre
started in the airway OF No. i shaft late
last night and Irving Burlington, w hom the
colliery officials hold responsible for the
disaster, is dead. His body was not
burned, as death was due to suffocation.
George Brown, a miner, and his Polish
helper, Anthony Robert, driver
boy from Luke Fidler, and another
Polish laborer, whose name Is not
known are in the mine and no nope Is en-
tertained of their recovery. The mine,
now a mass of flames, cannot be APP
preached from any direction. 1t Is feared
that the inside workings will have to be
| flooded which means many months OF
| idlsness to the 900 employees.
Superintendent Williams of the Mineral
Railroad and the mining company in
| formed a reporter of the Associated Press
| that while irwin Burlington, John Ander-
son, Jr., and others were engaged
in re-timbering No. i shaft,
the former disobeyed orders by light
the purpose of testing the air. A spark
set fire to the timber that was as dry -
| powder and the current carried the
flames up and down the shaft
| like lightning. Burlington was ad-
vised by his fellow workmen to
make good his escape, but he neglected to
heed their warning and returned to the
bottom of the shaft in order to exchanges
| his gum boots for his shoes. This delay
cost him his life and his dead
body was recovered in the tunnel
about g. o'clock this morning
spector Edward Brehr, an inside foreman,
August Heir, aud Arthur Kennedy and
all OF the under bosses at the Fidler q
Cameron mines formed three re-
lief parties and entered the mine
to rescue the 60 imprisoned work
3 air shaft and down the new shaft. The
latter opening proved Godsend to the
men, and it is to this channel most q
them owe their escape.
The smoke spread through the inside
workings with great rapidity and alarmed
the men and boys doing night duty in the
mine. While the imprisoned men were
rushing through the inside workings
in search of an air shaft,
hundreds OF their friends gathered about
the mouth of the shaft and the cries and
means of the mothers, sisters, wives and
children Of the imprisoned employees sent
chills through the hearts oi
many hardy miners, who were waiting
for an opportunity to assist theiI
doomed comrades. Two OF the men
were overcome by the smoke while max.
ing their escape, but the rescuing party
succeeded in Carrying them out and restor-
ing them to consciousness. The gangs ol
workmen cannot get to any point neal
the fire on account OF the smoke and gai
SO that the flames cannot be fought with
any success.