The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-10
In A BURNING MINE
ONE WORKMAN SUFFOCATED AND
FOUR OTHERS ENTOMBED.
Pennsylvania Colliery Fired Through
the Negligence of a Carpenter, Who
Paid His Life for His CareIessness.

SHAMOKIN, Pa, Oct. 9.-One workman
dead and four others in the mine with all
avenues of escape cut off, and the most
disastrous mine fire ever known in the
western anthracite coal fields now raging
at the Luke Fidler colliery, is the result in
brief Of a carpenters negligence. Fifty
five other workmen who were employed in
the mine at the time of the accident had
thrilling escapes, as they were compelled
to grope their way through smoke and nox-
ious gases in order to reach the fresh air
and safety. The four men VINO are still
missing have been smothered before this,
as all parts of the big mine are filled with
smoke and deadly fire damp. The fire
started in the air way of No. l shaft late
last night. and Irwin Buffinton, whom the
colliery officials hold responsible for the dis
aster. is dead. His body was not burned.
as death due to suffocation. George
Brown, a miner, and his Polish helper, An
thony Bobertiki; Bob. a driver boy from
Luke Fidler, and another Polish laborer,
whose name is not known by the mine off,
Gals, are in the mine, and no hope is en-
tertained OF rescuing them. The mine. is
now a mass of flames, and cannot be ap-
preached from any direction.
Superintendent Norris Williams, OF the
Mineral Railroad and Mining Company,
derson jr., and others were working in No.
l shaft the former disobeyed orders by
lighting his naked lamp in the air course,
for the purpose Of testing the air. A spark
set fire to the timber. that was dry as
powder, and the current carried the flames
up and down the shaft like lightning. Buff
finton advised by his fellow workmen
to make good his escape, but he neglected
TO heed the warning. and returned to the
bottom of the shaft in order to 3 exchange
cost him his life, and his dead body was
recovered in the tunnel about o'clock this
morning Superintendent Williams, Mine
Inspector Edward Brennan, Inside Foreman
August Heir, Arthur Kennedy and all of
the under bosses at the Fidler and Cam
eron mines formed three relief parties and
entered the mine to rescue the sixty i'm
prisoned workmen by way of the coal-run
workings through No. air way on the
mountain and down the new shaft. The
latter opening proved a godsend TO the
men, as ii is TO this channel that most of
them owe their escape.
II has been decided to drown out the fire.
but il will require six weeks TO fill its in
side workings with water. Operations can
not be resumed at this, this InI mine fort, for at least east
and boys, and its pay roll averaged $500
per month.
Wrecked .,t the Foot of the Grade.
ASHEVILLE. ". c., Oct 9.-The south
bound freight the Ashevllle & Spartan
burg railroad ran away down
tain. at o'clock this morning.
The crew remained on the flying train.
which ran TO the bottom OF the grade. four
miles. and then left the track, the engine
and fourteen cars piling up in a deep cut.
Fireman York was buried under the wreck
age; Conductor WIN Patton had a leg
badly crushed.
The first train from the wreck came In
tonight. bringing the body OF Neal Ewing,
Asheville stonecutter. who was steal
ing ride south. IL Is now believed that
three OF the trains crew were killed. al
though the bodies OF engineer Broom and