New-York tribune., 1894-10-10
FATAL FIRE IN A COAL MINE
FIVE MEN UNABLE TO ESCAPE TO THE
SURFACE
CARPENTERS CARELEssNEss STARTS THE
BLAzE-TwO THOUSAND MEN THROWN
OITT or WORK


OUT OF WORK
Shamokin, Penn. Oct. 9.-The most disastrous
mine fire in the history of the anthracite regions
of Pennsylvania started at the Luke F1dler COLI
iery last night from the naked lamp OF a work.
man. Five persons known to be dead. They
are: Irwin Burlington. carpenter; George Brown.
miner: John Gierze. laborer: Michael Buzohskie.
laborer, and Anthony Colbert driver boy.
Burlington. with number Of other carpenters.
was at work halfway down the shaft calking
I'D holes in the side OF the brattice which con-
meets 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 disre-
garded and naked lamps were substituted. De-
tecting 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
consequences Of his act, the man at once started
for the bottom OF the shaft TO inform the work
men employed there Of their danger. his COM
panions In the mean time rushing up the smart
to safety When Burlington had warned the
workmen below ne stopped to exchange his rub
Der boots for a pair of shoes. and the delay IN
doing this cost him his life. Burlington staggered
to within thirty feet OF the door OF n passage
way which led to the open air, but here ne was
overcome by smoke and fell His body was found
this morning. The other bodies are still In the
mine.
Michael Golden. one Of the inside officials. led
the seventy men employed In slope No. TO
new shaft through which they reached the sur
face. after several narrow escapes. Two miners
whose names could not be obtained seeing that
escape through the old shaft impossible
and that their retreat the direction Of the new
was covered with smoke. groped their way
back further. and succeeded In escaping IN
safety through opening which came out on
top OF the mountain. Several other men ran
toward the Coal Run workings and made their
escape in that direction. When all who could do
so had reached the surface and an enumeration
had been made. IL found that four workmen.
in addition to Burlington missing
Superinte ndent Williams and Mine Inspector
were being hosted to safety. and they organized
rescung parties to 60 to the relief Of those i'm
prIsoned Before the places where the men
were known to have worked could be cached.
however. the smoke drove the rescuers rack
and the attempt was given up. When the report
Of the disaster reached Springfield and Slamo-
kin. men. women and children who had relatives
working at the mine rushed to the scene and
soon the air was filed with the lamentations OF
those who sought their dear ones
The fire had been started scarcely minute
before up through the air passage shot a sheet OF
flame twenty feet high. In three minutes the
farmhouse was a mass of blackened cindors. The
flames by this time were creating havoc with
the working below. and In addition to the TIM
bers which nearly all on fire. the beds Of
anthracite were beginning to ignite and the
whole mine In the vicinity Of the bottom OF the
"A
The Shamokin Fire Department began pour
Ing water into the mine within an hour after
the fire started. but thus far without any per
ccptlbe effect. Early this morning the outside
foreman. Francis Kohlbreaker accompanied by
number of men. went inside to see II II was pos
sible 10 get out the thirty mules and II was not
until Kohlbrcaker and several Of his companions
had been overcome by the smoke that the plan
was given up. All the animals are dead.
This morning another consultation was held
by the officials and the advisabty Of attempt
ing to rescue the inclosed men was discussed. II
was decided. however that the EFFORT was worse
than useless as II would certainly result In the
death Of some OF the rescuing party. The Coal
Run portion Of the Fidler working is connected
with the Gimlct and Hickory Ridge collcries
and In consequence they not working
one thousand men were employed at the Luke
Fidler cOlliery and another thousand at the Gin
let and Hickory Ridge colicrics. These men
will be idle for many months The latest plan
adopted by the officials to puench the fire Is by
pumping all available water into the mines, and
thus drowning It out. This however. will take
months 10 accomplish and II is safe 10 say that
this valuable coal operation is practically ruined
entailing a loss Of several hundred thousand
dollars