The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-10
RUSH FOR LIFE IN A NINE.
FIVE DEATHS CAUSED M 4 CAR
PENTER,S CIRELEsSNESS.

ne workes VITA = Naked L.-p, s-s set
shsrt On Fire-Isost Hts 0wn LIE 60
Save the Others n the Mtpe-An Excite
tsE Race for SAFETY by Severty Her.
sHANoKIN, Pa, Oct. o.-As a result Of q mine
FIRE that started at the Luke Fider colliery last
night from the naked lamp Of a workman, i've
persons are known 10 be dead. They are: Irwin
Burlington. carpenter; George Brown, miner;
John Gierze, laborer: Michael Buzohskie,
lsborer. and Anthony Colbert, driver boy.
Burlington, with several other carpenters, was
stwork half way down the shaft cslking up holes
in the side Of the brattice which connects the
shaft with the air passage. IL Is the rule, when
doing this work. TO use lanterns but In this case
the rule was dlsregarded and naked lamps were
substituted. Detecting q leak, Burlington
placed his lamp to the draught, and the flame
started fire in the boards, which were saturated
with oil. The FIRE swept into the air chamber.
Realizing the consequences OF his act, the
man at once started for the bottom OF the
SHAFT to notify the workmen employed there Of
their danger. His companions, meantime,
rushed up the shaft to safety. When Buffing-
ton Ind notified the workmen below. he stopped
TO exchange his rubber boots for pair Of shoes,
and the delay In LONG this cost him his life.
Burlington staggered to within thirty feet OF the
door of a passageway which led to the open air.
but here he 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. was
At the bottom Of the shaft when the alarm was
given, and he at once notified the men working in
No. slope. John Dunmore performed a stint
lar duty for those employed in the No. = slope
Golden told the men OF an opening by which II
was possible to reach new shaft. Leading the
way for the seventy men employed in this part
OF the mines Golden made for the passage,
which was safely reached, although IL was
nearly filed 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 several men were miss
ing, among them David Edmunds and Harry
Evans.
These men succeeded in getting half way up
the old shaft when the smoke forced them back.
The travelling way TO the east of the shaft was
then tried with better success, although the
to safety Evans, who is only boy, gave out,
death Edmunds picked him up and succeeded
Twominers. whose names are not known, see
ing that escape through the old shaft was i'm
OF the new one was cut Off by smoke, groped
their way back further and succeeded In reAching
on se sn sns hGh Ss%e out
escape in that direction Among the last sn1 to
exctedly told the men waiting to be hoisted at
the bottom of the new shafting that there were
three or four men overcome by the smoke while
getting out of the workings, and that they were
nearly dead. Somebody suggested that party
be formed to go back and rescue them, but Il
was clearly seen that the course would be
suicidal, so It was abandoned. and the sufferers
When all who could do so had reached the
surface and an enumeration had been made, II
was found that four workmen in addition to
ftnG rtnn Nanr mil SNtY N..,
while the men were being hoisted to safety, and
nf' OF 60 to &
where the men we're known to have worked
rescners back, and the attempt was given up.
When s., the n report OF the disaster reached
mine rushed to the scene, and soon the air was
flled with cries As quickly as a load was
were seized by their wives or other relatives and
almost smothered with caresses.
fore, up through the air passage shot a sheet
of flame twenty feet high. In three minutes
this time were creating havoc with the work,
ings below. and in addition TO the timbers wi ich
were beginning to ignite. and the whole mine
near the bottom OF the shaft was soon a fur
The shamokin Fire Department began pour
ing water into the mine within an hour after the
fire started. but thus far without any, percep-
man Francis Kohlbreaker. accompanied by
several men. went inside to see II Il
was possible TO get out the thirty
mules, and IL was not until Kohlbreaker and
several Of his companions had been overcome by
the smoke that the plan was given up. All the
animals are dead without doubt. This morning
another consultation was held by the officials
men shut in was discussed II was decided,
however, that an effort would be useless, as IL |
certainly would result in the death OF some of
the rescuing party. The Coal Run part OF the |
Fidler working Is connected with the Gimlet |
and Hickory Ridge collieries and in conse-
quence they are not working.
:, One thousand men were employed at the Luke
Fiddler colliery and another thousand were en- |
ployed at the Gimlet and Hickory Ridge col |
lieres. These men will be idle for many months |
The latest plan adopted by the officials to quench
the mines and drowning II out. This will take |
mont his IN apcnmnlish ia "a to- a.