The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-08
Terrible mine EXPLOSION
Nine Men Arc Imprisoned in the
"A DOrrance Shaft.
ONE MAN DIES FROM INJURIES
A Corps Of Surveyors Arc Caught In an
Explosion of Fire Dnmp-herois
Work Of the Rcscuing Party.
History OF the Mine.
Special to the Scranton Tribune.

rors of the Wyoming valley by which
one man lost his life and the fate OF
four others. who are still imprisoned in
the mine. Is still in doubt. The acci-
dent occurred in the Dorrance shaft OF
the Lehigh Valley Coal company, which
Is located in North Wilkes Barre near
Hollenback cemetery. and occurred IN
Baltimore vein.
In the morning a corps of surveyors
went into the mine under the foreman
ship of William Jones, of Wilkes Barre,
the party being composed OF Mr.. Jones.
Robert Miller, Robert Blanchard,
Llewellyn Owens. c. William Cahill.
They also took with them Fire Boss
William Davis and two or three brat
ticemen. Edward Murphy, Michael
Morris and George Laphy. Nothing
more was heard from them until little
after O'Clock in the afternoon, when
a terrific explosion was heard and the
Xentilation was stopped. The men
knew at once that an accident mad hap
pened and as soon as possible rescu-
ing party was made up. composed or
Thomas Samuels, foreman of the Dor
rance mine: John Jones. inside fore
man; Fire Boss Lewis Lewis, and
number of miners who volunteered to
risk their lives to save the surveyors
and their companions from death II IL
were possible. This party descended
the mine about 5.l5 o'clock and pro-
ceeded at once to the rock tunnel of the
plane, where the accident had occurred.
They remained down for some time
but finally the signal to hoist the car
rage was given to the engineer, and II
came into the view of hundreds of pso-
I.'c who had flocked to the shaft on
hearing of the accident. The party
brought with them two OF the surveying
corps who had been hurt by the force
Of the explosion and took them at once
to the city hospital, where their
wounds We're dressed.
The Injured Men.
The injured men were: Robert Miller.
aged 20 years. who had been member
of the surveying corps of the company
for about a year. He resides at 70
South street in this city and was quite
badly injured. His face was some
what burned and especially the lower
part, and his hands were badly
burned He had a small burn on his
back and his right arm was broken be-
tween the elbow and shoulders. The
other injured surveyor was Robert
Blanchard, of Parsons, young man
10 years of age, who was slightly burned
on the face and hands and on the left
leg. When these two had been taken to
the hospital. the rescuers, headed by
Mr.. Samuels, again went into the mine
and in few moments returned with
Edward Murphy, a young brattice man,
Il years of age. who had been struck
on the left hand by falling prop. sus-
tanning a severe fracture of that men,
ber. He also had several scalp wounds,
doubtless caused by pieces of flying
coal, but the physician at the hospital
thought that the skull was not frac-
tured. He resides on Bowmans Hill
in his city.
The next man to be brought to
the surface was Michael Morris. a Po-
lander. 40 years of age, who resides on
kulp street. He. too, Is unmarried.
The man was burned in most horrible
manner and when a Tribune reporter
saw him at the hospital last night he
was completely swathed in bandages,
with the exception of his left foot.
Death OF Morris.
Morris had been literally cooked, and
he died about 10 o'clock last night at
the hospital without ever regaining
consciousness. Goorge Laphy was next
brought up. AID he was the least in
iured of the five men, having only a few
flesh wounds made by pieces of flying
coal and one serious cut on the back
of his head He Is a Polander and lives
at Duck Pond.
The news of the accident had
brought hundreds to the head of the
shaft and the company officials We're
obliged to run ropes around the shaft
d, i send down for police officers to
keep the crowd back Of the ropes. No
one '. .emed to know how many men
were sS..,n IN the mines ard the officials
wOlrld not sav. although bt was the gen
eral impression that crly four men.
named Owens, Cahill Jones and Fire
Boss Davis. were still there. as the
workings have been abandoned for
some time.
Miller was seen at the hospjtal last
night by Tribune man. to whom he
told the following story: "The accident
occurred as nearly as can Judge about
4.15. We were thinking of quitting
work for the day and had packed ND
our Instruments and were starting for
the foot of the shaft. When pa,gt tbe
rock tunnel Foreman Jones took n lor1k
MS blue prints and saw some head
~. ma rked which he Thought no could
- ls,,,f am hour On he decided IN
A. until this work was dc-e
tnchard and mvseif To watch
,ments and Morris Nurnhv
nv were a little way behind
Jones. William Cahill LIewel-
hs and Fire Boss Davis started
do the work. While we waited
N, in a few minutes after they
the explosion occurred. AL
do not know how 1t happened
touched off the gas
|Dorrance mine has always been
cred by miners an exceptionally
|is one. but no accidents of any
have ever occurred here before.
Jones' party left Miller and the
Frs 1t is supposed that they encoun-
ed body of gas and In some way
Iched 1t off. The delay in reaching
ines and his men may be explained