Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-02-21
KILLED BY EXPLODING GAS
Five Victims of Frightful
Colliery Accident.
FOUR OTHERS FATALLY BURNED
A Rush of Gas, Followed by
an Awful Explosion.
Tho Worst Mining Accident for Years
, Happens in tho West Bear Ridge
Colliery, at Mahanoy Plane, Pa.-A
Fierce Fire Ia the Gangway Follows
the Explosion.

ASHLAND. Pa. Feb. ls.--one Of the
worst explosions Of mine gus that has oc-
Cured in this district for many years
happened at West Rear Ridge 'colliery, ut
Mahanoy Plane, at IL o'clock this morn
ing. Five men were killed, four others so
badly burned that they will not likely re-
cover and three others seriously injured.
The killed are Peter j. Kline, Ashland,
leaves wife and six children. Joseph Pitts,
Girardville, aged 20, single. Thomas Dur
kin, Girardville. aged IS, married, no
wife and Ave children. Peter Greenback,
st. Clair, aged about 40, wife and four
children.
LIST OF INJURED.
The injured are: William Cough of
Ashland, aged 80 years, badly burned
about head and body, recovery doubtful.
William Mennig of Ashland. aged AZ
years. burned about face and body. not
expected to recover. Anthony Meyers,
6adiy that h e will de John Ianey
Mahanoy Plane. aged 80 years, will not re-
cover. Edward Davis, Girardville, aged 30,
face and hands burned. David Davis,
Mahanoy Plane, aged %, burned about
head and neck. William Davis, Mahanoy
Plane, aged 81, face and body burned.
The last three men are brothers and
were employed as laborers. They are not
SO seriously burned and will recover.
CAUSE or THE EXPLOSION.
The point at which the explosion oc-
Cured was in the mammoth vein in the
third lift. The men were engaged in driv-
ing a monkey or air course at the time of
the ACCIDENT and when the coal rushed it
carried with it large volume of gas, fore
ing it down the air channel into the gang
way where the men were working.
The gas was instantly ignited by their
safety lamps and terrible explosion fol-
lowed. The five men that were killed re.
ceived the full force OF the explosion, as
they were in the air channel, while the
others were standing in the gangway be-
low them, thus escaping instant death.
NINE CARS OVERTURNED.
The force of the explosion was so great
that mine cars were overturned and heavy
gangway doors were torn from their hinges
and dashed against the side of the gang
way, reducing them to fragments. Em-
ployes working on the surface 900 feet
above felt the shock, and ut once notified
| the mine bosses.
A messenger was sent up the slope to
| procure ambulances to carry the men to
| the hospital. and in a very short time fully
| 5U0 people were at the mine. The scenes
| that took place as the men we're brought TO
| the surface were heartrending and caused
strong men to weep and turn from the
sight.
| BODIES FRIGHTFULLY BURNED.
| Some of the bodies were so badly burned
as to be unrecognizaple. The timbers
were ignited by the flames, and fierce
fire is now raging in the gangway. This
fact stayed the progress of the rescuing
party to great extent, and the bodies
! were not all recovered until o'clock this
| evening
The mine is owned and operated by the
Philadelphia &c Reading Coal and Iron Co.,
and their officials are now ut the colliery,
with a large force of men endeavoring to
gain control of the fire, which at present
threatens to destroy the workings of one
of the best mine operations in the region.
The colliery employs about 700 men and
| bows,