The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-28

CARDIFF, Wales, Jan. 27.-The resi-
dents of the town and vicinity of Ty-
lerstown, near here, were terrified by
terrific reverberations today, which
shook the whole town.
1t was ascertained in a short time
that the conclusion was caused by an
explosion in a neighboring collfery,
which was disastrous to life and prop
erty.
The latest report places the number
of dead at fifty-four, though it is fear
ed the further exploration of the
wrecked mine will develop the bodies
of more.
Reports of the number killed have
been conflicting, and there is doubt as
to the number of men in the mine at
the time of the catastrophe.
The first reports have the number in
the shaft at fifty-four, but some of the
men escaped to the surface bringing
the body of one comrade with them.
The mining population of the locality
knew all too quickly what the muffled,
thundrous rumble of the explosion
meant, and rushed to the mouth of
the pit, only to have their worst fears
confirmed.
The shaft was found to be entirely
shattered, and it was evident there
WAS LITTLE HOPE
that any of those in the pit would have
survived the explosion. The despair
of the women who fiocked about the
mouth of the pit was little more terri
BILE than the horrible anxiety of those
that hoped to find that those who were
missing from their sides, had by some
chance not entered the mine.
The pit was found to have caught
fire, and the hindrance that this caused
to the work of rescue added to the
tension of feeling. 1t was only through
Drawing the utmost peril that the llv-
ing were able to prosecute their quest
for the dead. The number of the dead
removed grew from twelve to fifteen,
and then twenty, and the list of those
known to have been in the Inflated
shaft kept constantly growing, and
with it the number of bereaved fami-
lies waiting at the surface
The work of exploration is going on
steadily, but
UNDER GREAT DIFFICULTY,
the numerous cave-ins obstructing the
advance and making it impossible to
reach remote portions of the mine,
drives back those who are advancing
ON their sad errand. The last to come
out brought with them five bodies.
None have been found alive and it is
mot now hoDed that any will be.
1t was reported at midnight that
more bodies had been brought to the
surface. and some of those who were
in the mine have been rescued alive
and are able to tell something OF the
occurrence. 1t is impossible to ascer-
tain the exact number of victims, as
the number of men in the mine at the
time of the explosion is not known.
But those who have been engaged IN
the rescue work tell
HORRIBLE STORIES
of the scenes they witnessed and the
dead bodies they stumbled over, streWn
in all directions, as they fell, overcome
lby fire damp or hurled by the force of
the explosion.
One of the survivors, a foreman, who
was in the mine itself when the eX-
plosion came, started to work his way
in the direction of the entrance, with
painful and almost hopeless labor,
making frequent pauses. In one spot
he was obliged to stop and wait four
hours on account of the fire damp.
AT the end of that time he ventured to
advance a few steps further, when he
had to desist again and wait another
two hours in hopleess darkness. An
other fireman who made his way out
of the mine relates that he passed
numerous men on the way who Were
unconscious and helpless, and badly
burned. He could do nothing for them
and was obliged to leave them to their
fate.
The Tescuers continued their work
indefatigably all through the night,
encouraged by the saving of few t.
hope that still others remain alive in
the mine whose lives may possibly be
saved.