Evening star., 1896-12-22
EXPLOSION IN A NINE.
Men Cut. OF From Escape for Many
Hours.

Hours.
A heavy explosion of what was generally
believed to be gas took place in Baltimore
No. , shaft. operated by the Delaware and
Hudson Coal Company, in the northeastern
part of Wilkesbarre, Pa, yesterday after
noon. Over twenty miners were imprison-
ed. but at late hour last night fourteen
had been rescued alive. and there was still
hope of reaching the others.
Until the rescue Of the fourteen men
there was difference of opinion as to
what caused the explosion. One report
had it that miners lamp came in contact
with small gas feeder and ignited it. An
other report. which was considered the
most plausible was that the sparks from
Il blast isnited the gas. One miner was
authority for the statement that blast
did set Oft number of gas blowers in the
morning. A fire followed. 1t was subdued
but in the afternoon it broke out again, and
the men, he said, were engaged in fighting
it when the big explosion occurred. Super
intcndent Foote neither denies nor affirms
this story. He admits, however, that ali
the men were ordered out of the mine at
II o'clock in the morning. Some of them
who were anxious to work said there was
| no danger, and remained inside. These are
the men who perished
The scene of the explosion on plane
about mile from the foot of the shaft
The plane was not we'll ventilated, though
the mine officials do not admit this. 1t
stands to reason, however, that it was
poorly ventilated. as it was SO far away
from the main air course. Some of the
men who were at work in other parts of
the mine. propping the roof and repairing
tracks, etc. were quick to throw down
their tools and attempt to make their
escape. Nearly all of these had thrilling
experiences. They had 10 get down on all
fcurs and crawl to the mouth of the shaft.
Some of them We're well nigh exhaus ed
before they reached the end of their Jour-
ney, but most of them persel cred and
finally reached place of safety.
How, Two Escaped.
John Mooney and Peter Connen were
knocked down by the black damp on the
main gangway, a quarter of mile from
the foot of the shaft Mooney was very
weak. and said ii was no use, he would die
then and there. Connell was in pretty good
shape, and, being the stronger man of the
two. he dragged Mooney for over hun
dred feet. Then Connen became exhausted
and il was necessary for Mooney to help
him along. The two men finally got with
in fifty feet Of the mouth of the shaft, when
they We're taken out by rescung party.
Both were unconscious when brought to
the surface, but under doctors care they
soon revived. The flesh on their hands and
knees was badly lacerated.
The mine has two openings. A good many
men escaped by the second opening. The
explosion was plainly heard on the surface
| me ian runner says the force of it shook
the building. He al once gave the alarm
with the aid of electric bells. Inside Fore
man Matthews at once organized rescuing
party to go down in the mine and ATTEMPT
10 rescue those who might be in need of
| their assistance. The air was so heavy,
| however, that it drove them back The
| foreman was the last to retrace his steps
! He was taken out unconscious. At 6
clock another rescuing party entered the
| mine. They were not able to proceed far.
either. They found two men in the gang
way. They were unconscious and one of
| them badly burned. At o'clock a big res
| cuing party of ten went down the shaft
| They Travelled the main gangway five hun
| dred feet, and then two of their number
| being overcome by the gas odors, We're
given orders to retreat
Fourteen Men Rescued
| At 10 o'clock last night one of the res
! cuing parties pushed their way up the
| plane where the explosion occurred, and on
high pitch they found fourteen men hud-
| died together. They had all lain down ready
| to die. An investigation showed that there
was still life In the men, but they were all
! unconscious. AS quickly as possible the
| fourteen men were brought to the surface
| Doctors were In waiting. and each man re-
| ceived careful attention. At first 1t was
| thought they were suffering from the eff
| Iects OF oiack damp, but the doctors say
/ they had inhaled the smoke of powder or
dynamite. Such proved to be the case.
| The roof in the slope had fallen in and
| crushed lot of dynamite. An explosion
followed, and the smoke found it's way 10
the plane. AS soon as the smoke made its
appearance the men Travelled to the highest
point they could reach, so as to escape wha
they thought was afterdamp. The doctors
say III ten minutes more all the men would
have been dead from suffocaton.