The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-03-25
HORRIBLE CATASTROPHE!
THIRTEEN KILLED BY EXPLOSION
IN BERWiND- WHITE SHAFT.
FIRST Grea, Mine Disaster in the History
of this REGION.


of this Region.
The citizens Of Reynoldsvillc were
horror-strickcn Monday forenoon when
the news was spread upon our streets
that an explosion had occurred in the
Bcrwind-Whitc shaft near Dubois and
that dozen men had been taken
there were II, least fifty more men
In the mine and the suppOsition was
that they were all dead. The report Of
the explosion was too true, although
the number of men in the mino when
the explosion occurred was not one
third Us many as was first reported.
Thirteen mon, all Of whom were mar
ried but one, lost thoir lives ns result
of the explosion. Following are the
names of the dead; James Graham, ST.,
James Graham, jr who was working
with his father, John Moroc, George
Posticthwait, Jesse postlcthwnit, Henry
Harvey, George Harvey. Harry Smith.
Lindsey +. Bradley, Andrew Nowak,
David Bell, Reuben Noble, George
Ainsley.
The Courier gives the following ex-
PLANTATION for the cause Of the awful
calamity: sit is believed the explosion
was caused by the dust in the mine be-
ing ignited by the firing Of n shot, and
partook Of the character of the fatal
explosion In the pocahontas district
several years ago and in the mammoth
mine in the Connellsville region II
couple of years since. This is the
theory Of experienced miners and mine
bosses, and is born out by the fact that
the roof and walls were covered with
dust and SCOT, which would not have
been the case had the explosion been OF
gas proper"
When the news Of the explosion
reached the ears Of the miners at the
Rochester mine they dropped their
tools and hastened to the Berwind-
White shaft and endangered their own
lives by venturing down into the shaft,
which was filed with death dealing
aftcr-damp, to rescue any that might
possibly still he alive. II Is claimed by
those who were there that IL was so
hazardous To go into the shaft that each
man, before getting into the carriage
To go below, took from his clothing all
little articles, tokens, papers, etc.
which they wanted cared for and hand
ed them to friends to take care Of.
This is another evidence Of the willing
ness of men to risk their lives for
others.
The Courier received tie following
story from Michael Garrett, one Of the
few men who escaped with their lives,
and who was also survivor OF the
Johnstown flood: about o'clock Mr..
Garrett and his companion thought
they were sensible of shock having
occurred and while they were still
thinking of IL Mine Boss James Harvey
came to them in hurry and told them
TO hurry to the foot of the shaft as fast
as they could as he was sure there was
something wrong. They all went as
fast as possible and when they came to
the shaft they got into the smoke and
knew what the trouble was. Their first
effort was to put up some brattices
which had been blown Off by the ex-
plosion, hoping that it might possibly
have the effect Of turning an aircurrent
to their comrades in the other parts Of
the mine, but before they had accom-
plished much they were being overcome
by the after-damp and had to be taken
up in the cage, one f,them then being
in very serious condition himself
That is the story of what happened be-
low up to the time the work of recover
ing the bodies began, so far as those
who came out alive know from personal
experience"
The injury to the mine, 1t is claimed,
was comparatively slight, about the
only damage being the knocking down
of the timbering of the main hending
for distance Of 800 or 900 feet. No
fire followed the explosion. Nothing
but safety lamps have been used in the
mine for five or six months.