The record-union., 1896-03-24
An Explosion Of Gas Causes a Fhghtful
Disaster in Pennsylvania.
Thirteen Out of Seventeen Workmen
in the Slope Killed.
Twelve of the Bodies Recovered, One
So Badly Mangled That 1t Was I'm
recognizable-The Accident Occurs
in New Mine at Dubois Which
the Owners Were Opening Up-The
Cause Of the Explosion Unknown.

| DUBOIS Pa.), March 23.-The first
great mining disaster in this neighbor-
] hood during all the fifteen years of min
ing occurred at 9:20 o'clock this morn
ing at the Berwind- White shaft, just
east of town. 1t came in the form of an
explosion of mine gas, and resulted in
the death of thirteen men, all of Dubois
The names of the dead follow: James
Graham, Sr.; James Graham, Jr., who
was working with his father John Mon
roe, George Postlethwaite, Jesse Pos
tlethwafte, Henry Harvey, Harry
Smith. Lindsey F. Bradley, Andrew
Mowak, David Bell, Reuben Noble,
George Ainsley, George Harvey.
All of the dead leave families except
James Graham, Jr.
AS soon as the explosion occurred, and
before the extent of the disaster was
known, messengers were sent into town
to summon all of the physicians who
could be found.
When the news reached the Rochester
mines, which are three miles from the
shaft, the men who were working there
| rightly OWNED that the service of good,
practical men would be wanted under
the ground, and about forty at once
Conveyances were found for some and
others went as far as they could in the
street-cars and walked the remainder
of the way. Superintendent Reed of
the Rochester mines followed, and as
| he arrived at the shaft went below with
a cage full of his own men.
| The air was so bad below that the
men who went down in gangs of ten
Ia,,+ laa
| opening seemed to clear up later on, and
better progress in getting at the extent
of the disaster was made.
About 200 people were at the scene
in an hour, including many of the
friends of those under ground, but as
far as possible the reports were kept
from the families of those who We're
dead until the bodies could be recov
cred.
Seventeen men went down the shaft
at o'clock in the morning, thirteen
going into a heading north of the shaft,
and the other four in an opposite direc-
tion, and the latter with a mine boss,
We're the only ones to escape. rne four
men were half a mile away from the
shaft, and shortly after 8 o'clock they
felt what they believed was the shock
lpt1OWIHS all GApIOolOII VI elos
Immediately after Mine Boss Har
vey came running toward them, and di
rected them to hurry to the foot of the
shaft. When they came to the shaft
they ran into a body of gas, and knew
that there had been an explosion. Their
first effort was to put UP some brattices
which had been blown off by the explo-
sion, hoping that it might possibly have
the effect of turning an air current to
their comrades in the other parts of the
mine, but before they had accomplished
much they were overcome by gas and
had to be taken up in the cage, one of
| them being in a very serious condition.
Then it was that the news reached the
outside world.
The shaft is close to 300 feet deep, and
for some time there has been known to
be traces of gas in the chambers, but
precautionary measures were observed
to avoid a disaster. The mine is a new
one and is yet in early stages of devel-
opment, and for that reason there were
no more men at work at the time of the
explosion.
Twelve of the thirteen bodies have
been recovered from the shaft. 1t is not
known whether the remaining body is
that of Bell or Noble, as the body of the
last victim brought to the surface is
ml1tilated beyOnd recognition