The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-24
Thirteen men ARE KILLED
Terrible Result Of Explosion Of Nine
Gas.
AWFUL TRAGEDY AT DUBOIS
Au Explosion Of Gas nj the Berwind-
White Shart-I.ist Of the bead.
Four Men in the Mine
Escape.

Dubois. Pa, March 23-The first
great mining disaster in this neighbor-
hood In all of the fifteen years since
mining became an industry of magni-
tude, occurred at 3. 20 o'clock this morn
ing at the BerwindWhite 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 their names being as follows:
James Graham, sr., James Graham, jr,
son of the above. who avs working
with his father: John Monroe, George
Postlethwaite. Jesse Postlethwaite,
Henry Harvey, George Harvey, Harry
Smith, Lindsey +. Bradley, Andrew
Mowak, David Bell Reuben Noble and
George Ainsley.
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 We're sent into town
to summon all of the physicians who
could be found. When the news
reached Rochester mines. which are
three miles from the shaft, the men
working there rightly OWNED that the
services of good, practical men would
be wanted under the ground, and about
forty at once came out and started to
the shaft. ConveyanceS We're found
for some and others went as far as they
could i'm the street cars and walked the
remainder of the way. Superintendent
Reed. of the Rochester mines, followed,
and as soon as he arrived at the shaft,
went below with Il cage full of his own
men.
The air was so bad below that the
men, who went down i'm gangs of about
ten, could not stay long at time, but
the oman % SannlaH IN aIenr 4 "A tarn M
and better progress in geeting at the
extent of the disaster.
SCENES AT THE SHAFT.
About a thousand people were at the
scene in an hour, including many of the
friends of those underground, but as
far as possible the reports We're kept
from the families of those who were
dead until the bodies could be recov
cred. Seventeen men went down the
shaft at Z o'clock in the morning. thir-
teen going into "a heading north of the
shaft, and the fouro theirs in the oppo-
site direction, and the latter, with the
mine boss, We're the only ones to escape
the terrific shock. The four men We're
half u mile away from the shaft and
shortly after . O'Clock they felt what
they believed was the shock following
an explosion of gas. Immediately after
Mine Boss Harvey came running to-
ward them and directed them to hurry
To the foot of the shaft. Then 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 explosion. hoping that
it might possibly have the effect Of
turning an air current to their COM
rades i'm the other parts of the mine,
but before they had accomplished much
they We're being overcome by the gas
and had to be taken up in the cage
one of them then being in very serious
condition himself. Then it was that
the news reached the outside world.
The shaft is close to 900 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 de-
velopment and for that reason there
We're 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 mutilated beyond recognition.