Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-12-31

explosion of fire damp occurred In tL'
mine OF the Maule Coal company II
this city at $3.50 yesterday afternoon
and as the result twelve or more mel
were instantly killed and eight injured
one very dangerously. Besides th'
dead bodies secui ed 80 far five Or ST.
others whose names are unknown Dt
dead In the mine.
The dead are: Robert Maule, mar
ried, treasurer of the Maule Coal com
pany; James Riley, married; john
Riley, married; John Ernst, married;
r. Faber, married; II. and j. Pony
lite, brothers; James Krugy John
Holmes, married.
The eight men rescued are W'll
Grill, slightly bruised; Booker, coloIed,
cut and bruised: Frank 1urbie, badly
burned and may not recover; Davi
colored. not injured; Dave Nolan, j..
Turne Collegiate and COiored man.
Tho last four arc buried alive and
will probably not live.
The men W2rc ut work making re.
pairs Of damages resulting tom u
similar explosion las, Sunday Be.
sides regular miners, blacksmith and
others were assisting In work, VIII 9
Robert Maule, Il son cf Pr, sldcnt JOIN
Maule, was experimenting lhc work
One year ago Friday Princeton was
jubilan over the Striking OF u seven
foot coal vein Ly The Maulc Coal com
pany but last night many homes were
the scenes of the greatest sOrl0w IN de
30 by the awful explosion of gas in
tho mine. When tho mine began work
the finest machinery was put In ana
make It the finest mine In the state.
The air shaft was not started unti nj
ter the mine had been prepa ed for
operation. The work pr0gre $40
slowly and there IL sill about ninety
feet to eXcavate before 1t liz com
ple'od. Gas frequently accumulated
In peck cts, md several men have been
burned by small explosions. About
two months ago Il serious explosion
occurred In which one man was
Jurod in yesterdays explosion, was In
Jured. The state mine inspector in
vestigated 1t. II IL we'll known that
gaa accumulated and thcre was no way
to dIspel 1t. Yet the miners won't
there daily to work without thinking
OF the danger they were constantly In.
Last Sunday Jet Of gas was fired by
a blast and II burned all night. In
tho morning the decension Of the caga
forced gas to this Jet and terrific
explosion occurred, but fortunately
there was no one In the mine Yes
to-day about twenty mon were on
gagged In repairing the damage by the
explosion when fire damp again let go
with Il tN"riblo force, this time with
deadly erfect. The esCape of the mon
from Instant death seems almost u
miracle. The cages we're wrecked 40
they AFRO useless and iron
buckets were povidcd for the
reacunR party as soon as pos
sible after the accident. The first pcr-
sons brought up were Turbic, Grill
and two Colored men, Davis and
Booker. Tho first was badly burned
and had to be supported. Artcrwurd
1t wins found that his Jaw WIS broken
and ono eye torn from Its socket.
hen the roscuing party began
bringing up the dcd. The scenes
around the mine were most pathetic
Wives were weeping piteously In an-
gutsh that thc crowd vaiuly tried to
alleviate, mothers, daughters, sons
and other relatives Of the mon In tho
mino with blanchod faces stood wiring
ing their hands and some were kept
from going down the shaft with the
groatest difficulty, Slowly the bodies
were brought to the surface, 1t was
known that the men still In the mine
were all probably dead and those
above who were waiting for their dear
ones realized that only the manglrd
bodies of their loved ones would greet
their gaze.
State Mine Inspector Fisher will ar
rive today aud investigate the matter.
AT present circumstances that led up to
the explosion can not be obtained