The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-01-01
THE DEADLY F|REDAMP

THE DEADLY F|REDAMP
lCoal-Mine Horror in Prince
ton, Indiana.
SIX MINERS WE'RE KILLED
The Mine Was New and the Air
Shaft Had Not Been Completed
Pathetic Scenes About the Pit.
Princeton, Ind, Dec. pa terrific
explosion of firedamp occurred in the
mine of the Maule Coal Company, of
this city, at $3.50 this afternoon, and
as result six men were instantly
killed and four were injured. One of
the four men taken out is dangerously
njured. The dead ares
Robert Maule,,. married, treasurer
kMaule Goal Company; James Riley.
maffied; John Ernst, married; Carl
1 Fabre, married; Robert Ponylite. and
John Hclmes, married.
| 1t was at first thought twelve had
been killed, but Dave Nolan, James
Turner, man named Colgate and a
colored man were taken out alive before
midnight.
The work of rescue continues and
will no Eon nm hu hr1%
have been no more bodies found. since
midnight. Meantime, the scenes about
the mine during the night become more
sad as the hours pass.
The men were at work making re-
pairs of damages resulting from SINH
lar explosion last Sunday. Besides
the regular miners ana blacksmiths,
others were assisting in the work,
while Robert Maule, son of President
John Maule, and treasurer and super
intendent of the company, was superin.
tending the work. The mine has been
in operation only short time, and the
air shaft is not quite completed. The
gas which collects in portions of the
mine, was ignited by an open lamp.
A year ago yesterday, Princeton was
jubilant over the striking Of a seven
foot coal vein by the Maule company,
but tonight many homes are scenes of
great sorrow, made so by the awful ex-
plosion in the mine. When the mine
was opened, the finest machinery was
put in, and it was the intention of the
owners to make it the finest in the
state. The air shaft was not started
l,ol 4 ~
operate. Work on iG has progressed
slowly, and there are still about ninety
feet to excavate before-dt is complsted.
Gas has frequently accumulated in
pockets, and several men have been
burned by small explosions.
About two months ago serious ex-
plosion occurred, in which one man
was killed and Frank Turbie, who was
injured in today's explosion, was in.
jured. The state mine inspector in /
vestigated. and work went on with
gas accumulated, and there was no
way to dispel it yet. The miners went
to their daily work without thinking
of the danger they were constantly in.
Last Sunday jet of gas was fired by
blast, and it burned all night. In tie
morning the descent of the cages forced
gas to this jet and a terrific explosion
occurred, but fortunately there was no
one in the mine.
Today about twenty men were en-
gaed in repairing the damage done by
the explosion, when the firedamp again
let go with terrific force. and with
l1p nf <>f
the men from instant death seems al
most a miracle, when it is considered |
that the huge cages were blown from
the shaft bottom to the top of the top.
house, over 500 feet above, by the force |
of the explosie n. These cages were
wrecked SO they were useless. and an |
iron bucket was improvised for rescu- |
ing party as soon as possible after the
accident.
The first persons brought up were
Turbie, Grim, Davis and Booker, COL
ored men. The first was badly burned
and was carried to an ambulance.
Grim and Davis were apparently unin-
jured. Booker was cut and burned,
his jaw broken and one eye was torn
from it's socket. Then the resoulng
party began to bring up the dead.
The scenes around the mine were
most pathetic. Weeping piteously in
anguish were wives, whom the crowd
vainly tried to comfort. Mothers.
sons and other relatives of
the men in the mine with blanched
faces stood wringing their hands, and
some were kept from going down the
shaft with great difficulty. Slowly
the work of bringing the bodies to the
surface proceeded. 1t was believed
that the men still in the mine were
dead, and those waited only for their
dead.
Seattle, Dec. 29.-A little girl 4
years old, daughter of a poor wood.
chopper, burned to death Christmas
day at the family's home, near Lake
The father was at work
during the day, and the mother was in
town, doing little marketing, leaving
ehe five children, the eldest a girl of
IL, at home. While playing around
the room, the youngest approached the
stove and in some way her clothing
caught fire. The other children rushed
from the house, calling for their
father. By the time he reached home
and succeeded in putting out the flames
the child was SO badly injured that
she died in short time. The flames
aad been drawn into the lungs.
WayIaid, Robbed and Nearly Roa tied.
Erie. Pa, Dec 29-Roscoe Finley,
;he tax-collector in Greenfield town.
hip, this county, was waylaid, beaten
INTO insensibility, robbed of $500 and
hen dragged into his own barn, which :.
vas fred by the would. ha assassina