The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-23
so MEN BURIED
By an Explosion of Fire Damp
in a Mine
Near Brownsville, Pa, This
Morning.
TWO TAKEN OUT DEAD
Five Are Believed to Have Been
Killed.
There Were I3O Men at Work
at the Time.
TWO TAKEN OUT DEAD

Pittsburg. Pa, Sept. 23.-An explosion
of fire damp occurred at the Empire
coal mines, near Brownsville, Pa, this
morning. Fifty men are entombed. Two
have been taken out dead.
The explosion occurred at a. m and
was caused by an accumulation of gas.
There were 13O men at work at the
time and all but about so escaped with
out injury. Five men are believed to
have been killed and a large number
are still entombed. AS soon as possible
after the explosion, rescuing parties
were organized and are now trying to
reach the unfortunate men. There is
great excitement and hundreds of wo-
men and children surround the mouth
of the pit.
The mine is owned by the Empire
Coal company.
Another Account.
Brownsville, Pa, Sept. 23.-Fifty-four
men were entOmbed in the Umpire mine
of SnowIen, Gould & Co., one mile be-
low Brownsville by an explosion of gas
at o'clock this morning. Two dead
bodies have so far been taken out. The
dead are: James Hall and John Ben
nett.
Searching parties are making frantic
efforts to reach the entOmbed miners,
but their progress is slow and there is
great danger of another explosion which
rock and earth.
Immediately following the explosion
of gas there was a second explosion Of
fire damp. There were 140 men in the
mine at the time of the explosion, work
having begun for the day sometime
previous. OF these So were in entries
No. and TO-
Four men, Jacobs, Davis, WhetZell
Walker and a Hungarian were near
the mouth of the entries. The others
were far in. When the explosion came
hos fa1ITn 10 h ErNra
main heading, which they succeeded in
reaching, though all were more or less
injured. They finally crawled out to
the open air OF the 5S men in entries
9 and 10 these four are the only ones
who are known to be alive. They say
there is no possible chance for the es-
cape of the 54 who worked with them
Intelligence of the disaster soon
spread and crowds gathered around the
mouth of the mine. Terrible scenes Of
grief and horror were presented. Wives
and children of the entombed men were
frantic with grief and their shriekS and
walls were frightful to hear. Notwith-
standing the great danger, the rescuing
parties are working braVeIy, but their
efforts have so far been fruitless.
At 1 o'clock this afternoon five more
bodies were recovered and it was fear
ed that none of those still entOmbed
would be taken out alive. The names
of the five found were:
Harry Hagar, John Cartwright, Viii
liam Prichard, John Haistua and S.
Hastings.
Escaped by Back Way.
Brownsville, Pa, Sept 23-1:3O D. m
Twenty of the entombed miners
have just returned to town, having
escaped by traversing a mile and a half
of underground passages, coming out
at an opening near Lynn Station, on the
ReedstOe branch of the Pennsylvania
! railroad. This point is four miles from
the opening of the mine on MOnOnga-
hela river.
Another body, that of Robert Davis,
has been recovered, making eight dead.
Nineteen miners are still unaccounted
for.
John Baker and his son George, who
escaped the back way, are terribly
burned about the face, but will likely
recover. Nearly all who escaped are
| injured or burned, either slightly or
| seriously. The dead are unrecOgniz-
| able, being burned and mutilated. A
hasty improVised morgue was arranged
| at the entrance to the mine. The cor
| onor was sent for and the bodies will
| be removed to the undertaking estab-
Hshments of Brownsville, where the in
quest will be held.
| The explosion is said to have been
! caused by the loosening of q large
| block of coal, which opened pocket
| of gas.
| The entry where the explosion occur
| red is located about a mile and a half
from the pit mouth. The mine IS an
| old one and pretty well worked out
| The men wore open lamps such as are
| used in all the Monongahela river
| mines. A crowd of hundreds IS surg
| ing around the mine entrance tmplor-
| ing news of their loved ones away
| back two miles and a half in the bowels
| of the earth. The h1IISloe IS plack Win
| the people.
| Old miners who were present say
| that there is not one chance in a nun
dred of finding the missing men,