The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-03-09
TWO VICTIMS Fatally HURT
Several Of Them Were Severely burned,
Cut and Bruised,
GlNGWGY TIMBERS BLOWN OUT |
Some Men Escaped Safely in the Darkness
over Fallen Props, Collars and Coal.
others Hurled About--Theory
as to the Explosion Upon
a Preliminary In
vestigatiou


Mahanoy City, Mar. 9-One of the most
disastrous explosions in the history Of min
ing operations in this district occurred at the
Mahanoy City colliery at ten o'clock this
morning. There were eleven victims in all
but only two are considered fatally injured.
The victims are George Robeuchuck,
Michael Lenger, Andrew Hama, Andrew
Dudo, John Mills, Bernard Sloan, Stephen
Sileski, John Junkett John Klein, William
F. SPOTS and Patrick Brennan. Mills. Sloan
and Brennan are Irishmen. The other
victims are Hungarians, Lithuaniaus and
Poles
THE INJURIES.
Brennan is the most seriously injured He
was employed as driver. His injuries con-
sist of broken leg and serious burns of the
head, face and hands. 1t is feared he in
hailed the flames. The victim lies in criti-
cal condition at his home in Hills patch.
John Junkett is another of the victims
supposed TO be fatally injured He is badly
burned about the head, face aud body, and
probably internally burned.
The injuries of the others are: Bobeu-
chuck, chest, abdomen and arms burned;
Lenger head and back burned and cut and
bruised Hanza two fingers and an arm
broken Dudo, head, face and hands
burned Mills, bruised about the body
large cut over right eye, and deep laceratiop
of right leg Sloan, badly bruised about the
arms and several cuts OH the face and hands:
Sileski, bruised about the head, chest and
arms Klen, bruised about the face chest
and arms Spots, slight injuries.
THE EXPLOSION
The explosion occurred in the west 7-foot
gangway, third lift There were two explos-
ions and it is considered miraculous that the
victims did not suffer worse fate. Several
sets of timbeas were blown out and masses of
coal fell but fortunately none of the men
were covered or struck by the debris A part
of the gangway presents badly wrecked ap.
pearance.
Seven of the men who are named in the
list of injured were employed as leaders in
the gangway. Inside of the place where
these men were working there were eight
miners and laborers working for James
Harper, a contractor. These men were
severely shocked, but none of them complain
of other injuries. Their lights were blown
out but after the explosion one of them
succeeded in securing a safety lamp and they
crawled out over the fallen coal and timbers
in the gangway.
NO EXPLANATION.
The officials of the cOlliery say they have
learned but little as to the explosion and
cannot say at present how the gas accumu.
lated in the place, or was ignited.
Edward Golden, the fire boss. stated that
he visited the place this morning, at the
usual hour, and found no gas in the gangway
or the adjoining breasts
MINERS VIEWS
John Mills gives the most intelligent story
of the accident thus far secured, but cannot
say what caused the explosion. He say.
there were two explosions The second wa,
the greatest and knocked out the timbers
Mills and Sloan worked in breast No. rs
Mills says that after firing shot this morning
he and Sloan dressed down the breast. Al
about ten o'clock there was an awful explos
ion below. The two men feared the after
damp and went down from the face of the
breast TO the gangway, where they inquired
of some of the Hungarian leaders as to the
cause and location of the explosion they haC
heard. The leaders could give no informa
tion, being evidently as ignorant of the par
ticulars as the two miners
Mills and Sloan then started out the gang
way, towards the foot of the slope, to a point
where there was door that conducted tn,
air to the tunnel and gangways The two
men found the door blown TO pieces by tn,
force Of the explosion. They then continued
their walk outward, towards the foot, anC
had got about fifty yards from the door wheT
they observed two lights. At about tn,
same instant there was another terrific ex
Ill.
bodily into the air and agains
the collars. They were not disabled
and quickly regained their feet. They ther
ran towards the foot of the slope, the sam,
) direction they were taking before the seconC
explosion and on their way out passed tw,
Hungarian miners, who were sitting on tn,
rails. Mills and Sloan called TO the twt
miners TO follow them and get out to the foot
for fear there might be another explosion
Whether the miners followed them, o
whether they were among the injured, Mill
cannot say. The place where the two mel
were sitting on the rail was about 800 yard
out from the place where the leaders wer
injured.
FURTHER DETAILS.
From preliminary investigation of tn
gangway and neighboring breasts this after
noon, it is believed that the explosion wa
caused by a shot fired in breast No. "a an
breaking through into breast No 70, whie
, was not being worked, and in which bod
of gas may have accumulated 1t is pre-
sumed that when the gas took fire it trayele
down the breast and along the gangway
which caused the burning Of the men in th
latter place. George Bobenchuck an
Michael Lenger were engaged in driving
heading from breast No IA To No "a
All the injured men are being attended ,
their respective homes by the local phys
clans,