The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1899-06-23
SERIOUS NINE DISASTER.
Eleven Men Wore Killed In an Explosion In
the Ola Dominica Coiiiery at Glsce
Hay. Cape Breton.

NORTH SIDSEy. 9. Il, June i7.-Ths
most appalling disaster in the Cape
Breton coal mining regions, occurred
II the Caledonia mine at Glaze Bay,
he colliery of the Dominion Coal Co,
Friday when two explosions oe.
,urred, causing the death OF eleven
men, including Thomas Johnson,
he underground manager of tn,
rorks, and brother of the assistant
manager of the Dominion Coal Co. Ur
. noon Friday all the bodies had been
ccovered.
The explosions occurred in the ives,
IL at depth of about three-quarters
4 a mile, and were caused by gas
thich had accumulated in the old
rorkings. The full force of men EN-.
nployed in the nine at night Is abou.
co, but the night shift had jus;
,opped work and all but about 30 had
~ the mine. There was scarcely an
i,ermission between the conclusions
Ae first was a dull boom. Tnen there
us n rumbling noise like an earth.
cake, succeeded by a deafcning, pro-
aged and awful roar. which reverber.
sed among the hills for miles, and the
sock of which shattered glass In
rrry direction, in the immediate vi.
aity OF the disaster. The meaning OF
ue sound was well understood
throughout the mining district and
axious people fiocked TO the mine en-.
lance. Before they arrived suSocat.
hr volumes OF coal smoke began to
our out, showing that fire hal fol.
lived the explosion.
The officials OF the mine were amons
sc first TO reach the shaft A tally %
rc men showed that some three score
we're missing. but later number of
ne miners appeared, having escaped
" a slope. There were about IS In
be company who were able TO report
aeir presence to the anxious friends
4 the shaft, but several others who
I'D managed TO get out OF the slope
ssd fallen, overcome by the exhaustion
the fumes which they had inhaled.
7 hen these had been reached IL was
sidcnt that at least 20 men. and posi-
ly 30, had been cut of by the explo
Ion and persisted. ANY who survived
le explosion would quickly have Ter
he'd from suffocation.
or the incidents attending the cx
.o-ion, the survivors were for a long
me too confused 10 give an intelli.
emit account. There was no apparen,
anger at midnight nor up TO o'clock.
hen the underground manager.
homas johnson, now missing. las,
ported.
shortly after o'clock the watchnan
),llsdc gas aud burning wood. aud
>>tcr Tt&yrnax Brown was notin ed.
Shed the'shaft Jss, az the expo
occurred. The work OF rescue
J. promptly undertaken by Assistant
isneral Manager johnson and Daniel
fsrlin. underground manager Of the
Inb colliery, with large number OF
Sners
lThe party were confronted with
iany difficulties Men, women and
sildren hung about the opening OF
be slope, weeping and distracted
own below a pitehy darkness pre-
allied. lighted by occasional brilliant
ursts OF the confiagration raging
trough the pit The lamps
the rescuing party shed fee.
le CLEANS aud the volunteers
roped their way down into the mine,
ne poisonous gases almost choking
hem. After brief time body was
rought up. then another. and anoth.
r, until IL had been brought to the
urface. None OF them were mangled,
ut all were blackcned. The bodies
rere la side by side in the large room
q the Office Building.
In the midst OF the excitement AT
he mouth OF the shaft, the unconscious
orm OF Manager Brown was brought
o the surface. The opening OF door
q one OF the passages was followed by
n explosion, and Mr.. Brown fell
OWE, having been made senseless by
he shock.
In spite of the efforts Of the rescu.
ig party, the proportions of the fire
D the pit soon forced them 10 give all
ttention TO that The work had &c
e stopped at frequent Intervals owing
D danger from fire damp. and with
ach retreat of the men the fire travel.
4 with double fury.
NORTH SYDNEY, c. b., June 1T.-At
SO Friday afternoon all the miners
ad been accounted for except IL. The
ody OF Donald Martin was the only
ne missing.