The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-24
ENTOMBEO IN THE
DEPTHS OF A MINE
Thirty Men Sealed in Its
Black Bowels.
A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION
HAVOC WROUGHT By FIRE
DAMP AT BRAZNELL.
FIRE BOSS SAID IT WAS SAFE TO DESCEND
But When Fo-ty-Fiye or Fifty Men Had Gone
Down There Came Sudden Awful
Explosion. Eight Dead Men
Were Found.


Pittsburg, Pa, Dec. ga special to
the Post from Brownsville, Pa, says:
There is scarcely any hope that any
man in the put is now alive"
These were the words of Mine In
spector James Blick, uttered by him at
10 o'clock last night as he stood at the
mouth of Braznel Mine, in whose
depths thirty men are entombed. That
they will get out alive is exceedingly
and sisters mourn them as dead. Since
early this morning the imprisoned men
have been without any air or food.
They are separated from eager search
ers by walls of debris which fell when
the explosion took place and blocked
their road to liberty. At T:30 this
morning the death-dealing blast was
loosed. Owing to a shortage of cars,
less than the ususl number of men enter
ed the pit The mine is that of the
Stockdale Company aud lies four miles
from Brownyille and fourteen from.
Tniontown. 1t is known as the Braa-
nell Mine and lies near a station or
that name on the Redstone Creek
Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
At five O'Clock this morning Fire Boss
James Radcliffe went through the mine
as usual and found gas or fire Damp in
two places. He detected about four
inches of gas in the main entry about
1UO yards from the shaft and about an
equal quantity in room on side en-.
try a short distance away.
The fire boss reported the presence OF
the gas. but informed the superinfeii-
dent that it Was all right for the me-.
TO enter. The men We're lowered into
the mine cage descending the main
shaft which is vertical. From forty to
fifty men had entered the mine ana
dispersed through it when the gas was
lgnlTed in some manner not yet discOy-
cradle. A tremendous explosion occur
red. Its force must have reached every
man in the shaft. The cage in the
main shaft was at the bottom and was
blown into splinters and the hosting
machinery wrecked. About 100 yards
from the main entrance was an air
shaft, also vertical and brick-lined. 1t
was torn by the blast and the bricks
were blown to the very top.
Altogether there were from forty-fiye
to fifty workers in the mine. The men,
descended iii the cage OF the main shaft
from eight TO ten at a time. 4 moment
after The fifth load had descended there
was a roar that shook the immense iron
tiprle above the III III shaft and rever-
berated from the hillsides. There was
no need to tell what had happened.
Frantic women and frightened chill
dren dashed out of their dwellings Just
across the railroad track and rushed to-
ward the mouth of the shaft
They We're driven back by tho smoke
that poured up from the mine. The big
engines stopped and the fan was hush
ed.
y shot came from below and it was
known that not all were killed. but who
had drawn the few prizes in the lottery
Of life and death?
1t was discovered that the explosion
had torn away the brick lining of the
shaft, taking with it about 20 feet of
the iron steps. The men below were in
a trap. Promptly rope and bucket was
lowered and the men hauled up. The
first was Albert Meese, IA years old, a
frapper. He was unconscious and was
tied in the bucket. He gasped once or
twice and was dead.
Fourteen men We're rescued by the
bucket and rope. All Of them were sicl,
and some half fainting.
At o'clock the first body of rescuers
descended the cages having been tenn
porarily repaired. When they got with
in 10 feet of the bottom the cage stop
ped. A mass of wreckage was piled up
at the bottom of the shaft With their
faces biackened and burned and their
bodies distorted, lay seven men. The
rescuers started 70 clear away the debris
but it was slow. hard work as the force
of the explosion had been titanic. Pit
Boss Thomas and three men went back
100 feet TO find the source. They think
they succeeded. but they had not time to
make certain as they were overcome by
after damp. Other members of the res
cue party hastily rushed them above
ground where they were resnscitated.
Thomas was about dead.
Tonight Mine Inspector James Blick
said:
would not like 10 say there is no
hope for the men in the Tit, but i doubt
whether single one remains alive. The
men, II alive can live for two or three
days without food in addition to what
they may have taken in their dinner
buckets, but the main point is il they
have air. The fan is running. but the
big part of the mine remains unyen-
tilated and is probably still choked with