The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-24


Wrecked So That ventilation II
Impossible, Retsrdins Rescue.
P1TrsBURG. Dec. IA special to the
Post from Brownsville, Pa. says:
''There II scarcely any hope that any
| man In the pit is now alive
These were the words of Mine Inspector
| James e. Blick. uttered by him at 10
| o'clock tonight as he stood at the mouth Of
Braxnell mine. in whose depths thirty men
are entombed. That they will get out alive
IL exceedingly improbable, and tonight
| mothers, wives and sisters mourn them az
dead. Since early this morning the I'M
| prisoned men have been without food or
| any air. They are separated from the
| eager searchers by walls Of debris which
| fell when the explosion took place and
| blocked the road to liberty.
Explosion I'm the EARLY Morning.
At 7:so this morning the death-dealing
| blast was loosed. Owing to shortage of
| cars less than the usual number Of men
| entered the pit. The mine is that Of the
| Stockdale Coal Company and lies four
miles from Brownsville and fourteen miles
| from Uniontown. 1t is known as the Braz-
nell mine and lies near a station OF that
name on the Redstons creek branch Of the
| Pennsylvania railroad.
Gas Was Known to Exist.
At o'clock this morning Fire Boss James
Radcliffe went through the mine as usual
and found gas or "fredamp" in two places.
He detected about four inches Of gas in
the main entry about 100 yards from the
main shaft and about an equal quantity In
| q room on the side entrance a short dis
tance away. The fire boss reported the
| presence Of the gas. but informed the su-
perintendent that It was all right for the
men to enter. The men were lowered into
| the mine in the cage descending the main
shaft. which is vertical. From forty to
| fftv men had entered the mine and dis
| persed through It when the gas was ignit-
| ed in some manner not yet ascertained.
Hoisting Machinery Wrecked.
tremendous explosion occurred. Its
| torce must have reached every man In the
mine. The cage of the main shaft, which
| was at the bottom. was blown to splint-
| ers and the hoisting machinery wrecked.
| About 100 yards from the main entrance
| was an air shaft, vertical and brick lined.
| 1t was torn by the blast and the bricks
| were blown to the very top.
Nearly Fifty Men In the Mine.
| Altogether there were from forty-five to
| fifty workers in the mine. The men de-
| scended in the cage Of the main SHAFT from
| eight to ten at time. A moment arter
| the fifth load had descended there was
| roar that shook the immense iron tipple
~.I rnor Tod
| from the hillsides. There was no need to
| tell what had happened.
women and Children Dash to Shaft.
Frantic women and frightened children
dashed out of their dwellings just across
| the railroad track ard rushed toward the
| mouth OF the shaft. They were driven
] back by the smoke that poured up from
F. the mine. minute later everything was
| quiet. The big engines stopped and the
| fan was hushed. There was no possibility
OF aiding the imprisoned men through the
| main shaft and rush was made for the
| ventilating shaft, $50 feet away. This is
| 112 feet deep, brcked inside to strengthen
II. and has iron steps from top to bottom.
A Few Are Saved.
! A shout came from below and 1t was
| known that all were not killed, but who
| had drawn the prizes in the lottery of life
| and death? The anxious ones at the top
| waited few moments for the men to ap-
| pear. They did not come and an investi-
| cation was made. 1t was discovered that
| the explosion had torn away the brick lin
| ing of the shaft, taking with 1t about
twenty feet Of the iron steps. The men
below were in trap. Promptly rope
and bucket were lowered and the men