The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1899-12-30
TH|RTY-F|VE MIN ENTOMED.
AN AWFUL NINE EXPLOSION.
At brownsville, Pennsylvania-It La
known as the Brazneu Mine-Ho~
the Gas Ignfte< LIS at Present I'm
known

Pittsburg, Dec. PA special from
Brownsville, Pa, says:
There is scarcely any hope that any
man IN the pit is now alive" These were
the words OF Mine Inspector James T.
Bhck, uttered by him as he stood at the
mouth OF Braznell mine, in whose depths
~ men are entombed. That they will
get out alive is exceedingly improbable
ana mothers, wives and sisters mourn
them as dead. They are separated from
eager searchers by walls of debris which
Tell when the explosion took place aud
blocked the road 10 liberty.
In the morning the deaf dealing blasl
was loosened- Owing to SHORTENING of
ears less than the usual number Of men
entered the pit. The mine Is that of the
otockdaie Coal Company and lies four
miles from Brownsville aud Ii miles from
Unlontown. 1t is known as the BrsznelI
mine and lies near a station of that name
on the Redstone creek brauch of The Penn.
sylVania railroad. AT A. III. Fire Boss
james Radcliff went through The nine rs
usual and found the gas or "firedamp" in
two places. lie detected about Jour inches
OF gas in the main entry about 100 yards
nom the main shaft ana about an equal
quantity in Il room on a side entry a
short distance away. The fire boss re-
ported the presence OF the gas, but in
formed the superintendent that it was all
right Tor the men TO enter. The men
We're lowered into the mine in the CAGE.
descending the main shaft, which is yer
tical. From 40 to 90 men had entered
the mine and dispersed through it Wien
the gas was ignited in some manner not
yet ascertained.
"A tremendous explosion occurred. Its
force must have reached every man in the
NINE The cage in the main shaft which
was at the bottom was blown to spIin-
tiers 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 35 to 40
workers i'll the mine. The men descended
IN the cage of the main shaft from eight to
~ ut time. A moment after the fifth
load had descended there was a roar that
shook the immense iron tipple above the
main shaft and reverberated from the hill.
sides. There was no need 20 tell what
had happened. Frantic women and fright
ened children dashed out OF the dwelling
ings just across the railroad track and
rushed toward the mouth of the shaft.
They were driven back by the smoke that
poured up from the mine. A minute later
everything was quiet. The big engines
stopped and the tan was hushed. There
was no possibility of aiding the impris-
oned men through the main shaft and 4,
rush was made for the ventilating shaft.
$50 feet away. This is ll2 feet deep,
brieked inside to strengthen it, ami has
non steps from top to bottom.
A shout came from below and it was
known that not all We're killed, but who
had drawn free passes in The lottery OF
life and deathl The anxious ones at the
top awaited a few Ioments Tor the men
to appear. They did not come and an
investigation was made. 1t was discov-
cred that the explosion had torn away
the brick lining OF sne shaft, taking with
it about 20 feet OF the iron steps. The
men below were i'll a trap. Promptly
rope and bucket WAS lowered and The men
hauled up. The first WAS Albert Meese,
10 years old, taper. He was uncon-
scious and was tied in the bucket. Ten
derby he was hfted out and remedies APP
/ piled, but without avail. He yasped once
or twice and was dead, u victim of after
damp. That told the whole story of the
accident. The fire damp hal exploded in
the mine.
Fourteen men were rescued by the buck
ct and rope. All of them were sick and
some half fainting.
No complete list OF the dead is yet com-
piled. The managers OF the mine have
the pay roll, but it has been impossible
for them to discover all the survivors.
But there is a general agreement that
from 80 to 80 men are entombed. About
one-half are Americans and the balance
are Hungarians or Slavs.
Soon after the extent of the accident
became known, undertakers were sum
moned from Brownsville. new building
just back from the main shaft, intended
for blacksmith shop, was converted into
a morgue. Here pine boards on trestles
were shaped into receptacles for the dead.
All is in readiness for the victims of the
mine when brought to the surface.
There was an explosion in the Braznell
mine last July. 1t adjoins the Umpire
mine, in which eight men were killed last
year, the day before Christmas, by
smaller explosion.
Later.
brownsville, Pa, Dec. 26.-The horror of