The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-26
FEARFUL DISASTER IN A PENNSYL VANlA
COAL MINE.
MIN[RS MEET THEIR DEATH.
Many Killed by the Explosion of Gas.
Others Imprisoned by the Wreckage
and Suffocated by the ''After Damp
The Explosion Wrecks the Machinery
and Imprisons Those Not Instantly
Killed - Little Hope Entertained of
Their Rescue.

Brownsville, Pa, December pa
terrific explosion occurred today at the
Braswen coal mine, four miles from
here bringing death and disaster more
far-reaching than any mime horror
since that at the Hill mine at Dunbar
Many bodies have already been taken
out and the loss of life will be very
heavy.
The explosion was terrific and was
heard plainly at Brownsville, three
miles distant. The main shaft was totally
wrecked and rendered helpless. About
four cages of men had gone down to
work. Mr.. Thomas, the cage man, o.
his fourth trip went to the bottom
with fourteen men and gave the signal
for the cage to rise, when the explosion
occurred. The cage was blown with
terrific force to the top of the shaft
and back to the bottom, completely
blocking access to the mine. The tim
bers were hurled hundreds of feet
The lower ring of brick work in the air
shaft was completely wrecked and had
to be tunnelel to get into the mine at
all. Eleven men have been gotten out,
one, Albert Meese aged IA years. died
after reaching the air. One hand and
a foot and one shoe were blown from
the mine and found on top of the shaft.
After tunneling the wreckage at the
bottom of the air shaft, two men in the
underground mule stable were found
alive but almost Suffocated from bad
air. The mine is supposed to be ON
fire, as a dense volume of smoke him
tders tine entrance of the rescue parties
in the mine.
Pittsburg, Pa, December pa
special to The Post from Brownsville,
Pa, says: There is scarcely any
hope that amy man in the pitt is now
alive"
These were the words of Mine In
spector James Blick, uttered by him
at 10 O'Clock tonight as he stood at the
mouth of Brazen,ll mine, in whose
depth thirty men a entOmibed. THAT
they will get Out live is exceedingly
improbable, and tonight mothers wives
and sisters mourn them as dead Since
early this morning, the imprisoned men
have been without amy air or food.
They are separated from eager search
ers, by walls of debris which fell when
the explosion toOk place and blocked
the road to liberty. AT 1880 this MORN
ing, the death dealing blast was loosed.
Owing to a shortage of cars, less than
the usual number of men entered the
pit.
The mine is that of the Stockdale
Company and lies four miles from
Brownsville and fourteen from Union
town. It is known aus the Brazenen
mine and lies near a station of that
name, on the Redstone Creek branch
of the Pennsylvania railroad.
AIT O'Clock this morning Fire Boss
James Radsliffe went through the
mines as usual and found gas or fire
damp" in two PAGES. He detected
about four inches of gas in the main
entry about 100 yards from the shaft
and about am equal quantity in a room
on a side entry a short distance away
The fire boss reported the presence
of the gas, but informed the superin-
tendent that it was all right for the
mem to enter. The men were lowered
into the mine i'm the cage descending
the main shaft which is vertical. From
forty to fifty men had entered the mine
and dispersed through 1T when the gas
was ignited in some manner not yet
discovered A tremendous explosion
occurred. It's force must have reach
ed every man in the shaft. The cage
in the main shaft which was at the
bottom was blown into splinters and
the hoisting machinery wrecked
About 100 yards from the main en-
trance was an air shaft, also vertical
blast and the bricks were blown to the
very top.
Altogether there were from foTty-five
to fifty workers in the miTe. The men
descended IN the cage ct the main shat
from eight to ten at a time. A mo-
ment after the fifth load had descended
there was a roar that shook the I'M
mense iron tipple above the main shaft
and reverbrated from the hillside5.
There was no need to tell what had
happened.
AT O'Clock the first body of res
cuers descended, the cages having been
temporarily repaired. When they got
within ten feet OF the bottom the cage
stopped A mass of wTeckage was
piled up at the bottom OF the shaft.
With their faces blackened and burn
ed and their bodies distorted, lay
seven men The rescuers started to
clear away the debris but 1T was slow,
| hard work, as the force Of the explo-
| sion had been titantfc. Pit Boss
| Thomas and three men went back 100
feet to find the source. They think
they succeeded, but they had not time
| to investigate, as they were overcome
| by the after damp Other members or
the rescue party hastily rushed them
above ground where they were resus-
cit ateSi Thomas was about dead.
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