Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-08
EXPLOSION IN A MINE
Four Men Thought to Have Lost
Their Lives.
COLLIERY NEAR GLOUSTER, Ohio
Two Hundred Men Were lmprls-
oned by the Accident.
SUBSEQUENTLY RELEASED

GLOTSTER, Ohio. June Spy an explo'
sion of gas in mine No = "a coliery near
tins city, today. four men are reported TO
have lost their lives Two hundred miners
were imprisoned. One hundred and seventy
five have been rescued.
The following are reported dead: Evan
Joseph. fire boss: John McLelland. miner:
Aaron Swanson, miner: John Evans, miner
The following were removed unconscious
from the effects of the after damp: Lewis
Jones. jr., William Harris, Morgan Lewis
William Nash. William Crombie. Jonn
Walsh. George Rodgers. Evan Hamilton
Shortly after o'clock. when the mine
was filling up with workers. who had de-
seconded by means of the cage OF NO Z
shaft an explosion of gas occurred which
broke the timbers of the mine in every
direction.
Air Fans DisarranEed.
The air fans were dsarranged, and 1t
was some time before any progress was
made toward opening the way for the
rescue of the imprisoned men. Fire Boss
Joseph went down through shaft No. 6,
which connected with the one where the
explosion occurred. He made his way
through connecting gangway, and. 1t is
supposed. was overcome by the after damp
which followed the explosion, and was
unable to make his way back to the fresh
air. Rescue parties were Immediately or
ganized and followed the way taken by
the are boss. They found party of eight
men near tho connecting gangway and
carried them to the fresh air, not mo-
ment too soon. for all We're almost suffo-
Gated by the fumes of the deadly after
damp
The work of rescue continued for several
hours, and by noon it was believed that all
the imprisoned men had been released but
about twenty. 1t was found by the res
cuers that tho air currents through the
mine were much better than at first sup
posed. and this gave hope TO the crowds
of weeping women and children about the
mouth Of the shaft that all their relatives
and friends would be brought to the sur
face in safety. and little the worse for their
terrible experience.
Ii is practically certain. however that
many of the miners are dead, for the deadly
gas known after-damp. which follows
all explosions in mine workings, had gath
cred in large quantities near the connection
between shafts Nos. and =, where the
party of eight men were rescued.
Rescue of 100 Miners.
An opening was made in the mass of
debris at the main shaft of No. . mine
Immediately after the eight men were res
cued at the opposite end. AT the bottom of
the shaft hung the cage. a twisted mass of
iron.
A temporary lift was put into play and
quickly manned and descended to the bot
tom, where over 100 panic-stricken miners
Were found lying fiat on their faces in an
effort to get the only pure air in that part
Of the workings. They were loaded upon
the cage and carried to the surface, where
they were received with open arms by
members of their families
Several times the cage descended bring
Ing each return its load of smoke be
erimed men. Rescuiug parties penetrated
into the mine as rapidly possible, and it
was expected that definite news of the con-
ditions there would be received momen-
tariy.
1t is supposed the explosion was caused
bE an electric spark from one of the venti-
iating fans touching off a pocket of gas
which had gathered during the night