The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-06-14
SIXTEEN
KILLED
By Terrible Explosions in Coal
Mine at Port Royal
HEROIC DEATH OF RESCUERs
Big Crowd Surrounded the Mouth OF
the Shaft and When a Corpse Was
Brought Out the Scene Was Pitiful
in the Extreme.

Port Royal, Pa, June 12.-As a re
suit of Monday nights explosion in
the Port Royal mines of the Pittsbure
Coal Co., 16 are dead, seven injured
and thousands OF dollars worth oil
property destroyed.
The official list of dead and injured
was made public by the coal compa
ny's officials last night.
When the first excitement had sub
sided little, 1t was decided to try
and rescue at least part of those
thought to be entombed. AS quickly
as possible a messenger was dis
patched on horseback to West New
ton, five miles away, and while wait.
ing the arrival of appliances neces.
sary to enter a burning mine tenn
porary rescue party. composed of men
who had knocked off earlier in tho
day, was formed.
Fearlessly these men entered the
shaft and started toward the spot
where it was though some of the en-
tombed men might be found. Lying al
the bottom of the shaft were Law.
renee Settler and John Stakes. Tn.
conscious and covered with dirt, tn
men were quickly taken to the top OF
the mine.
All sorts of plans were suggested
for the rescue of the men. Some
talked of turning the Youghiogheny
river into the mine, but many opposed
this idea for fear or drowning the
miners. All that would be necessary
to let a deluge of water loose in the
mines would be to pull plug which
was placed in the mines after the eX.
plosion of many years ago, and the
water would rush into the mines at a
rapid rate.
w. A. Sweeney, Harry Beveridge
and Frank Stratton succeeded in work.
ing their way to the pit mouth and
were quickly put under the care OF
physicians. Beveridge and Stratton
are unconscious and the physicians
say they cannot live. Beveridge's
arms are both broken, his body horri.
bly, bruised and it is believed he in.
hailed the flames.
The miners were hurled in all di.
rections and Sweeney knows of at
least three who were killed outright.
He said It was impossible to tell now
just how many men were entombed.
The Port Royal mines are situated
on the Youghiogheny river, 81 miles
from Pittsburg. They are owned by
the Pittsburg Coal Co. The mines are
located in lie thick vein coal belt, and
are for that reason extremely gaseous
and dangerous. The state mining Off.
Gals have made their management
the object of repeated caution.
The fans were started up to clear
the mine of smoke, fire damp and the
after damp. Then a searching party
composed of Capt VIM. McCune and
others went down the shaft. Nothing
was heard of them. and in an hour an.
other rescuing force, led by James
Bailey and VIM. Williams, fire bosses,
were let down. They had CROPPED their
way about geo feet when two explo.
sions were heard in rapid succession.
The shaft lamps in the hands of Bailey
and Williams were blown so feet away
and they themselves were thrown VIC.
lently to the ground. They arose to
their feet and called for their com.
rades, but there was no answer. Both
men hurried back TO the shaft and
were drawn up in the cage.
From that moment until a. m. not
another soul went down the shaft. as
it would have meant certain death
from afterdamp. The party that went
in in the morning was composed Of
Mine Inspector Bernard Callahan,
Gen. Supt. John Feesc. Fire Boss Nc.
Fee, Fire Boss Daniel Mccullough.
Fire Boss. Peter Mckinney and Pit
Boss Robert Mckinney. All but Cal.
lahan were brought from the various
mines of the Pttsburg Coal Co. At 10
o'clock the body Of Taylor Gunsauless,
ST., was brought to the surface by the
party headed by Inspector Callahan.
A big crowd surrounded the mouth of
the shaft. and when the corpse was
brought out the scene was pitiful in
the extreme