The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-06-11
The Disaster Of Yesterday Penned
Many Miners Three Thousand Feet
Under Ground, and the Second
Explosion Sealed Their
Fate, Besides That Of
the Brave Rescuing
Party.
(By Associated Press.)


West Newton, Pa, June 11.-Another
gas explosion occurred at the Port Roy
al mine of the Pittsburg Coal and Coke
company shortly Derore noon and several
Of the rescuers were dangerously wound
ed. Fire Inspector Callaghan and Fire
Boss McFee were the most dangerously
hurt and may die. ,.-a-
This last explosion settles the fate Of
the seventeen men entombed in the Port
Royal mine by the explosion last night.
There Is no fire in the mine to judge
from appearance at the pit mouth, but
the force of the explosion was so great
that none Of the men, so the miners say,
could have survived the shock The
dead are: VIM. McCune, superintendent,
married, four children; John Keck, mine
boss, married, three children; VIM. AL
lison, superintendent West Newton mar
ried. four children; Daniel A. Alsop,
mine boss; Thos. Tabin, miner married
Thos. E. Gleeson, fire boss, married;
Michael Roy, fire boss, married; Chris
Howells, fire boss, married, one child:
Anthony Steckles, married; Frank Dav-
enport, miner, married: Taylor Gunsau-
lus, Sr, married; Taylor Gunsaulus, Jr.;
j. N. Stackles, miner; Peter McCandle,
married; John Burke; George DAILY and
Beriad Ball, miner.
VIM. McCune was superintendent of
the Port Royal comprising five mines. He
was large stockholder in the Pittsburg
Coal company and his family lives in
West Newton. William Allison was a
second cousin of President Mckinley.
Early this morning Harry Beveridge
and two miners of rescuing party who
went into the mine to rescue their mates
~ <hn FOL
Beveridge had both legs broken and the
other miners were badly burned.
This morning an inspection party en-
tered the mine through the shaft on the
Baltimore and Ohio side of the Yiou-
ghenigeny river. 1t is their purpose to
penetrate as far as possible to locate the
bodies, but they have little hope of find-
ing anyone alive. The fans in both
shafts were started up to clear the mine
of the smoke and fire damp, remaining
after the explosion last night.
The explosion Is supposed to have been
between entries and q three thousand
feet back from shaft. The disaster oc-
Cured about 6 o'clock last night. The
explosion was heard by men in shaft No.
2 and suddenly a cloud of smoke burst
the mouth of the shaft.
It was known that Anthony Stickles.
John Burke, Joe Daily, Davenport and
Settler were in the mine. A searching
party composed or Superintendent VIM.
McCune and nine others went down
shaft No. 2. Just before they were low
cred the bell was rung from the foot
of the shaft. The cage was already
down and it was brought UP with Settler
on it. Nothing was heard again and in
an hour a rescuing force led by James
Bailey and William Williams, fire
losses, were let down the shaft. They
had CROPPED their way about 200 feet
when two explosions were heard in rapid
succession. The shaft lamps in the
hands of Bailey and Williams were
blown fifty, feet away and they them
selves were thrown violently to the
ground. There was no response to the
calls for their comrades and both men
hurried back to the shaft and We're
drawn up in the cage.
The party that went in this morning
was composed of Mine Inspector Bern
ard Callagan, general superintendent,
John Reese, Fire Boss VIM. McFee, Fire
Boss Daniel Mccullough. Fire Boss
Peter McLindon and Pitt Boss Robert
Mckinney. All but Gaiiaghan were
brought from the various mines of the
Pittsburg Coal company. At 10 a. m.