The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-11
No Hope That Any VIII Be Res
Cued While Living.
COUSIN OF MKINLEY.
William Allison, Superintend-
ent, Among the Missing.
Explosion Occurred Last Night
When Shifts Changed.

ed In the Port Roya1 mine DJ al SAPA9S
ion of gas last night, is still alive There
is no fire in the mine to judge from ap-
pearanees 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. and the
complete list os the dead is:
VIM McCUNE. superintendent, mar
ried, four children.
JOHN KECK, mine boss. married.
VIM. ALLISON, superintendent, West
Newton, married. four children
DANIEL ALSOP. mine boss
THOMAS IABIN. miner, married
MICHAEL ROY, fire boss. married
THOMAS G. Lesson. fire boss, mar
ried
CHRIS HOWELLs. fire boss. married,
nne child.
ANTHONY STECKLER, married
FRANK DAVENPORT. miner, mar
ried.
TAYLOR GUNsAULEss. ST. married
TAYLOR GUNSAULESS, Jr-
JOHN STACKLE. miner
PETER McCANDLE. married
JOHN BURKETT
GEORGE DAILY.
BERNARD BALL, miner.
VIM. McCune was superintendent Of
the Port Royal district comprising five
mines He was a large stockholder in
the Pittsburg Coal company and his
family lives in West Newton VIM. Alli-
son was a second cousin of President
Mckinley.
Early this morning Harry Beveridge
and two miners. three Of a rescuing
party that went into the mine to bring
We're sent to the AIcKeesport hospital.
Beveridge had both hands broken and
the other two miners were badly burned.
At 904 a. m. today an inspection party
entered the mine through the shaft on
the Baltimore & Ohio side of the
Youghiogneny river. It is their purpose
to penetrate as far as possible to locate
the dead bodies with hardly hope of find
ing any one alive The fans in both
shafts, No. 1 being on the north side Of
the river, were started up to clear the
mine Of smoke, fire damp and the after
damp. remaining from the explosions
last night
The explosions are supposed to have
occurred between entries 20 and Is, three
thousand feet back from the shaft. The
disaster occurred about 6 O'Clock last
evening An explosion was heard by
men at shaft No and suddenly cloud
of smoke burst from the mouth Of the
shaft. Tt was known that Anthony
y
Frank Davenport and Jas Settler were
in the mine. A searching party COM
posed OF Superintendent VIM McCune
and nine others went down shaft No 2.
Just before they were lowered the bell
was rung from the foot Of the shaft. The
cage was already down and it was
brought up with Settler on it. The
Tesculng party then went down. Moth
1ng was heard Of them and in an hour
another rescuing force, led by James
Bailey and Williams, fire boss. were let
haTr H.n1 wrl.I
their way about 200 feet when two ex-
plosions were heard in rapid succession.
The shaft lamps in the hands of Bail
ey and Williams were blown so feet
away and they themselves were thrown
violently to the ground. There was no
response to their calls for their COM
rades and both men hurried back to the
shaft and were drawn up in the cage.
From then until 9:04 a. m, no others
went down the shaft, as it would have
meant certain death from the after
damp.
The party that went in this morning
was composed of Mine Inspector Ber-
nard Callahan. General Superintendent
John Reese, Fire Boss William McFee.
Fire Boss Daniel Mccullough, Fire Boss
Peter McLindon and Pit Boss Robert
Mckinney. All but Callahan were
brought from the various mines of the
Pittsburg Coal company
At 10 a. m. the body Of Taylor Gun
Eauless, Sr-, was brought to the surface
by the party headed by Inspector Gala
nan A big crowd surrounded the
mouth OF the shaft when the corpse was
brought and the scene was pitiful III
the extreme Many women were there
looking for their husbands, fathers. and
brothers and they wildly appealed for.
the rescuers to save their loved ones
The Port Royal mine has always baep
considered dangerous. There was a
similar explosion in the mine seven
years ago by which one man was kill
ed. The use of safety lamps has beer
made especially imperative in these
mines by the district inspector of
mines, owing to the great danger from
gas that was known to exist but care
less miners sometimes use open lights
because they can see better to mine nv
them and this helps them to make a
bigger days wages. This is what nro
badly caused yesterdays explosion. bu+
the Inquiry which win follow. may de-
Yelop a different cause
CARRIED OPEN LAMP
west Newton, Pa, June 11.-Time only
Aeds horror to the disastrous mine ex-
plosl0n which occurred late last evenjna.
al NO mine of the Pfttsburg Coal
company at Port Royal Three men were
rescued and seventeen others are inn
prlsoned In the burning mine Isst
nlgnt the mine was reported at the
onices OF the company here to he ~,
nre and Division Superintendent VIM
11c1une ana w. 4. Allison of this place
started TOT the scene They entered the 4
mine with Fire Boss John Kreclx who
carried an open lamp. Three explosions
solloWed at intervals Of a few moments. |