Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-06-14
AWFUL FATE Of MINERS.
Seventeen in Port Royal Mine at
West Newton, Pa, Meet
Death by Explosion.
RESCUE pAR1YALMOsT MEETS LIKE FATE
Explosion Follows Explosion and
All Hope of Rescue of Entombed
Men Is Abandoned-NO More Res
cue Parties Will BE Admitted to
Mine-Mine May Be Flooded.

/ cue PARTIES Will be Admitted to
Mine-Mine May BE Flooded.
: West Newton, Pa, June 12.-Anoth-
er explosion occurred at the Port
Royal mine of the Pittsburgh Coal
and Coke company shortly before
noon and several of the rescuers
were dangerously injured, Fire In
spector Cullaghan and Fire Boss NC
Fee were the most dangerously hurt
and may die. This last explosion in
many minds settles the fate of the
entombed men and all hope of get
ting them out alive has been aban-
doned.
Mines to De Flooded.
West Newton, Pa, June 12.-Late
Tuesday afternoon the officials of the
Pittsburgh Coal company issued an
order refusing to allow any more
men to enter the shaft, as the danger
was too great They are now con-
sidering the advisability of flooding
the mine for the purpose of eNtln-
gushing the fire. There is now no
hope of rescuing the entombed men.
No Hope Held Out.
West Newton, Pa, June 12.-Not a
practical miner in this district be-
iieves that one of the II men en-
tombed in the Port Royal mine by the
explosion Monday night is still alive
There is NO nre. in the whine, to judge
from appearances 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 OF the
dead is:
William McCune, superintendent. mar
ried. four children; John Keck. mine boss,
married. three children: William Allison,
superintendent West Newton. married,
four children; Daniel Alsop, mine bosss1
Thomas Labin. miner, married; Michael
Roy, fire boss, married: Thomas Gleson,
FIRE boss, married. Chris Howells. fire
boss. married. one ht!l!.ss;Anthony Steckles,
aamarrfed; FRANK Davenport. miner mar
ried; Taylor Gunsauless. Sr., married;
Taylor Gunsauless, Jr., John Stackle,
miner; Peter McCandle, married; John
Burke, George Daily. Bernard Ball, miner
Presidents Cousin Among Dead.
William McCune was superintendent
of the Port Royal district, comprising
five mines. He was large stock
holder in the Pittsburgh Coal COM
pany and his family lives in hand
some residence on Vine street, West
Newton. William Allison was Sec
ond cousin of President Mckinley.
Early in the morning Harry Bev-
eridge and two miners. three of re-
cruiting party that went into the mine
to bring out their mates who were en-
tombed, were sent to the McKeesport
hospital. Beveridge had both hands
broken and the other two were badly
burned.
Inspection Party Enters Mine.
AT 9:04 m. an inspection party
went down into the mine, through the
shaft on the Baltimore &c Ohio side
of the Youghiogheny river. 1t is their
purpose to penetrate as far as posi-
BILE to locate the dead bodies, with
hardly hope OF finding anyone alive
The fans in both shafts. No. being
on the north side of the river, were
started up to clear the mine of smoke
fire damp and the afterdamp remain
ing from the explosions Monday night
The explosions are supposed to hav
occurred between entries 20 and q
5000 feet back from the shaft. Til
Monday evening. An explosion wa
heard by men at shaft No. and sud
denly cloud of smoke burst iron
the mouth of the shaft. 1t wa
known that Anthony Stckles, Johl
PEBBLES. George Daily, Frank Daven
port and James Settler were in tn,
mine.
A searching party composed o
Superintendent William McCune an
nine others went down shaft No.
Just before they lowered the bell wa
rupg from the foot of the shaft. Tn
cage was already down and it wa
brought up with Settler on it. TIL
Tescuing party then went dowr
Nothing was heard of them, and j
an hour another rescuing force. lie
by James bailey and William Wi
Iiams, fire bosses, were let down tn
shaft. They had CROPPED their wa
about 200 feet, where two explosion
were heard in rapid succession. I'll
Shaft lamps in the hands of Bale
and Williams were blown so fe
away and they themselves we
thrown violently to the ground. TIL,
arose to their feet and called f
their comrades, but there was no a
swer. Both men hurried back to ii
shaft and were drawn up in the Gag
From that moment until 9:04 a.
NOT another soul went down t
shaft. as it would have meant certa
death from the after damp.
First Corpse Brought Out.
The party that went in Tuesd
morning wns composed of Mine |
spector Bcraard Callahan. Gener
Superintendent John Reese, Fire BE
William McFce, Fire Boss Daniel \
C.Illongh. Fire Boss Peter McLind
and PIT Boss Robert Mckinney.
BUT Callahan were brought from
xarious mines of the Pittsburgh G.
company. AT ten n. N. the body
TAYLOR Gunsauless, ST.. was brous
20 the surface by the party heaG
by Inspector Callahan. a big Gro
surrounded the mouth of the sil,
when Ike corpse was brought out a
thc scene was Pitifnl in the extreI
Many women were there looking
their husbands, fathers and brothe
md they wildly appealed for the II
cuers to save their loved ones.