The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1901-06-12
MANY DEAD IN A Nine.
Seventeen Victims of Explosion at
Port Royal, Pa.
HEROES GAVE LIFE IN VAIN.
ON the Death List Are Found Two
Mine superintendent, One of
Them n Second Cousin of
President Mckinley.

|
| West Newton, Pa, June 11.-Time
| only adds horror to the disastrous mine
explosion which occurred at No. ?
mine of the Pitisburg Coal company Mt
Port Royal. Three men were rescued,
and II others are imprisoned In the
burning mine.
| Not a practical miner in this district
believes that one of the IL men en-
tomhed Is still alive. There Is no fire
in the mine, to judge from appearances
ut the pit mouth, but the force of the
explosion was so great that none of the
men. SO the miners say, could have sur
vived the shock, and the complete list
Of the dead Is:
William McCune, superintendent.
married, four children; John Keck,
mine boss, married, three children;
/ William Allison. superintendent, West
Newton, married, four children; Daniel
Alsop, mine boss; Thomas Labin, min
er, married. Michael Roy, fire boss,
married. Thomas Glcson, fire boss,
married.; Chris IIowclls, fire boss mar
ried, one child: Anthony Steckles, mar
ried; Frank Davenport, miner, married;
Taylor Gunsaulcss, ST., married; Tay-
Tor Gunsauless, .Jr.: John Stackle, min
or; Peter McCandlc, married; John
! Burke, George DAILY, Bernard Ball,
miner.
The wives and children of the miss
| ing are gathered about the mine shaft
/ waiting for some news of their loved
ones and every few minutes appeal to
some men to try To rescue them.
| story of the Disaster.
/ The explosions are supposed TO have
/ occurred between entries 20 and %,
5000 feet back from the shaft. The
/ first explosion was heard hy men nj
shaft No. >, ana suddenly cloud of
smoke burst from the mouth of the
| shaft. 1t was known that Anthony
| Steckles. John PEBBLES. George DAILY,
/ Frank Davenport and James Settler
We're in the mine. \ searching party
composed of Superintendent McCunc
| and nine others Went down shaft No. 3.
lust before they were lowered the bell
| wns rung from the foot of the shaft.
| The cage was already down. and il was
brought M with Settler on 1t.
The reScning party then went down.
] Nothing was heard Of them. and in an
| hour another rcscuing party led by
! James Hailey and William Williams.
/ fire bosses. 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 10 feet away, and they
| themselves were thrown violently to
| the ground They arose 10 their feet
| and called for their comrades. hut
there was no answer Both men linl-
ried back to the Shaft ana were drawn
w in the cage.
The party that next went down was
composed of Mine Inspector Bernard
Callahan General Superintendent John
Reese. Fire Ross William Melee, Fire
Boss Daniel Mccullough. Fire Boss
Peter McLindon and Fit Boss Robert
Mckinney MI but Callahan we're
brought from the various mines Of tile
| Pittshurg Coal company
The body Of Taylor Gunsauless. ST..
| was brought 10 the surface by tile
| purity. headed by Inspector Callahan
y big crowd surrounded the mouth OF
the shaft when the corpse was brought
ont. and the scene was pitiful in the eX-
tfeme. Many women We're there look
| ing for their husbands. fathers and
brothers. and they wildly appealed foi
| the rescuers to save their loved ones.
stiiI Another Explosion.
! The rescue party had been in fhe
| mine about an hour on their next Trim
when the mutiled report OF another eX-
plosion was heard issuing from the
\ depths of the shaft. The signal To
| hoist the cage was given from the bot
tom, and when il reached the top three
unconscious forms were found living on
IL. Fire Inspector Callahan and Fire
fioss W. McFec of the Wick Haven
mines We're the most dangerously hurt
OF the party.
The Port Royal mine has always
been considered dangerous. There was
| n similar explosion in the mine seven
years ago, in which one man was
Killed.
The use of safety lamps has been
i .i''''N Nt'i'ttNi'is Ill THESE
mines by the district inspectors of
mines, owing To the great danger that
was known to exist, but careless min
ers sometimes use open lights because
they can see better to mine by them.
and this helps them to make Il bigger
days wages. This is probably what
caused the explosion, hut the inyestiga
tion which will follow may develop n
different cause.
/ or the dead William McCune was
superintendent of the Port ROYAL dis
trict, comprising five mines. He was
large stakeholder in the Pittsburg Coal
+, company. and his family lives in
handsome residence on Vine street
West Newton. William Allison was
| second cousin of President William Nc.
Kinley.
Statement By Kruger.
i The Hague, June 11.-Mr Kruger has
issued a statement to the effect that no
knows nothing Of the peace negotIa-
tons alleged to be proceeding with the
Boer leaders. He says that if there ara
| int