The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-11
Number of Dead Miners Will Probable
Reach Two Hundred
or More
NOxIoUS GASES BRING
DEATH TO REScUERS
Marvellous Escape of Some of the Sur
Vivors, Who Run Over Dead Bodies
to Places of Safety-Many Hours
Must Elapse Before the Full Extent
of the Catastrophe Can Be Learned.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa, July 1O.-Johns-
town has again been visited by an ap-
palling disaster.
1t is only less frightful than the
calamity of May 81, 1889, in cost of
life, but in its terrible consequences it
has brought the shadow of sorrow in
hundreds of homes made desolate by
a mine explosion which took place in
the Cambria Steel company's rolling
mill under West Mont Hill at 1920
o'clock this afternoon.
How many are dead it may take sew
eral days to fully determine, but that
it is a long and shocking list is Ger
tain. 1t may reach two hundred or
more men.
1t was nearly an hour after the ex-
plosion before any general knowledge
of what had happened got abroad. Men
who came from the mines, escaping
with their lives, told the terrible news.
In scores of homes there were the most
pathetic scenes. Mothers, wives,
daughters, sons and relatives were
frantic with grief. Hundreds rushed
to the point and awaited news that did
not come from the Inflated mine.
Deadly Gases.
az SiC OPCAlALS etC1OSS luC river
the point, the Cambria Iron company
police, with several assistants, stood
guard, permitting no one to enter the
mine, from which noxious gases were
coming. 1t was nearly o'clock when
all hope of sending rescue parties from
the West Mont opening was abandon
ed. Two men who had escaped from
the mine-Richard Bennett and John
Meyers-went back two miles to see
what assistance could be rendered, but
the frightful damp drove them back
and they fell PROSTATE, when they
finally, after a desperate struggle,
reached the outside. Two doctors gave
the men assistance, and after working
with them half an hour restored them.
Their story of the situation in the
mine made it clear that the rescue
work could not proceed from the West
Mont opening and then hasty prepara-
tions were made to begin that sad mis-
sion at the Mill Creek entrance. Soon
after the news of the explosion reach
ed the Cambria officials, Mining Engi-
neer Marshall G. Moore and one of his
assistants, Al G. Prosser, made an at
tempt to enter the mine.
Rescuers Perish.
They were followed by Mine Super
intendent George T. Robinson, but the
deadly gases stopped their progress
and they were compelled to return to
the surface.
Mine Foreman Harry Rodgers, his
assistant, William Blanch, and Fire
Bosses John Whitney, John Retallick
and John Thomas were overcome by
the gases and it is feared they perished
in an heroic effort to rescue the miners
A son of Harry Rodgers then tried to
reach his father, but he was quickly
overcome by the deadly gases and was
carried out unconscious.
William Stibich spent several hours
at the Mill Creek opening. He said
were still in the mine. In his opinion,
from all he could CLEAN, not to exceed
$50 men had come out.
Fire Damp the Cause.
The mining officials of the Cambria
company stated the explosion was one
of fire damp.
The catastrophe occurred in the sec
tion of the mine known among the
miners as "Klondike." The name Of
the section on the company's book Is
the sixth west of the south main head
ing. 1t is a mile and a half from the
main entrance of the Rolling Mill mine.
The few survivors who have escaped
from the depths of the mine describe
the conditions to be frightful. Outside
of the 'Klondike" the mines are safe
and uninjured.
Within the fatal limits Of the mine
the havoc wrought by the explosion is
such as beggars description. Solid
walls of masonry three feet through
were torn down as though barriers of
paper. The roofs of the mine were de-
moliShed and not a door remains stand
ing. In the face of these difficulties
even the most heroic efforts towards
rescue may well seem hopeless. Miners
who left the mine by way of the Mill
Creek entrance brought horrible stories
of crawling over the dead bodies Of
their comrades.
Walk Over Dead Bodies.
Two young men who were at work In
the "Klondike'" when the explosion oc-
CURED escaped by way of the air shaft
heading up through the Kernville Hill
from the mine. A fan house, now out
of use, stands at the top of this air
shaft. This way the young men, sick
and dizzy from the nauseous after
damp or black damp, reached safety.
They told how they had walked across
dead bodies to pure air and light; how
many, they did not know. The Cam
bria steel officials were notified at once
of the explosion. 1t caused consterna-
tion in the offices among those who
heard the awful news.
Chief Mining Engineer Marshall G.
Moore and his assistant, Al G. Prosser,
were the first to enter the mine after
main entrance and began to work their
way to the other end. Both were sup
piled with safety lamps. The progress