Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-05-28
GAS EXPLOSION KILLS HUNDREDS.
DEADLY TEXAS TORNADO.
Wholesale Slaughter Of Miners in a
Colliery Near Coal Creek, Tenn.
Only One Survivor, and
He May Die.

Coal Creek, Tenn, May 20. - The
worst disaster in the history of Ten
nessee mining occurred at 1880
o'clock Monday morning, when be-
tween IT'S and 225 men and boys met
instant death at the Fraterville coal
mine, located two miles west of this
town, as result of a gas explosion.
Out of the large number of men and
boys who went to work in the morn
ing, developments at midnight show
that only one is alive, and he is so
badly injured that he cannot live.
This man was William Morgan, an
aged Englishman, who was a road
man in the mine, and was blown out
OF the entrance by the force of the
explosion. One hundred and seventy
five miners were checked in for work
Monday morning by the mine boss.
In addition to these, there were boys
who acted as helpers and drivers, and
road men and others to the number
OF perhaps so. Eighty-two bodies have
been recovered.
The Explosion.
Fraterville mine is the oldest mine
In the Coal Creek district, having
been opened in 1870. 1t is fully three
mines from the mines opening to the
point where the men were at work.
They had not been at work long be-
fore the terrible explosion occurred.
There was fearful roar, and then
flames shot from the entrance and
the air shafts. News of the disaster
spread like wildfire, but as soon as
order could be brought out of chaos,
two rescuing parties were started in,
one at the main entrance, the other
through Thistle mine, which adjoins,
and in which no men were at work.
The Thistle party was unable to
make any Roadway, as the gas stifed
the workers. The Fraterville party
went fully two miles under the earth,
until a heavy fall of slate was en-
countered. At this barrier men
worked like demons, hoping against
hope that those beyond might be
safe. Thirty-four bodies have thus far
been recovered
Latest Estimates of Dead.
Knoxville, Tenn, May 22.-The lat
est estimates as to loss of life in the
Fraterville coal mine disaster at Coal
Creek is 226, including contract miners,
day laborers and boy helpers. The
last find reported was that of IS bodies
in an entry and with these 10, all of
whom were dead, were found six let
tiers written by five men before life
became extinct. One of these letters
gave the time of day it written as $3.50
o'clock Monday afternoon, thus indi-
eating that these and perhaps other
entombed men lived many hours after
the terrible explosion, which occurred
Monday morning at 1880 o'clock. The
letters gave general suggestion of
the suffering that was undergone, in
dicating that the men were gradually
Being strang1ed to death by the foul
air that was entering the mine and
gaseous air that was filling the mine.
One piteously read: my God, for an
other BREATH
The letters, in the main, were direc-
tions to families as towhat disposition
should be made of the writer's bodies
and business affairs and instructions
as to raising the families. One unfor-
tunate, who leaves neither father,
mother, brother nor sister, addressed
his letter "To Everybody" and plead
ed that they change their way of liv-
ing.