The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-05-23
ANOTHER SAD CALAMITY.
Death-Dealing Explosion In the Fra.
terville Coal Mine at Coal
Creek, Tenn.
us MEN AND BOYS LOSE THEIR LIVES.
Prompt. hut unavaiting Efforts Ia RESCUE
the Entombed Men hen Entrance
Was Effected Through AN Adjoining
Mine II Was Found That Every One Had
pertsks<i.

Coal Creek, Tenn, May a0.-lhc
worst disaster in the history of Ten
nessee mining occurred at 1850
o'clock yesterday morning. when be-
tween rs and .25 men and boys met
instant death at the Frater,ille coal
mine, located two miles west of this
town. A gas explosion was the cause
of the disaster.
Out of the large number Of men
and boys who went 70 work Yesterday
morning. only one is alive. ana he is
so badly injured that he can not live.
This man is William Morgan. an aged
Englishman. who was IA road man in
the mine. lie was blown out Of the
entrance by the force of the explo-
sion.
One hundred and sevcnty-fye mi
ners were checked in for work YES
terday morning by the mine boss. In
addition TO these there were boys
who acted as helpers and drivers and
roadmen. and others to the number
of perhaps fifty.
Fraterville mine in the Oldest mine
in the Coal Creek district having
been opened in 1870. IL is fully three
miles from the opening of the mine
to the point where the men were al
work. They had not been at work
long before the terrible explosion oc-
Ehnr fan mi nd
then flames shot from the entrance
and the air shafts.
As soon as order could be brought
out Of chaos, two rescuing parties
were started in. one at the main en-.
trance. the other through Thistle
mine. which adjoins and in which no
men were at work. The Thistle par
~ was unable to make any Roadway
as the gas stified the workers.
The Fraterville party went fully
two miles under the earth until
heavy fall of slate was encountered.
At this barrier men worked like de-
mons. hoping against hope, that
those beyond might be safe.
The news of the disaster spread
quickly, and the scenes at the mouth
of the mine. while the workers were
within were beyond description. Bust
ness was suspended in Coal Creek and
| all its mines as soon as the news be
| came known. and women and chill
dren gathered around the Frater-
Vile entrance. Women whose hus-
-.tI
wild with grief.
All day long the rescuers foiicd az
the slate obstruction. and not until
five o'clock did they force an en-
trance through il. Up 10 that hour
only five dead bodies had been recov-
cred. and hope was still high that
many within were safe. The hopes -
the living were doomed. however. for
when once the rescucrs could enter
and proceeded they walked along one
continuous tomb Of death. There was
not sign Of life. Every man had
persisted.
Eight dead bodies were first rccoy-
cred. and these were sent 20 Coal
1 Creek. Twenty-six were soon found.
They were not dsfigured beyond
Identification. and each corpse as il
was borne from the mouth of the
great tomb was surrounded by eager
crowds Of relatives Of the men who
had been stricken down. The mine
was not on fire. except in remote
portions. and all bodies will. perhaps,
he reached and recovered.
The Frater,ille mine is owned by
the Coal Creek Coal Co.. of which
Maj. +. c. Camp is president. He was
in Cincinnati, hut hurried to the
scene Of the disaster.
In 1891. after inspecting Fratcrville
mine. State Commissioner Of Labor
II. \. Shifett reported that the ven
tilation was not up TO requirements;
that the furnace was inadequate 10
ventilate the mine. and that the air