Evening journal., 1902-07-11

by persons who were underground |
when the explosion took place
The mining officials of the Cambria |
Company stated that the explosion was
one of fire damp. The catastrophe oc-
Cured in the section OF the mines
known among the miners as "Klon-
dixie" The few survivors who have es-
capad from the depths of the mine de-
scribe the conditions to be frightful IN
their nature. Outside of the "KlOn-
dixie" the mines are safe and unin-
jured Within the fatal limits of that
mine the havoc wrought by the explo-
sion are such as beggar description.
Solid walls of masonry three feet IN
thickness We're torn down as though
barriers of paper The roofs OF the
mine were demolished, and not a door
remains standing. In the face Of these
difficulties even the most heroic efforts
toward rescue may well seem hope
less.
Survivors Horrible Stories.
Miners who left the mine By way of
the Mill Creek entrance brought hor-
rible stories Of crawling over the dead
bodies Of their comrades.
Two young men who were at work
/ in the "IZlondike" when the explosion
occurred escaped by way of the air
shaft heading up through the Kernyille
/ Hin from the mine. A fan house, now
! out of use, stands at the top Of this air
shaft This way the young mon, 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 stories OF the men who escaped
are miraculous in their nature. Tom
Foster. an assistant foreman in the
| "Klondike" mine, was among the first
to emerge from the Mill Greek shaft
Shortly after Powell Griffith, a fire
boss, came up. His first thought was
for the safety of the men under his
charge. With the help of Foreman
Roberts, an effort was made to replace
a few OF the shattered doors. All the
while the fatal fire damp was closing
around them. They did not falter fol
an instant, but straight into the mids
of danger they went The thought
Save the men" was paramount
Through galleries, into headings, warn
ing and helping. the two men went
Roberts fell. but Foster staggered on
whittier he hardly knew. In the mids
OF the danger he met Powell Griffith,
fire boss. He had faced what seemed
certain death in an effort to save hi
men.
: Forward they went, dragging a com
rade into a possible place OF safet,
here. giving q word OF warning there
until human endurance could stand tn
strain no longer Exhausted, the
T. staggered into a heading where the fir
damp had not entered. There the
: rested for moment and then plunge
: forward where they did not know
= until finally they wandered into q wa
ter level and through it reached a plac
OF safety.
Said Tom Foster: How 1 esCspe
! do not know. 1t seems like a terri
BILE nightmare Hundreds of times
gave up hope, but from sheer instinc
] stumbled forward, until finally
reached a place of safety"
William Malcolm was in the uppC
!, part Of the mine when the explosio
came. THE first / knew of the troub
:, was when the men came running fro
% what is known as the dip or lowe
3 section. They came running withol
Is hats coats and some without clothe
and in a terrible state of excitemen
AS near as / can remember not mo-
y than ten came that way, and they e
= capped, leaving at least 200 in the dip
1 At l1.20 last night the first four vi
~ Tins were brought to the surface fro
the "Klondike" section. They we
William Robertson, who was unco
scious when found; John Retallic. ali
and in pretty good shape, and two u
known Slavs. both alive, but unco
~ scious. DR.. John B. Lowman, of th
city, who came up with the men, sa
n he passed % dead bodies, some Of the
~ in sitting postures.
~ The armory of Company IT. Fif
- Regiment, N. G. p, was turned into
y charnel house. Bodies of 63 mine
20 were brought in early today al
laid on planks on chairs.
at Register Crossan this mornh