The evening Republican., 1902-07-11
AWFUL CALAMITY
Terrible Mine Explosion at
JohnStoWn, Pa.
APPALLING DEATH LIST.
Few Miners Escape to Tell Of the
Disaster.
DEADLY GASES PREVENT RESCIIE.
Cambria Steel Cne,pnny's Mine I'm
der Westmont Hill II Scene Of
Ruin, and 1t Is Thought That
at Least To, Hundred Ar
Dead In the Debris-Sto-
ries of the Survivors.


ries of the Survivors,.
JOHNSTOWN, Pa, July u.--Johns-
town has again been visited by an ap-
palling disaster.
1t is only less frightful than the aw-
full calamity of May 81, 1889, in cost Of
life, but in its tGSsible 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 conipany's Rolling Mill
mine, under Westmont hill, yesterday
afternoon.
How many are dead it may take sew.
eral days to fully determine, but that
1t is long and shocking list is certain.
1t may reach 200 or more men.
1t was nearly an hour aftel the ex-
plosion before any general knowledge
of what happened got abroad. Men
who came from the mines, escaping
with their lives, told the terrible news
and soon it spread like widfre all over
the city. In scores of homes there were
the most pathetic AAchAes. Relatives
We're frantic with grief Hundreds
rushed to the point and, with sobbing
hearts, awaited news that did not
come from the i'll fatcd mine.
At the opening across the river from
the point the Cambria Steel company
police, with several assistants, stood
guard, permitting no one to enter the
mine, from which noXious gases were
coming. 1t was nearly 4 o'clock when
all hope of sending rescue parties from
the Westmont opening was abandoned.
Two men who. had escaped from the
mine, Richard Bennett and John Mey-
ers 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 dnctcrs gave the men as
sStaHce and after working with them
half an hour restored them. Their sto-
ry of the situation in the mine made it
clear that the rescue work could not
proceed from the WestmOnt opening,
and then hasty preparations were
made to begin that sad mission at the
Mill Creek entrance. Soon after the
news Of the explosion reached the
Cambria officials Mining Engineer
Marshall G. Moore and one Of his as
sistants, Al G. Prosser, made an at
tempt to enter the mine They were
f1l1 NV ;,,to
George r. Robinson, but the deadly
gases stopped their progress, and they
We're compelled to return to the sur
face.
Mine Foreman Harry Rodgers, his
assistant, William Blanch, and Fire
Bosses John Whitney, John Retallick
and John Thomas were overcome by
the gases. and II is feared they perish
ed in a heroic effort to rescue the
miners. A son of Harry Rodgers then
tried 10 reach his father, but he was
quickly overcome by the deadly gas
and was carried out unconscious
William Stibich spent several hours
at the Mill Creek opening. He said
that he believed rs many as $50 men
were still in the mine. In his opinion,
$50 men had come out.
The mining officials Of the Cambria
stated the explosion was one
Of firedamp.
The catastrophe occurred in the sec
lion of the mine known among the
az 30
The section on the companys books is
The sixth west of the south main head
ing. 1t is about mile and a half
from the main entrance of the Rolling
Mill mine.
The few survivors who have escaped
rom the depths Of the mine describe
he conditions to be frightful in their
nature. Outside of the "KlOndike" the
mines are safe and uninjured Within
he fatal limits of the mine the havoc
wrought by the explosion are such as
)eggar description. Solid halls of ma
;onry three feet through were torn
!owh as though barriers of paper. The
oofs of the mine G'cre demolished, and
lot a door remains standing. In the
ace Of these difficulties even the most
'eroic efforts toward rescue may well
ecm hopeless.
Miners who left the mine by way Of
he Mill creek entrance brought horri-
lie stories Of crawling over the dead
'odies of their comrades.
Two young men who were at work
II the "Klondilse" when the explosion
ccurred escaped by way of the air
huft heading up through the Kern
illc hill from the mine. A fanhouse,
ow out Of use stands at the top of
his air shaft. nhis way the young
len, sick and dizzy from the na auseolls
fter damp or black damp, reached
afety. They told how they had walk
d across dead bodies to pure air and
ght How many they did not know.
The stories of the men who escaped
re miraculous in their nature. Tom