Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-05-22
DISASTER IN A MINE.
Somewhere About 400 Persons
Killed In Fraterville Mine.
an EXPLOSION OF Gas THE CAUSE.
A Rescue Party Toiled at . Slate Obstruo-
tion and When They Forced 1t They
Entered One Continuous Tomb
Of Death,

S'"' NA'Nnt AShh't bi"J -N' nv
worst disaster in the history of Ten
nessee mining occurred at 1880
o'clock yesterday 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. A gas explosion was the cause
Of the disaster.
Out Of the large number of men
and boys who went to work yester-
day morning only one is alive and he
is SO badly injured that he cannot
live. This man is William Morgan,
roadman in the mine. He was blown
out of the entrance by the force Of
the explosion. One hundred and sew
enty-five miners were checked in for
work yesterday 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 so.
Fraterville mine is the Oldest mine
in the Coal Creek district, having
been opened In 1870. 1t is fully three
miles from the opening of the mine
to the point where the men were at
work. They had not been at work
long before the terrible explosion
occurred. There was a fearful roar
and then flames shot from the en-
trance and the air shafts. 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 stiAed the workers. The Frater-
Vile party went fully two miles I'M
der the earth until heavy fall Of
slate was encountered. At this bar
rier men worked like demons, hop
ing 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.
Business was suspended in Coal
Creek and all its mines as soon as
the news became known and men,
women and children gathered around
the Fraterville entrance. Women
whose husbands and sons were with
in were wild with grief.
All day long the rescuers toiled at
the slate obstruction and not until
five o'clock did they force an en-
trance through 1t. Up to that hour
only five dead bodies had been recov-
cred and hope was still high that
many within were safe. The hopes
of the living were doomed, however,
for when once the rescuers could
enter and proceeded they walked
along one continuous tomb of death.
There was not a sign Of life. Every
man had persisted, they believed, al
though it will be some time before
all the rooms can be entered.
Eight dead bodies were first recov-
cred and these were sent to Coal
Creek. Twenty-six were soon found.
They were not disfgured beyond
Identification and each corpse as it
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.
The Journal and Tribune opened a
relief fund for the families of the
miners, The list is headed by a sub
scription from the Coal Creek Mining
and Manufacturing company for S.
900. This company's headquarters
are in New York 1t owns all the
mine property of the Coal Creek dis
trict. In addition to this $500 has
been raised locally.
The Junior Order United Ameri-
can Mechanics will send $1,000 to
Coal Creek, 20 members of their or
der having met death in the mine.