The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1902-07-11
Jamestown, Pa, Visited By Another
Awful Catastrophe,
Explosion in a Big Mine Results in
the Death of Perhaps
200 Miners.
: SCENES TERRIBLE TO WITNESS

Johnstown, Pa, July li-Johns-
town has again been visited by an APP
palling disaster.
II is only less. frightful than the aw-
full calamity of May 81, 1889, in cost
Of life, but in its terrible consequences
it has brought the shadow Of sorrow
, into hundreds OF homes made desolate
by q mine explosion which took place
/. in the Cambria Steel company rolling
mill under westmont Hill yesterday
afternoon.
How many are dead will take sew
eral days 20 fully determine, bus 1t is
long and shocking list, it is certain.
II may reach 200 or more.
At the opening across the river
from the point the Cambria Iron com
pany police. with several assistants,
stood guard, permitting no one to en-
ter the mine from which noxious gases
were coming. IL was nearly 4 O'Clock
when all hope Of sending rescue parties
from the westmont opening was aban-
doned. Two men who had escaped
from the mine-RichArd Bennett and
John Meyers-went back two miles to
bsee what assistance could be rendered,
fbut the frightful damp drove them
back and they fell Frustrated when
they finally, after a desperate strug-
gle, reached the outside.
The few survivors who escaped
from the depths of the mine describe
the condition to be frightful. Out
side OF the Klondike the mines are safe
and uniniured. Within the fatal linn
Its the havoc wrought by the explosion
IL fearful Solid walls of masonry
three fee, IN thickness were torn down
as thou made Of paper. The roofs
OF the mine were demolished and not
door remains standing.
Mine Foreman II. Rodgers. his as
sfsant, William Blsnch. and Fire
Bosses John whitney, John Retallick
and John Thomas were overcome by
the gases and IL is feared persisted in
> heroic effo to rescue the miners.
Y IL will be absolutely impossible to
state the loss of life until the rescuers
reach the scene Of the disaster.
President Powell stackhouse gave
out the following statement; THE
disaster is an unusual one, and came
on US entirely unexpected, The mine
& had been inspected only three days
ago, and was pronounced IN satisfao
tory condition. The cause is yet indie
"a finite, but believe il was caused by
gas escaping from the fifth heading,
which was closed and was not being
: worked because IL contained gas.
"The number of casualties is now
placed at 1876. No list of the names OF
dead miners can be given, for the ma
jority of them were foreigners and
were kno Sn only by check and not by
name" -
The mine in which the dreadful
thing occurred is one Of the largest
coal minss in the United States, &C
cordiug to the statement of the OH
cials fought. The mine is divided
into large number of headings lev
N,s and sections. The men who es-
tcaped this afternoon are familiar with
the mines. they have spent years
working in it. Otherwise they could
never have reac he'd the surface.
Lights were out and there was no way
for them to find their way to the top
had they not known the mine perfect
ly.
Eighty seven blaokened and man
dled bodies have been taken from the
mine up to this afternoon. |