Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-07-11
200 VICTIMS IN A MINE
RESULT OF AN EXPLOSION At
JOHNSTOWN, PA.
Two Miners Who Escaped Crawied
Over Scores OF Dead Bodies.


Johnstown, Pa, July 1O.-Nearly 200
men, it is thought, were killed or in
jured yesterday in an explosion in the
Cambria Steel Company's rolling mill
coal mine under West Mont hill at
noon. How many are dead it will take
several days to determine.
It was nearly an hour after the
explosion before any general knowi-
edge of what had happened got abroad.
Men who came from the mines, escap-
ing with their lives. told the news and
it spread like wild fire all over the
city. Mothers. wives, daughters, sons
and relatives were frantic with grief.
Soon after the news of the explosion
reached the Cambria officials, Mining
Engineer Marshall G. Moore and one
of his assistants, Al G. Prosser, male
an attempt to enter the mine. They
were followed by Mine Superintendent
Geo. T. Robinson, but the gases COM
PEELED them to return to the surface.
Mine Foreman Harry Rodgers, his
assistant. William Blanch. and Erie
Bosses John Whitney, John Retallick
and John Thomas were overcome by
the gases and it is feared that they
persisted in an heroic effort to rescue
the miners.
A son of Harry Rodgers then tried
ly overcome by the deadly gases and
was carried out unconscious.
William S,.bich spent several hours
at the Mill creek opening. He said
that he believed as many as $50 men
ef;l IN tn ie iyoi1
from all he could CLEAN, not to exceed
$50 men had come out.
About score of American miners
who were at work in the Klondike dis
trict noticed the presence OF the fire
damp in their apartments soon after
the explosion occurred and started at
once for the main entrance.
They were almost overcome by gas.
One of the men said it is not known
what caused the explosion. He said
that few days ago the officials issued
an order to the employees in the mine
not to play with the gas. but that
the next day young Hungarian was
seen pushing his naked lamp along the
roof of the mine in search OF it.
Canvas screens are being used to
wall all the side entrances and rooms.
80 as to force direct current of pure
air ahead of the rescuers.
Engineer A. G. Prosser, who, with
Mr.. Moore entered the mine at the
main opening. came to the surface ut
Mill creek and Immediately set about
securing men and material to aid in
the rescue. -"..5-
Several miners who were working
near the scene of the explosion reach
ed the surface and say that they saw
the bodies of at least fifty men.
The men who came out are for
eigners and were so excited that they
could not tell connected story. The
mine has been open for about fifty
years and is producing 5000 tons per
day.
The mining officials of the Cambria
company stated the explosion was one
of fire damp. .a
Outside the "Klondike" the mines
are safe and uninjured.
Within the fatal mine walls of ma
sonry three feet through were torn
down. the roofs of the mine demolish-
ed and not uoor remains standing.
Miners who left the mine by way OF
Inc Mill creek entrance brought hor-
rible stories of crawling over the
dead bodies of their comrades. Tom
Foster was in his office when the ex-
plosion occurred With the help Of
Foreman Roberts an effort was made
to replace a few of the shattered
d0nrS