Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-07-11
ANOTHER NINE HORROR.

ne announcement VI NnVtilti lSiilbi'
loss of life by mine disaster in Penn
sylvania was made in the telegraphic
dispatches in yesterdays Gazette. The
disaster occurred in the main south
heading of the Cambria Mill mine at
Johnstown, and about $50 men were at
work in it Yesterday at the time of the
disaster. The enormity Ct the explos-
ion and It's casualties were only realized
when the drivers of the matn south
heading notified the employees of other
parts of the mine that all Cor nearly all
of the miners in the heading had been
killed. 1t was the greatest catastrophe
in many years in that section Of Penn
sylvania barring the JOhnstown flood.
The men were steadily working when
The gas that had accumulated along the
mine roofs suddenly exploded. How
it happened will probably never be
known, for none survives to tell tie
tale. At least 100 men were at work in
the heading, when the explosion occur
red. None of them is living, so far as
can be learned The bodies thus far
brought to the surface have been badly
burned, and those who did not meet in
slant death from the explosion and
burns succumbed to the fatal black
damp that followed.
The news quickly spread, and in a
short time crowd Of people were gath
cred at each of the entrances of the
mine. One is near the stone bridge, the
blockading structure of the Johnstown
food in the wild rush of water. The
second is at Mill Greek, FIVE miles south
west of Johnstown, where has been con-
structed new fan and air compressor.
At several points on Kernyille Hill,
opposite the central part of Johnstown,
airssshalts and drainage ways have long
been in use. The Hill, for five or SIX
miles each way, has practically been
honeycombed by the operations of the
miners, and they were gradually work
ing farther and farther to the south
west. The mine has furnished practl-
cally four-ffths Of all the coal used IN
the Cambria mills in the last fifty years.
One of the men who left the MINE I'M
mediately after the explosion said 1t Is
not known what caused it. Another
volunteered the information that he
knew it was caused by miner care
lessly handling matches. Only a
few DAYS ago the officials is
sued an order to the employees instruct
ing them not to experiment with the
gas, and he says that the next day a
young Hungarian was seen pushing hls
lamp along the mine roof in search OF 1t.
He was Immediately called down, Dut
seemed to regard the matter as Joke
1t was 1920 o'clock in the afternoon
when the explosion took place in the
mine under Westmont Hill, and it was
nearly an hour after the explosion before
anv general knowledge of what had hap
pened got n5road. Men who came from
the mine. escaping with their lives,
told the terrible news, and it spread
| like wildfre all over the city. In hun
dreds of homes there were the most pa
thetIc scenes. Mothers, wives, daugh-
ters. sons and relatives were frantic with
grief. Hundreds rushed to the point,
and awaited news that did not come
from the Inflated mine. -f'he greatest
sorrow prevails in the neighborhood o
the disastf and the usual heart-rendine
scenes are being enacted by the relatives
and friends of the unfortunate miners.