The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-07-11
TWO HUNDRED
ENTOMbED.
MINERS MEET AWFUL DEATH
AT JoHNST0WN, PA
Explosion in Cambria Shaft. Fearful
Story Of the Disaster is Told by
Some Who Escape

Johnstown, Pa, July 1.-Two hur.
dred miners, entombed by an explo-
sion in a mine whose main shaft opens
within the limits of this city, was
news to check with terror the pedes-
trians on the streets here yesterday.
At first the rumor said that all in the
Rolling NIiil' mine of the Cambria
Steel company were dead or in dan.
ger. But later reports showed that
the lower figure was correct and that
400 were safe. The mine is one OF
the largest in the country, and yester.
day 600 men were at work there.
1t was nearly an hour after the eX.
plosion before any general knowledge
of what had happened got abroad.
Men who came from the mines, es-
Gaping with their lives, told the terri.
BILE VS. and soon it spread like wild
fire all over the city.
Hundreds Rush to the Scene.
In scores OF homes there was the
most pathetic scenes. Mothers, wives,
daughters, sons and relatives were
frantic with grief and hundreds
rushed to the scene. At the opening
across the river from the point the
Cambria Iron company's police, with
several assistants, stood guard, per.
mitting no one to enter the mine, from
which noXious gases were coming. II
was nearly 4 o'clock when all hope
of sending rescue parties from the
Westmont opening was abandoned.
Driven Back by Firedamp.
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 firedamp drove them back
and they fell PROSTATE when they
finally, after q. desperate struggle,
reached tie OUTSIDE. Two doctors
gave them assistance and after work.
ing with them half an hour restored
them. Their story 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 en-.
trance.
Soon after the news of the expIo.
sion reached the Cambria officials,
Mining Engineer Moore and one of his
assistants, A. G. Prosser, made an at.
tempt to enter the mine. They were
followed by Mine Superintendent Rob
inson, but the deadly gases stopped
their progress and they were com
pelled to return to the surface.
L,
ant, William Blanch, and Fire Bosses
John Whitney, John Retallick and
John Thomas were overcome by the
gases and it is feared they perished
in an heroic effort to rescue the min
ers. A son of Harry Rodgers then
tried to reach his father, but he was
quickly overcome by the deadly gases
and was carried out unconscious.
William Stibich spent several hours
at the Mill creek opening. He said
he believed as many as $50 men were
in the mine. In his opinion from all
he could CLEAN, not more than
150 men had come out.
Explosion Was One of Firedamp.
The mining officials of the Cambria
company SColSu llS ShplOSlOu WdS Ole
| of firedamp. The few survivors who
have escaped from the depths of the
mine describe the conditions to be
! fIlghtful in their nature. Outside OF
| the "Klondike" the miners are safe
and uninjured. Within the fatal limits
of the mine the effects of the explo-
sion beggar description. Solid walls
thirty feet through were torn down as
If they We're barriers of paper. The
roof was torn down and not a door
remains standing. The most heroic
efforts toward rescue seem hopeless.
The stories of the men who escaped
are miraculous.
Fifty-three Bodies Recovered.
Early this morning General Man.
ager Moore Of the mines, who, with
Superintendent Robinson, had pene,
trated to g, considerable distance IN
the Klondike, had reached a tele.
| phone station and notified the men at
the main entry that he haa recovered
fifty-three bodies UP to that time and
had only been in the right rooms.
AS near as can be learned less than
twelve Americans were killed the
rest We're Hungarians and Slavs
Harry Rodgers. the foreman of the
mine, Is undoubtedly dead.