The Forrest City times., 1902-05-23
ANOTHER SAD CALAMITY.
Death-Dealing Explosion In the Fra terville Coal Mine at Coal
 Creek, Tenn.
275 MEN AND BOYS LOSE THEIR LIVES.
Prompt. But Unavai1ing Efforts to Rescue the Entombed Nen-W hen Entrance Was Effected Through Adjoining Mine It Was Found That Every One Had Ierished.


 Ierished.
 Coal Creek, Tenn, May 2o.-The worst disaster in the history of Ten nesSee mining occurred at 7:5o o'clock yesterday morning. when be- tween 17j and -2j men and boys met instant death at the Fratersille 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 yesterday morning. only one is alive. and he Is so badly injured that he can not live. This man is William Morgan. an aged EneliShman. who was q road man in the mine. He was blown out of the entrance by the force of the explo- sion.
 One hundred and seyenty-tive mi ners were checked in for work yes- terday 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 fifty.
 Frateryille mine m the oldest mine in the Coal Creek district, having been opened in 1870. It 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 oc- cured. There was fearful roar and then flames shot from the entrance and the air shafts.
 As soon as order could be brought out of chaos. two rescuing parties were started in. one at the main en- trance, the other through Thistle mine, which adioins and in which no men were at work. The Thistle par ty was unable to make any headway as the gas st!fed the workers.
 The Frateryille party went fully two miles under the earth until q heavy fall of slate was encountered. At this barrier men worked like de mons, hoping 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 Busi- ness was suspended in Coal Creek and all it's mines as soon as the news be- came known, and women and chil- l dren gathered around the Frater- vile entrance. Women whose hus- bands and sons were within were wild with grief.
 All day long the rescuers toiIed at the slate obstruction. and not until five o'clock did they force an en- trance through it. 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 sign of life. Every man had l perished.
 Eight dead bodies were first rccov- cred, and these were sent to Coal Creek Twenty-siX Were soon fouud. 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 wh had been stricken down. The mir was not on fire, except in reno portions, and all bodies will, perhaps. be reached and recovered.
 The Frateryille mine is owned by the Coal Creek Coal Co, of which Maj. r. C. Camp is president. He was in Cincinnati, but hurried to the scene of the disaster
 In 1891, after inspecting Fraterville mine, State Commissioner of Labor R. A. Shitlett reported that the ven tilation was not up to requirements; that the furnace was inadeauate 10 ventilate the mine, and that the air ways were choked in places.