The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1902-07-18
AWFUL MINE
CATASTROPHE
Hundreds FALL VICTIMS To AN
EXPLOSION OF FIRE
DAMP.
ANOTHER JoHNsToWN TRAGEDY
OF SIX HUNDRED MIN ONLY ONE
HUNDRED AND FIFTY Es-
CAPE.
ANOTHER JoHNsIoWs TRAGEDY
AwFtJi STORIES Or SURVIVORS
WALK ACROSS DEAD BODIES OF
COMRADES TO PURE AIR
AND LIGHT.

Johnstown, Pa. july Is-Johnstown
has again been visited by an appalling
| disaster.
1t is only less frightful than the aw-
full calamity of May 81, 1889, in cost of
life, but in it's terrible consequences it
has brought the shadow of sorrow to
hundreds of homes made desolate by
Il mine explosion which took place in
the Cambria Steel company rolling
mill mine under West Mont Hill at
1920 o'clock yesterday afternoon
How many are dead it may take sew
cral days to fully determine, but that
it is !. Ions and shocking list is certain.
1t may reach 200 o. more men.
1T was nearly an hour after the ex-
| piosion before any general knowledge
! Ct what had !!abrc22c::! got abroad. Men
,, "ho c.t..t floi-. L.. l:.i:::::s, escaping
with their lives, told the terrible news
and soon it spread like w;ldtre all over
the city. In scores of homes there were
the most pathetic scenes. Mothers,
|
| We're Frantic With Grief.
Hundreds rushed to the point and with
sobblng hearts awaited news that did
not come from the Inflated mine. At
the opening across the river from the
point, the Cambria Iron company DO
| lice, with several assistants, stood
| guard, permitting no one to enter the
| mine, from which noXious gases We're
coming. It was nearly O'Clock when
all hope of sending rescue parties from
| the West Mont opening was abandoned.
Two men who had escaped from the
..c!Ee-RicaSrd Bennett aid John
Meye1s-weSt tack two r.i.ts to see
| what assistance could be rendered, but
| the frlshtful damp drove them back
and they fell PROSTATE when they final
| ly. after q desperate struggle. REACHED
| the outside. Two doctors gave the men
assistance, and after working with
| taenl half an hour restored them. Their
| story of the situation III the mine made
1t clear that the rescue work could not
proceed from the West Mont opening,
and than hast.- preparations We're made
to begin that sad mission at the Mill
creek entrance. Soon after the
| News of the Explosion
reached the Cambria officials, Mining
Engineer Marshal G. Moore and one of
| his assistants. Al G. Prosse:. made an
attempt to enter the mine. They were
followed by Mine Superintendent Geo.
T. Robinson, but TIE deadly gases
stopped thcir progress and they were
compelled to return 10 the surface.
| Mine Fo~e@'an Harry Rodgers, his
assistant William Blancch, and Fire
Bosses joan Whitney, John Retallick
and John Thomas, were overcome by
| the gases AMI 1t is feared they per-
| lshed in an heroic effort to rescue the
miners. \ son IF Harry Rodgers tried
| to reach his ia ther, but he was quickly
overcome by the deadly asses and was
| carried out unconscious. William Sti-
| bich spent several hours at the Mill
| creek OPENING. He said that he be-
iieved as many as $50 men We're still in
the mine. In his opinion. from all he
| could CLEAN, not to exceed $50 men had
| cone out.
The Ecining officials of the Cambria
company stated the explosion was one
OF fire damp.
| Frixhtful Conditions.
| The catastrophe occurred in the sec
ton of the mine known among the
miners as the 'Illondike" The name
of the section on the co::lpany's books
is the sixth west OF the south main
heading. 1t is about a mile and a half
| from the main entrance of the Rolling
c1i'l rhine.
| The few survivors who have escaped
! from the depths of the mine describe
! the conditions to be fri9htful in their
nature Outside of the "Klondike'' the
1ni:eS are sofa and uniniUred. Within
the fatal En1its of the mine the havoc
wrought by the explosion is such as
beggars description. Solid walls of
r'asonrv three feet through were torn
down IS; though barriers of naoer. The
roofs Of the n7ine were demolished and
not a Goor remains standing. In the face
of these difficulties even the most
heroic efforts toward rescue nav we'll
seem homeless. Miners who left the
mine by way nf the Mil creek entrance
brought horrible stories of crawling
over the dead bodies of their comrades.
Walked Across Dead BODIES.
Two young men VINO We're ct work in
the 'klondiEe' when the explosion oc-
Cured escaped by way of the airshaft
heading. up through the Kernville hill
from the mine. A fan house, now out
of use, stands at the top of this air.
shaft. This way the young men, sick
and dizzy from the nauseous afterdamp
or black damp. reached safety. They
told how they had walked across dead
bodies to pure air and light How many
thev did not know The Cambria Steel
fHcials were notified at once Of the
explosion. It caused. CONSERVATION in
the Offices among those who heard the
awful news. r=@
!. The mine has been open for about
fifty years and is producing 5000 tors
= PER Gay. H. Is the property OF the
Cambria Steel com any. general Offices
in the Arca.ie building. Philadelphia.
i The. families Of the entombed miners
are assembled in large numbers at the
N ires opsnine. but they cannot secure
nny definite inf0r.nst fon and must en-
duss = susienss Of r:lany hours.