New-York tribune., 1902-07-11
[BY TELEGRAPH 10 TRE TRIBUNE.I

again been visited by an appalling disaster 1t
is only. less frightful than the awful calamity of
May 81 1889. in cost of life. but in its terrible
consequences it has brought the shadow of sor-
row in hundreds of homes made desOlate by
mine explosion which took place in the Cambria
Steel Company's rolling mill mine, under West
mont Hill. at 1920 o'clock this afternoon.
How many are dead it may take several days
to fully determine but that it is long and
shocking list is certain. II nearly an hour
after the explosion before any general knowl-
edge of what had happened got abroad. Men
who came from the mines. escaping with their
lives. told the terrible news. and soon it spread
like wldfre all over the city. In hundreds of
homes there We're the most pathetic scenes
Mothers, wives, daughters, sons and relatives
frantic with grief Hundreds rushed to
the Point. and. with sobbing hearts. awaited
news that did come from the i'll fated mine.
At the opening across the river from the Point
the Cambria Steel Company, police, stephen r.
Warner and Frank Carney, with several as
sistants stood guard permitting to enter
the mine, from which noxious gases were COM
ing. DR.. W. B. Lowman and DR.. George W.
Wagner also hastened there, but only few
came from the mines. and these did not need
assistance.
1t was nearly o'clock when all hope of send
ing rescue parties from the westmont opening
abandoned. Two nen who had escaped un-
hurt from the mine. Richard Bennett and John
Meyers, went back two miles to see what as
sistance could be rendered. but the frightful
damp drove them back. and they fell prostrate
when. after a desperate struggle. they finally
reached the outside. Drs Lowman and Wag
oner Immediately gave the heroic men assist
ance and after working with them half an
hour restored them to normal condition. Their
story Of the situation in the mine made 1t clear
that rescue work could not proceed from the
Westmont opening. and then hasty preparations
were made TO begin the work at the Mill Creek
entrance.
VAIN ATTEMPTS TO ENTER MINE.
Soon after the news of the frightful explosion
reached the Cambria officials. Marshal G.
Moore. mining engineer. and A. G. Prosser. one
Of his assistants, made attempt to enter the
mine. They were soon followed by Mine Super
intendent Robinson. but the deadly gases
stopped their progress. and they began opera
tons at the Mill Creek entrance. Mine Foreman
Harry Rogers. his assistant. William Blanch.
and Fire Bosses John Whitney. John j;atalIick
and John Thomas. were overcome by ,he gases.
and it is feared they perished in heroic at
tempt to rescue the miners.
The hfteen-year-old son of Harry Rodgers,
when he heard that his father had been over
come with afterdamp. started down toward the
Klondike to help rescue him. if possible and
he had no sooner entered the drift when the
deadly gas almost overcame the lad and he
had to be carried back. His tongue protruded
it's whole length from his mouth. Young
Rodgers. who is employed in the mine. was
among those who escaped through the Mill
Greek shaft. He assisted TO the streetcar
line by several miners and was brought to his
home.
ESTIMATES OF LOSS OF LIFE.
General Manager Price at o'clock this even
ing said that mans guess was as good
another as TO the number of men entombed. He
said:
There were about six hundred men in the
mine when the explosion occurred. but only
about one hundred were in the heading where
the gas did its deadly work. I think there were
not more than one hundred caught in the fall
and, as air is being forced into the heading.
there is reason to hope the men are alive. and
that they will be rescued as soon as they can
be reached. We have large forces of men at
work and we believe that as soon as the pure
air has forced out the afterdamp it will he pos
sible to reach the imprisoned men and bring
them out
President Powell StackhOuse and General
Manager Charles S. Price started for the Mill
Creek opening at 6:30 o'clock. to take personal
charge Of the rescue work They said that they
did not expect to obtain any definite knowledge
of the situation in the mine for several hours,
but both of them expressed the hope that the
currents of air being forced into the great drift
We're reaching the imprisoned men. They de-
clared their belief that the men were still alive.
but this is discredited by persons who were
underground when the explosion took place.
William Stibich spent several hours at the
Mill Creek opening He said that he believed as
many as 45O men were still in the mine In his
opinion, from all he could CLEAN. not to exceed
$50 men had come out. He came in long enough
to get supper and then returned
WHERE THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED.
II is in the part of the mine known as the