The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1904-01-26
EXPLOSION IN A COLulERY NEAF
CHESWiCk, PA, RESULTS IN
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.
HUNDRED AND FIFTY MINERS AT WORK
FORCE OF EXPLOSION WAS TER
RiFlC AND 1T is BELIEVED
ALL MET DEATH.

ouii. DNbNNNh A-~
and $50 men We're entombed during
the day by an explosion in the shaft
OF the Harwick Coal company neal
Cheswick Several hours after the ac
cident none of them had been rescued
and 1t is believed that many OF them
were either killed outright by the ex.
p1osion or have been sufocated by
the gas. Several hundred men are al
work trying to liberate the imprisoned
men. About 200 men are employed at
the mine, $50 working inside and the
remainder on the tipple.
The men on the tipple were badly
burned by the explosion. With loud
report and an upheaval like an earth,
quake the woodwork Of the tipple
was destroyed The walls OF the shaft
were filled with debris, rocks and
esrth, completely shutting off all
means Of escape for those in the mine.
Whether the explosion occurred al
the far extremity of the mine and
killed the men by the conclusion or
whether it occurred nearer the shaft
and imprisoned the men is not known.
There have been no means as yet OF
finding the exact nature of the disas-
ter and the number of men that were
killed. Ii the mine entrance cannot be
cleaned out so that the men can get
fresh air all will have perished In the
course of few hours.
Rescuers Work Desperately.
With the knowledge that scores OF
lives depended on the prompt action
of laborers at the mouth or the mine
an excited gang OF men was working
with might and main. Help was sum
moned from all sources available ana
rs many men are assisting in the work
Of rescue as can conveniently WORK
there.
Superintendent George Sheets, as
soon as he heard of the accident, tel
ephoned to Cheswick and Sprlngdale
tor assistance.
GangS of workmen were sent IN re-
sponse and physicians hurried to the
scene to take care of the injured.
Superintendent Sheets stated that
he feared the worst, but there was
possibility that some OF the miners
might have sought refuge in one OF
the mine chambers away from the nre
and in this way escape death.
The scene about the mouth OF the
pit was indeed pitiful. Hundreds OF
wives and children surrounded the
mouth of the shaft crazed with grlef
and anxiously awaiting news from
the entombed men.
The mine is about one mile from
Cheswick and was opened two years
ago. The company is allied with the
Allegheny Coal company and, IL is
said, was operated by Cleveland cap
iS fnt AI
always been a gaseous one, but there
has never been any serious trouble
there before.
Mine Reported in Good Shape.
When the mine shift left work the
mine was reported in good shape. AL
$3.50 q. m. Fire Boss Gordon went into
the mine to make his usual inspec-
ton. He reported to Inside Foreman
George Brown that everything was all
right and the day shift went into the
mine at o'clock. Before going into
the cage the miners go to the lamp
room for their safety lamps. One
hundred and fifty lamps were taken
out. SO 1t is known that there are that
number of miners in the mine. The
Are boss and mine foreman are also
In the mine, Gordon having returned
Into the mine after the men had be-
gun working. In the tipple at the
mouth OF the shaft were the weigh
master and three assistants. Several
cars OF coal had been brought out and
work was proceeding as usual when.
at 8:15 o'clock, the signal was given
from the bottom of the shaft that an
other car was ready. The cage with
mule on board was sent down. Just
rs the cage reached the bottom of the
shaft there was terrific explosion
and the cage was blown out of tic
shaft and through the roof OF the tip
pie, wrecking the weighmasters ONCE
and damaging other portions OF the
structure The mule was blown 200
feet from the tipple. Its body was
badly charred and mutilated. The
cage remained in the wrecked tipple.
All the men on the tipple were more
or less injured.
Hope Practically Abandoned.
It is said the force Of the explosion
was such that every man In the linn
tied space under ground must have
been instantly killed by the coneus