The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-01-28
CUTS
OFF $50 MINERS
Two Men Dead, and Much Mys-
terry Prevails About the
Entire Affair.
MULE CLOWN r Q SHAFT
There Were $50 Non at Work in the
Mine and Their Avenue Of Escape
Was Shut OH-FataI Explosion
at Ar.other Place.

Was Shut OH-FataI Explosion
at Another Place.
Pittsburg, Pa, IAN. 26.-Dr. w. Is.
Mccullough of Cheswick, who has been
in the mine for two hours, has just
come to the surface and told the ASso-
ciated Press representative that in his
opinion not one of the miners Who We're
in the shaft at the time OF the explos-
ion is aliv He thinks it will be sew
eral hours before any of the bodies can
be brought to the surface.
Pittshurg, Pa, jar. 2G.-The report OF
J the rescurers an hour ago to the effect
that many were alive was rudely shat
| tered at 2:25, when the body of SelWyn
| Taylor wsS brought to the surface. He
had evidently been dead for several
hours and now hopes for the other inn
prisoned men have been abandoned.
The escurers are being brought out
coated with ice, drenched to the skin
n unable to walk. They report that
the lead are scattered thickly about
the different headings. Water is fast
pouring into the mine, covering the
corpseS with a shroud of ice and max
ing he work of rescue almost impos-
sible. Afterdamp is now collecting.
IlllSDuTS, Ia, jan. GD.-AH GApAoS!oii
occurred in the shaft OF the Harwick
Coal near Cheswick, Pa, on
the West Pennsylvania railroad, today,
cutting off escape of at least $50 miners
who We're at work. Three triple men
Were badly burned and n later died.
Three injured men were put on a train
for Allegheny and one died on the way
to the city. When the explosion oc-
CURED the conclusion vas SO great that
! a. rnule WAS blown nuf of one Sha fl 1t
is not yet known what caused the ex-
plosion or just how it occurred.
About 200 men We're employed in the
mine. $50 inside and the remainder on
the tipple. The latter We're badly
burned by the explosion. which came
with 9 loud report, and a shock like an
earthquake. The tipple was destroyed,
the walls of the shaft filed with debris
and earth. completely cutting off means
of escape.
Just in what part of the mine the ex-
plosion occurred is not yet known, and
there is no means OF knowing how
many We're killed. Unless the entrance
can be cleared and fresh air forced in
TO the mine all will be dead In a few
hours.
Gangs of men are at work in the at
tempt to clear the entrance and relieve
the men inside. The mine is located a
mile from Cheswick, and opened two
SSuhp tSo. 10 l. Ny XIV !
gheny Coal company. AT 2 o'clock no
one had been able to descend TO the
mine.
Crowds Soon Gather.
As 500 as the rumble of the explo
sion and the crash at the pit mouth
startled the little village the wives and
children Of the men below rushed to
the scene of the disaster, but to gain
no encouragement. There was no way
to get into the deep workings. The
cages that let the men into the mines
and brought them out again when the
days work was done We're both demol-
ished.
All day long there was a jam of
waiting women and children about the
mouth of the pit. There We're calls for,
assistance and for surgical aid from
the men in charge of the mine. but it
was not until II o'clock this afternoon
hat the first attempt at rescue was
made. This was a failure, as the two
men who volunteered We're driven back
by the foul air. Shortly after 5 O'clock
Selwyn Taylor and one of his assist
ants signaled for the engineer to lower
them into the shaft. Taylor is still
down. Three times efforts have heent
made to reach him, but SO far without
avail.
Thomas Wood, one OF the first Of the
rescue party hauled to the surface, told
his story of his trip through the mine.
He said:
II was with Taylor, and we Cam
bered yer three or four falls. Taylor
laid out the mine and seemed to know
the way. There was a man alive at the
foot of the shaft. He was sent up. and
then we took the mule path into the
south level. We saw two men who
were alive, and notified those back of
us, then went on. We passed the THRU,
fourth and fifth headings and then
~ s.,t - a. Il. "a
I began to feel dizzy and sick and then
I saw Taylor stagger and fan. His
lantern fell. We tried to lift him, but
could not carry him up, n I made my
own way to safety
F. w. Cunningham. the. mine in
spector Of the Fourteenth district
reached Harwick tonight. When seen
by an Associated Press reporter soon
after his arrival he said:
The mine where the explosion took
place was inspected, / think, about the
LIST Of December. There vas some gas
in there then, but 1 never considered
the mine dangerous
company's office is dated July II, 1903,
but it is evident that a later report has
been torn off.
Hartwick Horror Stricken.
The little village of Hartwick has
been horror stricken all day. The wives.
ana IeidllNCS OIL Inc eHtOrnDed men
have crowded about the entrance to
the pit, beseeching for news of those
below, but only to meet with the same
sad answer: I'VE do not know yet. il,
we find him weswill send him home"
The little school house has been pre-.
pared as a morgue and hospital. The.
benches and seats have all been re-
moved. and eight girls from the highest
class at the school have been impressed
as nurses.
Doctors have been summoned from:
the surrounding towns OF Sprfngdale
and Denny, and also from Pittsburg.
U nothing can be lone until further
details come from the mine.
MIR. Scheetz, the manager OF the
nine, said last night to a representa-
tive OF the Associated Press:
The explosionsMonday morning was
Terrific. Both cages were .lown from.
the Shaff.n one n9 fhann Z air4as.aa -