Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-26
MANY ENTOMBED.
Explosion in Shaft Of Mine
Near Pittsburg.
Feared That Nearly 1870 Have Died
from Suffocation.
Majority Were Foreianers-Work of
Rescue in Progress.

| 4''ouiS 5, Id, Jan. 25.-By an eX-
pioslon IN the Harwick mine of the
Allegheny Coal Co., at Cheswick, II
mics from Pittsburg, Western Penn
S!iVania, promises to add one of the
greatest tragedies of years to the al
ready long list of mine fatalities. Even
the officials of the Allegheny Coal Co.
the owners Of the mine, do not know at
this time the number of men still en-
tombed 220 feet below the surface, but
Il conservative estimate places the
number at 1874.
| General Manager George Scheetz of
the Coal Co., who is in charge of the
mine, gives little hope that many Of
tn" men will be brought to the surface.
The first ray of hope that any of the
men had escaped came at 6 o'clock, to-
night. when Adolph George was
brought out alive.
The explosion occurred at $40 o'clock,
| this morning, at the bottom of one of
the shafts, presuma bly, caused by fire.
damp. 1t was O'Clock, this afternoon,
before it was possible to make the first
attempt at rescue. Robert North and
Jack Mccain, one of the engineers
employed by the Allegheny Coal Co..
tried to get into the mine by way OF
the stairs drought the air-shaft. They
CROPPED their way some distance, but
We're driven back by the foul air.
The main shaft into the mine, 220 feet
deep, was made useless by the explo-
sion, which hurled both cages, one of
which was within 80 feet of the bottom,
through the Triple, 80 feet above the
surface.
Shortly after 5 o'clock, a temporary
rigging had been put in place over the
mouth of the shaft and a small bucket
capable of carrying three men was
fastened to the tackle. The first try
with the new rig was made by Selwyn
Taylor, Il mining engineer, from Pitts
burg, and an assistant, ]. N. Rayburn.
\ crowd of anxious men and women
| were at the plymouth.
At last the cage reached the bottom.
There was silence of fully 40 minutes
before the Summons to haul up slowly.
When the cage reached the top Ray
! burn was there and with him was
Adolph Gorgie. gasping for breath and
evidently injured.
Again the cage went down, carrying
T. Taylor, an assistant of Selwyn Tay-
Tor. Robert North and j. Mccain.
There was a. call for volunteers to aid
| in the work of rescue. and a call for
i hammers, nails and lattice cloths to
enable the rescuers to brace up the
workings SO they could grope their way
back to where the men were at work
when the crash came.
| The little village of Harwick that
! surrounds the mining workings, two
miles back from the West Pennsylva-
nj. hapn horror Sfrirl< n
all day. Wives and relatives of the
entombed men have crowded about the
entrance to the pit, beseeching for
! news Of those below, only to meet with
the same answer: 1--WE do not know
yet, if We find him we will send him
! home
| The little schoo1house has been pre-
pared as a mOrguc and hospital and
girls from the highest. class in the
school have been impressed as nurses.
Doctors have been summoned from the
towns of Springdale and Denny and
from Pittsburg. but nothing can be
done until further details come from
| the mine
| Mr. Scheetz. manager of the mine,
said, tonight. TO a representative OF
The Associated Press:
THE explosion. this morning, was
terrific. Both cages were blown from
the shaft, one of them distance OF
over 2GO feet. Three men at work on
the tinple were blown to the ground
and one Of them is already dead. The
other two are badly hurt, but am told
they are resting easily and may re-
cover.
There are at least $50 men in the
mine and I am afraid that there are a
number more although there are sew
eral men on the payroll who did not
report, this MONTH