Gilpin observer., 1904-01-28
MANY MINERS PERISH
BETWEEN 1so AND 1go ENToMDED
IN MINE BY ENPLC SION.


prisoned Men Without succeas-Ex.
plosion Throws Mule Two Huncre
Feet from Mouth of Mire.
Pittsburg. Jan. 90 From al that
can be gathered et this hour. between
$50 and 100 men are lying dead N
the headings and passageways fof the
Harwdck mine of the Allegheny Coal
company at CheSwick. the result OF y
terrific explosion. Cage after cage
has gone down into the mine and
come up again, .but only one miner CT
all those that went down ITO work
has been brought to the surface
The rescued man is Adolph Gunia
and he is still in a semi.conscious
condition at the temporary Eospi,a
at the Rude school house Gn the hill
side, above the mine.
In addition to the miners who were
at work when the explosion occurred
news was broughtby the rescuers who
have come. up the 220 foot vertical!
shaft for warming and a breathin +;
spell. that Selwyn NJ. Taylor the
Pittsburg mining engineer. who plat
a tcu tue liiiht NAo " ao 'hV ~ o.
To reach the bottom after the eyplo
sion happened. Is also row among
the list of dead OF those in the
mine, all are probably dead The ex-
ilosion occurred at 20 a m and the
first warning was suiden rumble un-
foreground and then sheet of flame
followed up the deep shaft. Both
mine cages we're hurled through the
tipple. twenty. feet above the landing
stage. and the three men on the upple
were hurled to the ground. mule
=. was thrown high above the shaft and
fell dead on the ground. The injured
men were brought at once to this city.
where two of them have since died.
AS soon as the rumble of the ex
plosion 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 II Z
mines and brought them out again
when the days work was done. were
both demolished.
All day long there was a jam of
anxious women and children gathered
about the mouth Of the pit. There
were calls for assistance and for sur
gical aid from the men in charge OF
the mine. but it was not until 4
o'clock that the first attempt at res
cue was made. This was after the
two men who volunteered were driven
back by the foul al. Selwyn NJ. Tay-
lor and one of his assistants signalled
for the engineer to lower them into
the shaft.
Thomas Woods. one of the first OF
the rescued party hauled to the sur
face. told his story Of his trip through
the mine. He said: II was with Tay-
lor and we clambered over three or
four falls. Taylor laid out the mine
and seemed to know the way. There
was one 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,
and then went on. We passed the
third. fourth and fifth heading and
then through an overdrift into the air
shaft. began to feel dizzy and sick
and then l saw Taylor stagger and
fall. His lantern fell. We tried to
lift him. but could not carry him up.
and ! made my own way to safety"
The body of Selwyn Taylor was
brought to the surface this morning.
He had evidently been dead for sew
eral hours and hopes for the other
imprisoned men have been abandoned.
The rescuers are being brought out.
coated with ice, drenched to the skin
and unable to walk. They report that
the dead are scattered one above the
other as thick as pine needles. Water
is fast pouring into the mine. cover
ing TIE corpses with a shroud OF ice
and making the work OF rescue almost
impossible. Afterdamp Is collecting
in quantities.