The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-26
CO[UERY CATASTROPHE,
I0O MINERS ENTOhbED
22O FEET UNDERGROUND
Another Frightful Tragedy in the
Soft Coal Region of Western
Pennsylvania.
TERRIFIC GAS EXPLOSION
That Hurled Two Cages and a
Mule Far Above the Mouth
of the Pit.
HEROIC RESCUE EFFORTS
Selwin Taylor, a Noted Mining
Expert. Found Dead Early
This Morning.
GAS EXPLOSION
HEROIC RESCUE EFFORTS

PITTSBURG, Jan. 26, $3.50 a. NIT is be-
lieved at this hour that all the $50 or more
miners entombed by the explosion at Ches-
wick yesterday are dead. Selwin Taylor,
a famous mining expert. who led in the
attempt to rescue the imprisoned men, sac
rifced himself His dead body was recov-
cred at 2:25 a. m.
PITTSBURG. Pa, Jan. 25.-Between 80
and 1870 men are entombed In the headings
and passageways of the Harwick mine
of the Allegheny Coal Company at Ches-
wick. the result of a terrific explosion of gas
to-day Cage after cage has gone down into
the mine and come up again but only one
miner of all those that went down to work
this morning has been brought to the sur
face The rescued man is Adolph Gunia
and he is still in semi-conscious condition
al the temporary hospital at the rude
schoolhouse on the hillside above the mine.
In addition to the miners who were at
work W hen the explosion occurred, it was
stated by practically all of the men
of the rescue party who came up the
220-foot vertical shaft for warming and
breathing spell, that Selwin NJ Taylor. the
Pittsburg mining engineer who plated the
mine and who was the first to reach the
Bottom after the explosion happened, also
was among the list of dead.
HURLED THROUGH Triple.
The explosion occurred at $40 o'clock this
morning, and the first warning was the sud
den rumble underground, and then a sheet
of llame followed UP the deep shaft Both
mine cages were hurled through the tipple
twenty feet above the landing stage, and
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
died since. Their names are Henry May
hew. check weighman, and George Walt
man, tippleman.
AS soon as the rumble of the explosion
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 dis
turbance. but TO gain no. encouragement.
There was no way 10 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 were both demol-
ished.
All day long there was jam Of waiting
women and children waiting about the
mouth of the pit. There were calls for as
sistance and for surgical aid from the men
in charge of the mine but 1t was not until
4 o. clock this afternoon that the first at
tempt at rescue was made This a
failure, as the two men who volunteered
were driven back by the foul air.
TAYLOR WAS MISSING.
Shortly after o'clock Selwin M. Taylor
and one of his assistants signaled for the
engineer to lower them into the shaft. Ef-
forts were made TO reach him. but he was
not found till midnight. 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 clambered over tree 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 We passed the third
and fourth and fifth heading and then
through an overdrift into the air shaft. ]
began TO feel dizzy and sick. and then |
saw Taylor stagger and fall. His lantern
fell We tried to lift him up. but could
not carry him up, and l made my own
way TO safety.
T. W Cunningham. the mine inspector
CONTINUED ON PAGE ,, COL. p