Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1904-01-29
MINE EXPLOSION
KILLS NEARLY ZOO
Rescue Parties Are At Work With
Little Hope For the Miners.
ALL ARE PROBABLY DEAD
The Terrific ExpiosIOn Occurred In
the HnrwIck Mine of the
Allegheny Coal Company
mt Chesvirk, PA.

Pittsburg, Jan. 2G-From all that
ran be gathered, between 100 and 1870
men are lying dead In the headings
and passageways of the Harwick mine
OF the Allegheny Coal Co. at Ches-
wick, the result Of a terrific explosion
Monday. Cage after age has gone
down into the mine and come up again,
and only one miner Of all those who
went down to work Monday morning
has been brought to the surface. The
rescued man is Adolph Gunia, and he
is still in a semi-cOnsciOus condition
at the temporary hospital at the rude
schoolhouse on the hillside above the
mine.
Mining Engineer Taylor "a Victim.
In addition 10 the miners who were
at work when the explosion occurred
It is nov believed by practically all OF
the men of the rescue party who have
come up the 22O-fOut vertical shaft for
a warming and a breathing spell, that
Selwyn NJ. Taylor, the Pittsburg min
ing engineer, who plotted the mine
and who was the first to reach the
bottom after the explosion happened
is also now among the list Of dead. OF
those in the mine, all are probably
dead.
No warning Of the EA piOsiOn.
The explosion occurred at 800 O'Clock
Monday morning, and the first warning
was the sudden rumble underground,
and then a sheet Of flame followed up
the deep shaft. Both the mine cages
were hurled through the tipple. 90 feet
above the landing stage. and three men
on the tipple were hurled to the
ground A mule was thrown high above
the shaft and fell dead on the ground
The injured men we're brought at once
to this city, where two of them have
since died.
No Means Of Rescue.
As soon az 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 &c
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 were both demol.
ishcd.
Three Efforts NJ Rescue Mndr.
All day long there was "A jam OF
waiting ONE and children about the
mouth of the pit. There were calls for
assistanc and for surgical aid from the
men in charge Of the mine, but it was
,., ,,,iI y,,r ,',I.,J N..t,,, ,y,,.
noon that the first attempt at rescue
was made. This was "A failure, as the
two men who volunteered were driven
back by The foul air. Shortly after
five, Sclvyn NJ. Taylor and one Of his
assistants signalcd for the engineer &c
lower them into the shaft. TAYLOR is
still down there, Three times efforts
far without avail.
Late Monday night Manager Schoe'z
tclegraphed TO Chief Mine Inspector J
A itoderick at Harrisburg as follows:
Two outside men died Of injuries
this evening. But N brought out of
the shaft who Is still alive. Rcscuing
party in mine, including Mine Inspect
OF Cunningham, who Will advise later
Extent "f Catastrophe Unknown
II. T.. Hutchinson, who gave out the
lamps TO the miners before they went
to work in the pit Monday morning
said.
al 40 o'clock, the time when the
whistles blew and when everyone IL
supposed to be at work in the mine, |
had given out between $50 and 1870
lamps"
THAT a one lamp to a man."
Eyes"
Did any OF those lamps come back?'
Not one"
There Is a light in every cottage In
the little hamlet above the pit mouth
There Is still a crowd about the mouth
OF the shaft, but It will probably bt
hours before the full extent OF the
catastrophe Is known.
AN EPIDEMIC OF SMALLPOX