Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-25
EXPLOSION IN MINE
From l25 to l50. Men En-
tombed.
LITTLE HOPE FOR THEM
DISASTER AT HARWICK COL.
L1ERY, NEAR cHEswIcK, PA.
Big Force Of Rescuers Working Hard
to Get at the Unfor-
tunate Ones.

PITTSBURG, Pa, January 25.-Between
l25 and $50 men were entombed today by
an explosion in the shaft of the Hardwick
Coal Company. near Cheswick. None of
them had been rescued at noon, and it is
believed that many of them were either
killed outright by the explosion or have
been suffocated by the gas. Several hum
dred men are at work trying to liberate
the men imprisoned inside.
About 200 men are employed at the
mine, 15O working inside and the re-
mainder on the tipple The men on the
tipple were badly burned by the explos-
ion. With loud report and an upheaval
like an earthquake the woodwork Of the
tippIe was destroyed. The walls Of the
shaft were filed with rocks and earth,
completely shutting off all means Of es-
cape for those in the mine.
Location of Explosion Unknown.
Whether the explosion occurred at the
far extremity of the mine and killed the
men by the conclusion or whether it oc-
Cured nearer the shaft and imprisoned
the men is not known. There have been
no means as yet of finding the exact ma
ture of the disaster and the number Of
men that were killed.
. If the mine entrance cannot be cleaned
out SO the men can get fresh air, all will
have perished in the course of a few hours.
With the knowledge that scores OF lives de-
pended on the prompt action OF laborers at
the mouth of the mine, an excited gang of
men was working with might and main.
Help was summoned from all sources avail
able, and as many men are assisting IN the
work of rescue as can conveniently WORK
there
Half a dozen men working near the mouth
of the pit on the tipple were caught In the
wreckage and number were seriously IN
jured. One man, 1t is thought, cannot re-
cover.
The other men employed on the tipple
were working further away from the shaft
and escaped uninjured.
Superintendent George Sheets, as soon as
he heard of the accident, telephoned to
Cheswick and Springdale for assistance.
Gangs Of workmen were sent in response,
and physicians hurried to the scene 10 taKe
care of the injured. The mine Is about one
mile from Cheswick. and was sopensd about
the Allegheny Coal Company xand ~ is saio
was operated by Cleveland capitalists The
mine, it was stated, has always been gas
eous one. but there has never been any
serious trouble there before today.
Rescue Force From Cheswick.
s,,pt. Sheets telephoned to ]. R. Morris
manager of the Pittsburg Tool and Drop
Forge Company, at Cheswick, for assist
ance. and the works there were closed and
the entire force of men, numbering seventy
five. were sent to the scene Of the explosion.
J. R. Morris Of the forge company was In
Pittsburg shortly after the accident, ana
communicated with by the managers OF the
coal company. Mr.. Morris said that ne was
acquainted with the mine where the explo-
sion occurred. He said that the smart was
about 22O feet deep. In the inside OF the
"A, l,a6 nf hap
than half mile. He said that the mine
had been but recently connected with tho
Pittsburg and Bessemer railroad, the new
tracks being opened but last week.
Pitiful Scenes About the Mine.
Supt, Sheets stated that he feared the
worst, but there was a possibility that some
of the miners might have sought refuge IN
one of the mine chambers away from the
fire. and in this way escape death. Ihe
scene about the mouth of the pit was inoeed
pitifuL Hundreds of wives and children
surrounded the mouth of the smart, crazeu
with grief and anxlously awaiting any ne"S
from the entombed men.
AS quickly as possible r. u1ng parry
was organized but no one has as yet peen
able to descend into the mine. Inc Esscu
ing party has sent to Cheswick for a snea1
with which 1t is hoped to reacn the I'LL
prisoned men. 4,,s
city. one, Henry Mahew, dying upon arr1vai.
The two others, George Waltman and r. ~.
Gillespie, were removed to the Allegheny
General Hospital. Waltman will ole.
Up to 1:3O o'clock this afternoon no one
had entered the mine and nothing Is known
of the entombed men.
The officials of the company are awaiting
the arrival of the mine inspector, VINO is
now on his way to the mine. ChesWlCh 10
a small town about fifteen miles north OF
this city on the West Penn railroad Ihe
mine is located two miles from that place.