The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-01-28
Over One Hundred Men Entombed
Near Cheswick, Pa, and Ter
rible Loss of Life Expected.
BIG FORCE IMMEDIATELY SETS
TO WORK TO RESCUE PRISONERS
Men Will All Perish Unless They Can
Soon Get Fresh Afraid Sent For
-Pitiful Scenes ut Mouth of Shaft
cause of Disaster Not known,
But Gus Explosion Suspected.


and $50 men were entombed Monday by
an explosion in the shaft Of the Harwick
Coal company near Cheswick. None of
them had been rescued up to two p. M,
and it is believed that many Of them
were either killed outright by the ex-
plosion or have been suffocated by the
gas. One rumor said that the dead were
estimated between 40 and so. Several
hundred men Immediately went to work
trying to liberate the men imprisoned
inside. About 200 men were employed
at the mine, $50 working inside and the
remainder on the tipple. The men on
the tipple were badly burned by the ex-
plosion. With a loud report and an up
heaval like an earthquake, the wood
work Of the tipple was destroyed. The
walls of the shaft were filed with
debris, rocks and earth, completely
shutting off all means of escape for
those in the mine.
All May Perish.
Whether the explosion occurred at
the far extremity of the mine and killed
the men by the conclusion, or whether
it occurred nearer the shaft and impris-
Oned the men is not known. There have
been no means as yet of finding the ex-
act nature of the disaster and the num-
Der of men that were killed. If the
mine entrance cannot be cleaned out so
that the men can get fresh air all will
have persisted in the course of a few
hours. With the knowledge that scores
of lives depended on the prompt action
OF laborers at the mouth of the mine an
excited gang of men was soon working
with might and main. Help was sum-
moned from all sources available and
as many men assisted in the work of
rescue as could conveniently work
there.
Half dozen men working near the
mouth of the pit on the tipple were
caught in the wreckage and three were
seriously injured. They were brought
to this city, one, Henry Mathew, dying
upon arrival. The two others, George
Mailman and F. N Gillespie, were re-
moved to the Allegheny general hos
pital. Mailman will die.
Help Hurried to Scene.
Superintendent George Sheets, as
soon as he heard Of the accident, tele-
phoned to Cheswick and SpriIgdale for
assistance. Gangs of workmen were
sent in response and physicians hurried
to the scene to- take care of the injured.
The mine is about one mile from Ches-
wick, and was opened about two years
ago. The company is allied with the
Allegheny Coal company and it is said
was operated by Cleveland capitalists.
The mine, it is stated, has always been
a gaseous one, but there has never been
any serious trouble there before. Super
intendent 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 cham
bers away from the fire and in this way
escaped death.
The scene about the mouth of the pit
was indeed pitiful. Hundreds of wives
and children surrounded the mouth
of the shaft crazed with grief and anx-
iously awaiting any news from the en-
tombed men. AS quickly as possible
rescuing party was organized, but up to
two o'clock no one has been able to de-
scend into the mine.
Gas Explosion Suspected.
There was little fire following the ex-
plosion For few minutes smoke hung
around the mouth of the shaft. Then
it drifted away and, except for the par
TALLY wrecked tipple, there was moth
ing TO show that several score Of hui
man beings had probably gone to their
death in an instant. While the exact
cause of the catastrophe has not been
determined, it undoubtedly resulted
from an explosion of gas. The explo-
sion coming several hours after the
men went into the mine would indicate
that vein of gas had been tapped. If
it had been from firedamp the explo-
sion would have resulted as soon as the
men descended into the mine. 1t is said
the mine safety lamps required by law
were used by all the men.
What caused the gas to ignite will
probably not be known until an official
investigation has been made.