The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1904-01-29
ONE SHEET Of FLAME.
Terrific Explosion in a Mine in
Pennsylvania.
Coal Company Officially Admits That
All of the Men in the Harwick Mine
When the Explosion Took
Place, Are Dead.

that can be gathered at a late hour
Monday night, between $50 and 100
men are lying dead in the headings
and passageways of the Harwick mine
of the Allegheny Coal Co., at Cher
wick, the result of a terrific explosion
Monday 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 Monday morning
has been brought to the surafce. The
rescued san is Adolph Cunia and he is
still in a semi-conscious condition at
the temporary hospital at the rude
schoolhouse on the hillside above the
mine
In addition to the miners who were
at work when the explosion occurred,
it is now believed by practically all of
the men of the rescue party who have
come up the 220 foot 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 bot
tom after the explosion happened, is
also now among the list of dead
The explosion occurred at 8:20
o'clock Monday morning and the first
warning was the sudden rumble I'M
dergrOund, and then a sheet Of flame
followed up the deep shaft. Both mine
cages were hurled through the tipple,
20 feet above the landing stage, and
the three men on the tipple was hurled
to the ground A mule was thrown
high above the Shaft and fell dead.
All day long there was a jam Of
waiting women and children waiting
about the mouth of the pit There
were calls for assistance and for surgi-
cal aid from the men in charge of the
mine. but it was not until o'clock
Monday afternoon that the first at
tempt at rescue was made. This was
a failure as the two men who volun-
teered were driven back by the foul
air
Shortly after Selwyn NJ Taylor
and one of his assistants signalled for
the engineer to lower them into the
shaft Taylor is still down there.
Three times efforts have been made to
reach him, but so far without avail.
A report of the rescuers made to the
effect that many were alive was rude
ly shattered at 2:25 a. m Tuesday,
when the body of Selwyn Taylor was
brought to the surface. He had evil
IDENTIFY been dead for several hours,
and now hopes for the other imprison-
ed men have been abandoned. 1t is
believed every one is dead.
The rescuers are being brought out
coated with ice, drenched to the skin
and unable to walk. They report that
dead are scattered one above the other
as thick as pine needles Water is
fast pouring into the mine, covering
the corpses with a shroud of ice and
making the work of rescue almost i'm
possible. After damp is collecting in
quantities.
Pittsburg, Pa, Jan. 28-Three days
have elapsed since the terrible catas-
trophe at the Harwicl1 mine of the
Allegheny Coal Co., and Wednesday
might at midnight II bodies had been
recovered and brought to the surface
Only Is of these have been identified
The day has been one of horror in the
little village, and while the blackened
bodies were brought from the top of
the shaft and then on sleds taken to
the school house, where the undertake
ers were ready to receive them, there
seemd to prevail in the community as
a clutch that depressed their natural
feelings of passionate anxiety and sor-
row the grim realization that there
is still much work to be done before
the full extent of the catastrophe has
been realized. The Allegheny Coal
Co Wednesday in an official state
ment positively admitted that all of
the men who were in the mine when
the explosion occurred are dead.
There are III names on the list, which
does not include Selwyn M. Taylor,
or Of the two men who were on the
tipple above the mine shaft when the
explosion came.
The list of III names was made pub
lie Wednesday night by c. L. Terry,
secretary Of the company. Mr.. Terry
says that it is possible that one or
more of these included may have es-
capped death but this is hardly prob
able. The only man included in the
list who is known to be living is CHRIS
Gums, who is not yet out of danger.
He IS the man who was found at the
bottom of the shaft by the rescue par
ty headed by Selwyn M. Taylor.
This brings the official number of
known dead up to ia, but the list may
still be incomplete, as it is possible
that some boys may have gone into
the pit to work under their fathers
direction whose names have not yet
been ascertained. Hutchinson, the
custodian of the lamps, says that be-
tween $50 and 100 lamps were given
out on the fatal Monday morning, and
no man was given more than one.
An Inquiry Ordered.