Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-01-25
NOT ONE HAS Been RESCUED.
Many or All May Have Been Killed
Outright or Suaoeated
By Gas
RESCUERS TRYING TO SAVE THEM.
Hundreds Of Wives and Children
Around the Mouth of the Shaft
The Worst is Feared.

Pittsburg Jan, 25.--Between l25 and
$50 men were cntombed today by an
explosion In the SHAFT OF the HarwIck
Coal company near Cheswick, None
of them had been rescued at noon, and
1t Is believed that many Of them were
either killed outright by the explosion
or have been suffocated by the gas.
Several hundred men are at work try.
ing to liberate the men imprisoned In
side. About 200 men are employed at
the mine, 100 working inside and the re-
malnder on the tlppe. The men on the
tipple were badly burned by the explo-
sion 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 filled with de-
brls, rocks and earth, completely shut
ting off all means Of escape for those In
the mine.
Whether the explosion occurred at the
far extremity of the mine and killed
the men by the conclusion, or whether
II occurred nearer the shaft and i'm
prlsoned the men Is not known, There
have been no means as yet Of finding
the exact nature OF the disaster and the
number Of men killed. IL the mine ell
trance cannot be cleaned out so that
the men can get fresh afr. all will have
persisted in the course Of 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 working with
might and main. Help was summoned
from all sources available and as many
men are assisting In the work OF rescue
as can conveniently work there.
Half dozen men working near the
mouth OF the pit on the tipple were
caught IN the wreckage and number
were seriously injured. One man, IL
Is thought. cannot recover. The other
men employed on the tipple were work
ing further away from the shaft and
escaped unlnjured.
Sup, George Sheets, as soon as he
heard OF the accident. telephoned TO
Cheswick and Springdale for assistance.
Gangs OF workmen were sent IN re-
Spouse and physicians have rushed 10
the scene to take care Of the injured,
The mine Ia about a mile from Ches-
wick and was opened about two years
age. The company Is allied with the
Allegheny Coal company ana II Is said
was operated by Cleveland capitalists.
The mine, 1t "a stated, has always been
gaseous one, but there has never been
any serious trouble there before today.
supt Sheets telephoned TO j, u. Nor
ria, manager Of the Plttsburg Tool e
Drop Forge company at Cheswick for
assistance. The works there were closed
and the entire force Of men, numbering
IS, were sent TO the scene.
Sup,, sheets stated that he feared
the worst, but there was possibility
that some OF the miners might hayc
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 pititul.
Hundreds OF wives and children sur,
rounded the mouths OF the shafts crazed
with grief and anSlously awaiting any
news from the entombed men.
As quickly as possible rescuing par
ty was organized but no one has as yet
been able to descend into the mine.
Three OF the injured were brought TO
this city, one, Henry Mayhem, dying
upon arrival. The two others, George
Mailman and r. n. Gillespie, were re.
moved to the Allegheny hospital. Walt-
man will die.
Up 10 1880 o'clock this afternoon no
ono had entered the mine and nothing is
known OF the condition Of the entombed
men.
Before the miners went to work this
Fire Boss Gordon went into
the mine and made his usual inspection.
He reported that everything was all
right one hundred and nifty safety
lamps We're taken ont this morning.
90 II Is known that there are that num-
Der Of miners IN the mine. The Are
bosses and mine f0remen arc also In
the mine, Gordon having returned into
the mine after the men had begun
In the tlpplo at the mouth OF tho
shaft were the weiehmaster ana three
assistants. Several cars OF coal had
been brought out and work was pro-
ceeding as usual when The signal was
given from the bottom Of the shaft that
another ear Was ready The cage with
n mule on board was sent down, Just
ns the cage reached the bottom Of the
shaft there was terrible explosion
and the cage was blown out Of the
shaft and through the top OF the roof
Of the tipple, wreCkiuR the welghmas-
Ier's Office and damaging other portions
n the structure. The mule was blown
200 feet from the tipple, The cage re.
NAMED In the wrecked tlpple. All the
men on the Triple were more or less
injured.
After the injured men had been cared
Tor Mine Inspector Cunningham was
notified OF the disaster and preparations
we're made TO go 20 the relief OF the
Imprisoned miners. The air shaft also
had hecn damaged by the explosion and
/ was two hours before air could be
pumped into the mine.
This afternoon Supt. Sheets said that
10 believed the explosion was caused by
ire damp. Mr. Sheets said that the
work OF rescung would begin as soon
Is the mine inspector arrived The
HAIRED condition Of the dead mule and
he force OF the explosion, however.
ed the mine officials to fear for the
worst.
II IL thought that the force Of the ex-
lloslon was 30 great that every man
n the limited space under ground must
nave been Instantly Killed by the con.
'ussIon and Il Is likely that the inter.
or Of the mine Is badly wrecked and
'ayed Any OF the men who might poe.
IDLY have escaped the shock Of the ox.
,losion have probably been suffocatel
~ the after-dnmp and mining men
hlnk It Is hardly likely that any would
lo brought oui alive, The mine. being
new one. and the entries and head
nes being driven only short distance,
educes tho chances Of the men for es-
ape