Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-04-06
NINE HORROR IN
AN ILLINOIS MINE
Explosion Is Reported to Have
Caused Many Deaths of
Non-Union Miners.
GAS HAD ACCUMULATED
Tho Explosion Blew the Shafts I.
Piece-Fifteen Bodies Are Re.
covered, but Some Of Them
Are Unrecognizable.

Benton, ILL.,, April 5.-Some City
miners were entombed in Joseph Lett
er's mine at Ziegler by a terrific ex-
plosion of gas. and it is probable that,
thirty or more of the buried men are
dead.
The explosion was due to the fact
that the Letter mines are not worked
on Sunday, thus allowing gas to accum-
ulate in the lower workings.
When between tnirty-tive and forty
five miners had descended into the
mine to resume work a terrific explos-
ion belw the timbers about the mouth
of the mine high into the air. One OF
the steel cages was blown to the sur
face from the bottom of a 500-foot
shaft. The shock of the explosion was
felt at Benton, twelve miles distant.
One miner was killed and four We're
severely injured at the mouth of the
shaft in which the explosion occurred.
Were Two Explosions.
The number of dead is estimated at
thrty-four; wounded eight. 1t trans
pires that there We're two explosions
close together. The first explosion took
place in the air shaft and was fol-
lowed by a much greater upheaval in
the main shaft. There We're employed
in the mine only $50 men, 120 men being
at work days. Four cages, each con-
tanning ten men of the day force, had
gone down into the mine and We're sup
posedly at the bottom when the catas
trophe occurred. The explosion wreck
ed the shaft. blowing out the skids on
which the cages We're hoisted. OF the
thrty-four men thought to be dead
only thirteen have been taken out. Be
sides these bodies three We're removed
alive, but with fatal injuries.
Among the dead are:
JAMES REYBURN, engineer.
]. P. FINK.
WILLIS CAMPBELL.
The remainder are Greeks and Lith.
uanians and We're designated by num-
bers.
Shaft Wreck.
Superintendent Hurd said that the
shaft was a wreck and that the main
entrance was SO disabled that it would
take week to repair 1t. In the effort
to recover the entombed men five res
cuers We're overcome by afterdamp.
All the searchers for the men below
We're let down by hand. In two in
stances the men above We're nearly
overcome by gas.
The work of rescue was begun at once
by miners who We're arriving when the
explosion took place, but the main shaft
was demolished so that rescue work
had to be carried on through the air
shaft. This has hindered the work of
aiding the entombed men to such an ex-
tent that when darkness fell only three
bodies and one injured man had been
brought to the surface. These bodies
We're found forty feet from the bottom
Of the air shaft and this is as far as
the rescuers have been able to pene-
trate. A cOmmitte of union miners from
Duquoin and other neighboring min
ing towns, headed by District Presi-
dent Morris. FASTENED to Zeigler soon
after the explosion occurred and Of.
fered their aid.
Bodies Not Identified.
The bodies of the dead are so black.
ened that they cannot at once be iden-
titled. Rolly Campbell is the injured
miner brought out of the shaft, and it
is said that he cannot live Campbell
is conscious, but he is unable to give
any explanation Of the accident.
There was much excitement among
the miners when the accident became
known, because there had been strike
of long duration and many conflicts
had occurred between strikers and
nonunion miners.
An all day investigation tends to
show that the catastrophe was due to
the accidental explosion Of Accumulate
ed gas.
Up to 10 o'clock fifteen dead bodies
had been recovered. The work of res
cue is made Very difficult and danger
Gus by the foulness of the air in the
mine. Only two bodies found show
marks of the explosion, death i'm the
other cases having evidently resulted
from asphyxiation.
Joseph Letter is expected to reach
Zeigler, although 1t was at first report.
ed that he was Ell route to Europe.
Rescue work will continue all night.
Tonight thirty-one collins. accom-