The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-11-15
TWO HORRORS.
Persons Blown to Piec,
es and Five Burned to Death.
IN PRAYER

AFearful Tragedy In the Bras.
nell Coal compauys New
Shaft at Monogohels,
Pennsylvania.
A dispatch from Monongehela, Pa,
says undoubtedly Filled and probably
blown to pieces, seven men are lying
In the depths of the new shaft Of the
Brasnell Coal Company, on the ont
skirts Of ~Bentleysville, while another
outside the mine Is dead, as the re-
suit Of the gas explosion Wednesday.
The Braanell Goal Company has been
sinking the new shaft since last sum.
mer. Two weeks ago it Was learned
that q pocket Of gas had been formed
IN the bottom Of the mine, which Is
185 feet deep. Orders were given for
all the men to work With safety
lamps and this had been done. Three
shifts Of men we've employed by Con-
tractor and General Superintendent
BuZzo.
Late Wednesday Boss Farragut and
bis six men, without thought Of dam
ger, stepped into the cage and de-
cended into the mine. Taey we're
building q concrete water ring, or
ditch, fifty feet down the shaft, In
order to catch dripping water About
five minutes after-th men decended
a terriis explosion occurred which
blew huge pieces of timber out Of the
mine, like sky rockets, as high Is 150
feet in the air. The tipple and all
the mine rigging we're torn down
and debris scattered In heaps all
around. "A shovel which lay at the
top OF the shaft was hurried with such
violence that it sank four inches into
a plank.
1t is believed the men were Instant
ly killed and fell to the bottom Of the
shaft. John McCatey, on the outside
was killed by the falling tippls and
others wereseriously though not fatal.
ly hurt. Mine Inspector Louie gave
1t as his opinion that the explosion
was caused by fire damp. But Is II
would have been practically lmpossi-
be for safety lamps IN working order
to ignite the gas, there must have
been some kind Of open light used.
An ordinary miners torch badly bat
tared, which was found near the
mouth Of the shaft, tends to Indicate
that SONS one disobsyed orders and
carried q lighted torch into the shaft.
FIVE BURNED TO DEATH.
At New York at least five persons
were burned to death IN IAN italian
tenement house at 22l east Seventy
third street early Wednesday. The
house was six floors high and the
sleeping tenants on the FIVE upper
floors were male prisoners by a .me
with the ground floor q roaring fur
mace beneath them. Three OF those
who lost their lives were kneeling in
prayer when the fire reached them.
The police believe that the fire was
started by an i~ncendlary. It began
In q heap Of rubbish at the bottom Of
IN air shaft, and spread through the
interior Of q grocery store on the
ground floor. A policeman was the
first person to see the fire, Just as it
had begun to creep up the air shaft.
He ran0into the building, pounding
on the hall doors al the way up TOT
the sixth floor to waken the tenants.
To- fire followed him 80 swiftly that
when he reached the top floor he MAS
obliged to send the tenants there oua
to thefre escape to save them from
sufiocation. I.
When the fire department. arrived
with It's ladders nearly every one On
the fire escapes was kneelipg In pray
er. Adding to the pathos Of the scene
was the action Of the men who stood
with their arms full Of personal pos
sessions while their wives fought un.
aided to protect the children. from be.
ing trampled by the crowd or suff1-
Gated by smoke. Every one on the
fire escapes was saved by the fireman.
The lessee Of the house told the po-
lice today that the BLACK Hand" So
ciety had recently sent him Letters
demanding 81, 900. Although the de-
mands did not state what the penalty
wculd be for refusing to pay the m IN
ey the polio, have begun an investi.
CATION on the belief that the fire was
started by the writers of the letters.
q Drank Much Booze.
Columbia Is not worrying about
other parts Of the state voting out the
dispensary, but 1t is continuing to
drink dispensary whiskey In iucreas.
Ing quantities. The dispeusary sales
Ia the city last month broke all REQ.
ords. In profits alone the county
treasurer last month received 90, O92..
2O-which Is to be equally divided be-.
tween the county and the town. But