The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-11-22
Twelve Persons Blown to Piec.
es and Five Burned to Death.
KNEELED IN PRAYER
While They Roasted. Five Persons
Perish in New York Tenement Fire.
AFearfui Tragedy Ia the Bras.
n.Il Coal Companys Nsw
Shaft at Morogohela,
Pennsylvania.

a dispatch from Monongohela, Pa,
says undoubtedly killed and probably
blown to rieces, seven men are lying
in the depths CT the new shaft Of the
Blasnel Coal Company, on the out
skirts OF BsnAeysville, while another
outside the mine is dead, as the re-
suit OF the gas explosion Wednesday.
The Brasnell Coal Company has bean
sinking the new shaft since last sum-
mer. Two weeks ago IL was. learned
that a pocket OF gas had been formed
in the bottom OF the mine, which Is
1875 feet deep. Orders were given for
all the men to work with safety
lamps and this had been done. Tnree
shifts Of men wele employed by Con.
tractor and General Superintendent
Buzzo.
Late Wednesday Boss Farragut and
his six men, without thoaght Of dam
ger, stepped into the cage and de-
cended into the mine. Tley were
building q concrete water ring, or
ditch, fifty feet down the shaft, in
order to catch dripping water About
FIVE minutes after the men dece1ded
a terrif, explosion occurred whtch
blew huge pieces OF timber out Of the,
mine, ike sky rockets, as high as 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 hurled with such
violence that 1t sank four inches into
9 plank.
It is believed the men were instant
ly killed and fell to the bottom ct the
Shaft. John McCatey, on the outside
was killed by the falling ttpple and
others were seriously though not fstai-
ly hurt. Mine Inspector Loute gave
1t as his opinion that the explosion
was caused By FIRE damp. But as it
would have been pracsicslly lmpossE
bic for safety lamps In working order
70 ignite the gas, there must have
been some kind OF open light used.
An ordinary miners torch badly bat
tered, which was found near the
mouth OF the shaft, tends to indicate
that some one disabeyei orders and
carried lighted torch into the shaft.
FIVE BURNED TO DEATH.
At New York at least five persons
were burned to death in an Italian
tenement house at 22l east Seventy
third street early Wednesday. The
house was six floors high and tina
sleeping tenants on the five upper
floors were lie prisoners by fame
with the ground floor a 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 incendiary. 1t began
In heap OF rubbish at the bottom OF
an air shaft, and spread through the
interior OF grocery store on the
ground floor. A policeman was ths
hrst person to see the fire, just as 1t
had begun to creep up the air shaft.
He ran0into the building, pounding
on the hall doors all the way up to
the sixth floor to Waken the tenants.
To- IRE followed him so swiftly that
when hs reached.5he top floor he wss
obliged to send the tenants there out
TO the f.e escape to save them from
sufocation.
When the fire department. arrived
with iIs LADDERS nearly every one on
the fire escapes was kneelirg 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 OF suff,-
cateG by smoke. Every one on the
ire escapes was saved by the fireman.
The lessee Of the house told the 20.
lice to-day that the Black Hand" So
ciety mad recently sent him letters
demanding $4,000. Although the de-
names diu not state what the penalty
would be Tor refusing to pay the mon
ey the pol:ce have begun an tnvesti-
CATION on Tee bslief that the fire was
started oy the w-lterS Of the letters.