Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-12-20
Horror Follows Horror in Penn
syIvania-WeSt Virginia Btu
minouS Coal FieIdSi Six Hun
dred Die in Nineteen Days,
YESTERDAYS DISASTER
ADDS 200 TO GRIM LIST
Small Hope of Saving UnfOr-
tunates Buried in Wreck
age; HeadIess and MutiIated
COrpSeS,
lBy Morning journal Special Leased wirs.l

OOIpS6S'
NV Morning journal Special Leased wirel
| Jacobs Creek. Pa. Dec, 19.-By an
explosion of gas IN the Darr mine OF
the Pittsburg Coal company located
here. today. between 200 and 25O
miners have been entombed, and
there is scarcely a ray of hope that a
signle one of them will be taken from
the mines alive Partially wrecked
buildings in the vicinity of the mine
and the condition Of the few bodies
found early in the rescue work, tndi-
cate an explosion OF such terrific
force that ~ seems impossible thal
any one could have survived H. All
of the thirteen bodies taken out up t.
this time are terribly mutilated, ana
three of them are headless.
This is the third mine disaster since
the first of the month i'm The veins o.
bituminous coal underlying western
PENNSYLVANIA and West Virginia, for
the Naomi mine, near Fayette CITY,
and the two mines at Monongah, w
Va, in which the earlier explosion
happened, are in the same belt as the
local workings. Today's catastrophe
swells the number of victims of dead
~ lliiHf kdN Att 'itN ifhA''NN'f
between $50 ans coo.
Tha. tnday's ..ss .er ioes not equal
or even surpass IN loss of life ana al
tendant horrors the one In West VIZ
ainia. is due to the devotion TO church
duties OF a considerable number oi
the miners In observance OF the
church festival. many of the 4OO or
more men regularly employed az the
mine did not go 10 work this morn
ing. Those who escaped through this
reason are members of the Greek
Catholic church, and they suspended
work TO celebrate ST. Nicholas day.
As was the case at Monongah, the
explosion followed a brief shutdown,
the Darr mine having been closed
Tuesday and Wednesday II was II .5V
O'Clock when the tenth trip Of loaded
cars had been brought out TO the
tfpple. and there came an awful rum
bling sound, followed Immediately by
a loud report and conclusion thnt
shook nearby buildings and was ielt
within a radius Of a mile. AT the
same time there came To the mouth
OF the mine an immense volume ~
smoke and dust that floated across
the YoughgieogheHy river
Inuitively every one in the vicinity
knew what had happened, and alsp
started for the one place, the mouth
of the mine The river separates the
mine and the homes of many ot inc
miners. so that only a portion OF
those who started for the scene were
able to reach it there being schnt
facilities for crossing the stream. 10
those who could not cross the water
the smoke and dust pouring from the
mines mouth told story of seething
flames back in the workings ana
from this source came reports that
were persistent until late In the day
that the mine was burning.
The ventilating fans were kept "a
operation almost without Interrupt
tion. the power plant having with
stood the force Of the explosion, ana
up TO this time rescuers have found
no fire at any place In the mine As
far as known only one man who went
to work this morning escaped. J9-
seph Mapleton. a pumper. emerged
from one of the side entries shorty
after the explosion. He had left ne
part of the mine where most ~ 'te
men were working. and was rn the
way to the engine room oiling.
Il was in entry 81" he said, 'When
I heard an awful rumbling. / starred
toward the entry, but the next instant
1 was blinded. and for a little time ]
didn't know anything. Then ! got 10
the side entry and worked my way
out "
bruised. but after going home ana
having his injuries dressed he return
ed to the mine and Joined the res
cuers.
William Kelvington. superintendent
Of the mine was not In the mine
when the explosion occurred, ana ne
quickly organized rescuing pariies,
starting one force Of twenty-five men
with reliefs at short intervals. ln the
main entry. and similar force az
side entry IL Is hoped to reach the
greater part OF the victims through
the latter source So Tar little trod-
blo has been encountered on account
Of gas or lack Of air by the rescucrS.
While the officials and the resclers
have only the faintest hope that any
of the men may be living. all worE is
being carried on upon the theory thdt
some may have found places Of save
IS. and every point 81 the workings
viii be explored az the earliest posi-
I BILE moment.
Tbe main office 81 the COMPANY o.
ia Pittsburn. and Immediately on re
ceipf OF news of the disaster the Of
ncers hurried % the mines and arc
+ leading and directing the rescue W4i s.
Among the officers on the scene are
J. NJ. Armstrong. manager or ~
lPittsburg company. John ID Byefs.
T live stock manager. II. o. Randolph.
assistant 90 the general manager;
z Bent Faraday. Inspector.
About 500 feet from the mouth Or
the mine a heavy fall Of roof was en-
couniercd by the rescuers. n is be-
lia~ed shaf most ~ fhn men VII be
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