The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-11-28
EXPLOSION SHUTS
OFF ESCAPE OF
VICTIMS
RELIEF IS RUSHED TO SCENE
ENTIRE VILLAGE ALIVE WITH
TERROR. STRICKEN PEOPLE
SMOKE FROM TWO SHAFTS.

PITTSBURG. Pa. Nov. 28.-Fire
enveloped the Mariana mine or the
Pittsburg- Buffalo Coal company near
Zollersville today. An explosion this
morning at 11:25 shook the entire
neighborhood and brought from the
houses In the vicinity hundreds OF
persons anxious to learn the fate OF
those working beneath the ground.
Between 200 and 800 men were work
ing at the time, and 1t Is believed that
most OF these persisted In the explo-
sion. Immediately after the explo-
sion officials OF the company started
arrangements to rush a rescue party
to the mine. A special train was pre-
pared and equipped with all the mod.
ern appliances necessary for such
work.
John II. Jones, president Of the CON-
pany. was at first inclined to disbe-
lieve the report OF the explosion. say
Ing that State Mine Inspector Louttit
and Nine Foreman Kennedy. had just
completed a two days examination Of
the mine and found II to be in perfect
condition.
An instant after the report OF the
explosion was heard, alarm was In
tensified by the issuing Of smoke from
the two shafts OF the mine. A minute
later the entire village was alive.
Those men who were not working,
and women and children, as though
called together by the general alarm.
ran from their houses and congregat-
ed at the mine. Then the smoke that
till then shot in dense clouds from
the shafts, gave way to a deadly con
Migration which drove those who
came hither TO places Of greater safe
ty.
AT 1890 a special train and relief
party OF nearly one hundred men left
Monongahela for the burning mine.
Reports TO that town were to the eff
feet that there were only one hundred
men In the mine at the time of the ex-
plosion and that most OF these were
.Englishmen. In spite OF that, how
ever. the babel OF anguished tongues
that arose from the frenzied multi
tude on the outside OF the mine was
heart rending In the extreme Al.
most every quarter Of lower Europe
was represented In the general cos
mopolitan mix-up. Women ran about
tearing their hair and bewailing the
loss OF those they knew and loved, and
little children who, by this evening,
may be proven orphans. chung to their
mothers dresses In their bewilder-
ment and grief.
The first OF the relief party arrived
at the burning mine about o'clock. but
nothing could be- done imme diately.
Engineers and mining experts en-
ployed by the company will be on
hand as soon as they can be rushei
to the scene, when the work Of ex.
tinguishing the flames will be begun
immediately. Until that part OF the
work is fully accomplished nothing In
the way OF rescuing can be done.
Most OF the women Of the mining town
are frenzied by the belief that men,
bers OF their families suffered In the
disaster. and what few men there are
about the place are being anxiously
questioned In a dozen different tongues
and dialects.
II was learned here from one or two
foreigners who managed to crawl from
the SHAFT at the instant OF the explo-
sion that a defective fan handled by
an inexperienced hand caused the cat
astroph. while another said that one
OF the men attempted to light his pipe.
The situation becomes more desper-
ate every minute.
Men begrimed with dirt and oil af-
ter their morning work In nearby
places are fast congregating around
the Inflated mine. With each arrival
new wall goes up from the throng,
as II Is seen that those wanted viii
not arrive to appease the fears of the
assembled multitude.