Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-07-18
DEAD AND10 INJURED.
Victims of Mine Disaster Near
PottsyiIle, Pa.
DUE 70 GAS EXPLOSION

People Of WIIIIamstewn Rushed Il
sosns u Disasfsr--Three Of Injuries
VIII DIs-Ths Dead Were HerrIbI,
Mansisd.
rottsville, Pa, July 1s.--Seven dead
and ten injured. several probably IA
tally, II the CHASTITY record of the
Summit Branch Mining company op
Grafton ut Williamstown, where .
frightful gas, explosion occurred, tear
ing down timbsrs BY the force OF it,
shock and setting parts Of the work
ings on nrs
The dead are: John Reilly. Arthur
Hawk, Charles Rickert, John Whittle
Anthony Frelas, James Bowman and
Michael stakum.
The most seriously injured are: vii
liam MainhArt, Charles Parker, Mar
tin Doyle, Ralph Finley, John Walsh
Isaac Hess, Charles Hepler and Mon
roe Shade.
The explosion occurred in No. ]
shaft of the Williamstown colliery, and
IL believed to have been caused by one
Of the dead men lifting the cause oil
his safety lamp just after an explo
sion Of shot which brought down o
large body of coal. Superintendent
Aumen at once directed the work OF
rescue, and when volunteers were
called for almost every man at the
colliery offered his services, which
meant . hazardous trip into the burn
Ing mine, which was filed with deadly
afterdamp.
Near the opening OF the shaft the
unconscious forms of the injured were
found, they having rushed toward the
shaft only to fall over unconscious
from their gaping wounds and through
suffocation by the deadly damp which
follows mine explosions. All of the
dead were found a short distance from
the opening OF the shaft, battered and
burned into an almost unacceptable
mass.
1t was the worst calamity which has
ever visited the lower anthracite
fields. and as soon as the news reach
ed the village of Williamstown all
places of business were closed and the I
town was In q short while deserted, as
the crowds rushed to the colliery, a |
little more than a mile distant The
scenes there will never be forgotten
as the blackened bodies of the dead
and injured were brought to the sur
face and removed to the imprOvised !
morgue and hospital in the colliery
ONCE and storehouse, while the crying i
women and children crowded around !.
hunting for loved ones.
Physicians from Williamstown and /
nearby villages responded and treated
the injured, while q number of women
their services as nurses.
The attending physicians have no hopes
for ut least three Of the injured, SO
that It is expected the list of dead will
reach ten. = ~essA~sta -s----4
One Of the injured men was taken
to the morgue, and it was not until an
Of the bodies was made
that it was found he was living. He
was badly burned and battered by the
flames and shock Of the explosion and /
collapsed completely, due to heart I
trouble. Under treatment heart action !
was restored and he will recover.
The IRE which followed the explo- |
sion was Of a very inconseQuential
character and can be readily extin-
guished. One of the injured, who was
taken out in an unconscious condition,
In an interview stated that he did not
know what caused the explosion. He
Just remembers a binding flash as he
was thrown against the timbers In the
gangway. and he knew no more until
be found himself in the improvised |
hospital .-s,-->4>- =