Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-28
HELD IN BLAZING MINE
Hundreds of Men in Peril at
Mariana, Pa.
EXPLOSION FILLS SHAFT
Not Known if It Was of Gas or
Blasting Powder.
RESCUE WORK IS RUSHED
Special Trains From Pittsburg Car
FILLS SHAFT
RESCUE WORK IS RUSHED
Special Trains From Pittsburg Car
rying Special Appliances to Scene.
Pitiful Scenes at Shaft

P1TTSBURG. Pa. November .s.--A Sc
rious mine explosion occurred shortly be-
fore noon today at the mine OF the Pitts
burg Buffalo Coal Company at Mariana.
Washington county. and while there 10
nothing definite yet as to the number OF
have lost their lives. Reports from Mari
anna say that there are between 200 and
800 men in the mine At the general
Office of the coal company I'm this city it
At 1 o'clock-an hour and a half after
the accident-dense clouds OF smoke were
pouring from the two shafts Of the mine
but not sign of a miner had been seen.
Rushing as fast as steam can carry
them. special trains from this city are
bound for the scene OF the disaster. On
them are the officials of the coal COM
pany and many prominent miners who
are considered experts in the work OF
the rescue. The latest appliances from
the new United States laboratory In this
city. which were recently tested before
foreign and American experts for the
saving of life in mine explosions, have
been hurried to the scene.
Majority Are Americans.
The greatest excitement prevails at the
mine. majority of the miners are
Americans. and their families are at the
mouth of the mine I'm a state Of frenzy.
Marianne was built recently by the
Pittsburg Buffalo Coal Company.
1t necessitated a great outlay of money.
as 1t was the intention TO make the mine
up-to-date and the living conditions OF
the miners the same could be secured
in large city. The houses were OF brick
construction and each contained bath
room. When completed the town was
said by foreign and American mine Off,
Gals to be the most perfect mining town
in the world.
According to the officials of the coal
company. State Mine Inspector Louttit
and Mine Foreman Kennedy had just
completed a two-day examination OF the
mine and had come from the mine only
three minutes before the eXplos on oc-
Cured. The surprise of these two men
is beyond description.
Cage Blown 800 Feet.
The force of the explosion can be
ina gined when it Is known that the
heavy iron cage which carried the men
from the surface to the workings was
blown 300 feet away from the mouth OF
the shaft. Two men who were on the
cage at the time were killed, one of them
having his head blown off
But little nope Is en- ertalned Tor the
men who are entombed, az the farmhouse
was partly demolished and the fans stop
ped for over an hour. With the deadly
gases generated by the explosion 1t Is
hardly thought possible that the miners
could survive.
The explosion occurred in shaft No.
and the only way to reach the workings
| 10 through that shaft, as shaft NO. is
not completed Whether or not the men
in the mine can be reached is problem
aticnl. as at the present time 1t is not
known in what condition the SHAFT was
left after the explosion. Some OF the OF.
,icials Of the coal company believe II VIII
be necessary to dig through 500 feet or
solid coal before they can reach the WORK
ings.
Gas Well Near Mine.
1t is said there is large gas well In the
vicinity OF the mine. Whether gas from
this well communicated to the mine ana
became ignited, or whether powder ana
dynamite used for blasting purposes eN-
ploded, cannot now be ascertained. John
II. Jones. president of the Pittsburg- Buff
falo Coal Company was almost a physical
wreck when he learned Of the accident in
this city today.
Accompanied by other officials or the
company and j w Paul of the United
States mine testing station located here,
President Jones is on his way to the
scene in a special train.
Two assistants accompanied Mr. Paul,
carving patented helmets that make
work i'm the most dangerous mine pos
sible and with these men Mr.. Paul ex-
poets TO be able to save many lives unless
the force of the explosion was excep-
tionally heavy. Three foreigners VINO
of he mi
the exrlosion occurred are In the hos
pitaI and are in a critical condition from
Injuries received when the mine cage was
blown out of the shaft They also in