New-York tribune., 1908-11-29
l25 THOUGHT DEAD
In NINE EXPLOSION
STATE INSPECTOR HAD
JUST LEFT SHAFT.
Many Miners in Pittsburg-Bufd dlo
Model Marianna UorLings Killed
on EUe of Mining Congress


pany shortly before noon TO-DAY probably killed
nearly all Of the men in the mine at the time.
estimated to be at least 125. one only has
been taken out alive The accident in the
model mining town occurred almost on the
eve of the convention Of the American Mining
Congress. which assemblies here next week 70
consider mining problems in the various states
in general. and particularly discuss mine dis
asters and provide means for their prevention
The last ray Of hope for the rescue Of many
of the miners .dspeued at $50 o'clock
tonight when the first rescuing party reached
the main entry and found ten dead bodies scat
tered about the floor The other men were
in the twenty-nine rooms or workings. Of the
mine
Officials of the company place the number oe
dead at 125 Some estimates OF the total num-
| Der are as high as POO. This was payday at
the mine and tonight 142 of the pay envelopes
have not been claimed. and II is believed that
practically every man who did not call for his
pay during the day in the mine
The bodies already located will be brought 20
the surface as soon as the cage now being con-
structed is completed About fifty OF the vic
tins OF the disaster. it is reported about the
mine tonight. were either Americans or Eng
lish speaking men. A majority OF the foreign
ers were comparatively arrivals in this
country. many of them having left families IN
their old homes
Peter Arnold an American. brought out
alive from the Rachel shaft at midnight Jo-'
seph Kearney, one of the rescuing party, re-
ported that there we're some other men still
alive. Arnold found unconscious one hun
dred feet from the Agnes shaft When he
reached the surface he said the explosion oc-
| CURED close to the Agnes shaft
Few of the bodies found are mutilated. and
the men were undoubtedly smothered by deadly
vapors which followed the explosion
CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION
The cause of the explosion has not been de-
tern1ined Two theories are entertained. One
is that pocket of gas was struck by one Of the
miners quickly filing the workings and then
igniting from lamp. The other theory is that
gas from a well on the Fulton farm. under
which the mine is situated. penetrated the work.
| ings The land in the neighborhood is said TO be
| gaseous, and it is possible that gas may have
seeped through the coal stratum until il accu-
| nnulated in sufficient volume to cause the dis
aster.
The workings IN which the accident happened
| are known as the Rachel and Agnes mines. in
reality double mine with underground con-
nections Construction work was practically
finished. and Deputy State Mine Inspector
Henry LoutItc a few minutes before the ex-
pIosion had completed TWO days inspection.
| which had revealed no cause for apprehension
Mr. Loutitt and General Manager Kerr Of the
company came to the surface in the cage op-
Grated in one of the shafts few minutes before
IL o'clock
Henry. Thompson. a mine foreman. and two
miners entered the cage and it started
toward the bottom of five hundred foot shaft
There was an ominous rumbling. then a trer1-
bling of the ground round about the mouth OF the
shaft as from an earthquake. and an instant
later there was a terrific report and the cage
was hurled UP the shaft and through the roof
of the shaft house, the mine foreman and the
two men still in it.
The bodies of the men were hurled through
the ton of the building and far beyond it. Thomp-
son was dead when picked Up. while the others,
although rnortaIly injured were hurried to q
hospital.
So great was the force Of the explosion that
shattered portions Of the woodwork about the
mouth Of the shaft blown into Ten Milo
Creek two thousand feet from the shaft Be-
sides the three men in the cage. portions OF
at least two other bodies were blown from ths
shaft. and were found in the field near by.
HOPELESS RESCUE WORK
Rescue work was Immediately started. In
spector Louttit assuming charge but IT was i'm
possible to gain entrance to the mine for a long
time first because the cage and its mechanism
were wrecked and, second because the shaft was
so filed with shattered timber and falling earth
that even had the cage been in condition 1t could
not have descended. The opening up OF the
shaft was the only solution and for this task
there were volunteers in numbers sufficient 70
work short relays OF as many men as could md
room for operations
As soon as the news of the explosion reached
officers of the company special trains wers
started from this city and from MonongahslS
with relief parties. The train from this city
carried the chief officers of the company and
mining experts from the United States labOra-
tory and testing station. recently established
here who took with them all Of the latest ap-
pIiances and devices for rescue work, including
oxygen helmets. by means Of which rescuers go
through or work in the most poisonous gases
known to mining
A c. BessOn, superintendent William Ken
nedv, fire boss and Joseph Kennedy mine boss.
went down the shaft in a bucket during ths
afternoon but able 10 get within only
forty feet Of the bottom Later several expe-
rfenced miners descended the steps inside the
shaft and succeeded in reaching the bottom.
Here they found further progress barred The
lateral heading from the bottom Of the shaft into
the mine proper was choked with muck and
debris The largest possible force at once
put to work to open this passaSe-
Mariana the scene Of the explosion is a new
mining town In Washington County. Penn.
forty miles south of this city 1t was laid our
and built up by the Pittsburg- Buffalo Coal Com
pany with d view to making il model mining
town in every respect To further this purpose
President Jones and General Manager David n.
Jones. before beginning actual work, made a tour
of Great Britain Belgium Germany and France
10 study mining methods there and in the plans