The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-29
NUMBER OF DEAD $ LARGE
Unfortunates Hurled to Tragic.
 Death Without Warning.
Wives, Mothers and Relatives Are Gathered About Mouth of tn Mise and Their cries
 Are Pitifui.

Congesss which assembies neFeH ne1b week to consider mining problems in the various States in general. and par ticularly to discuss mine disasters and provide means for their prevention, there occurred shortly before noon to- day an explosion in Msfianna Mine. of the Pittsburg Buffalo Coal Company, which entombed and almost beyond doubt killed all of the men employed fin the mine at the time. the number being variousiy estimated at from i2b to 300.
 The uncertainty as to the exact mum Der that prevailed throughout the af- ternoon continued when darkness enc veloped the new mtnfng town. Pres ident John H. Jones of the company said tonight that the number of en- torabed men would not exceed 12s. but neither he nor any other officer of the company has been able up to this time to locate the books which contain the names or numbers of employees and show those in the workings at the time of the explosion.
 The workings in which today's ca- tastrophe happened ts known as the Rachel and Agnes Mines, in reality double mine with underground connec- tions. Construction work was practi- cally finished and Deputy State Mine Inspector Henry Louttit few min- utes before the explosion had completed a two days inspection which had re- vealed no cause for apprehension. He and general manager Kerr of the com pany came to the surface in the cage operated in one of the shafts a few Ynnutes before Il o'clock. Mine Fore man Henry Thompson and two miners entered the cage and 1t was started towards the bottom of the b0O-foot shaft.
 A Terrific Report.
 There was an omfnOus rumbiing and then a trembling of the ground about the mouth of the shaft as from an earthduake, and an instant later there was a terrific report and the care was hurled up the shaft and through tho roof of the shaft house. the mine fore men and the two men stiii h if. sEhe boaies of the men were hurled through the toD ok the building and far beyond it. Thompson was dead when picked up. while the. others. although mortally- injured. were hurried to hospital. Y Shattered portions Of the woodwork about the mouth of the shaft were blown into Ten Mile Creek, 1000 feet from the shaft. Portions of at least two other bodies were blown from the shaft and were found in the field near by The ventiIating fans were put out of commission by the expIo- sion, and for several hours no air could hs forced into the mine. Imme- aiateIy following the explosion dense volume of smoke issued from the shafts CeA8cQ a.
 Rescue work was immediately start ed, but it was impossible to gain en- trance to the mine for long time. The opening up of the shaft was the only solution and for this task there were volunteers in numbers. F
 Relief parties on special trains from this ctty carried the chief officers of the company and mining experts from tho United States laboratory and test gs.-~ ,Aa who took with them all of the latest appliances and devices for rescue work
 Several experienced miners descend cd the steps inside, the shaft and sue ceeded in reaching the bottom. Here they found further progress barred because the lateral heading from the bottom of the shaft into the mine proper was chokeJ with muck and de- bris The largest possible force was at once put to work to open this pas sage.
 There was practically no hope from the first of those entombed men be- ing taken out alive, but this did not deter the most strenuous efforts to hurry tns opening of the mine.
 PhttfuI scene. l-.s
 The noise of the explosion was an ominous sound to all the people of. the little town and they hurried to the scene, each seeking a loved one and most of them learning that that loved one was down in the workings and in all probability dead or dying The scenes were pItiful. Many of the women were hysterical and their shrieks and cries were heartrending. others were silent in their grief. but in their drawn faces could be read the awful agony they were enduring The cause of the explosion has not beep determined. Two theories are entertained. One Is that a pocket of gas was struck by one of the miners quickly hlling the workings and then irniting from lamp. The other the orv Is that gas from a well on the Fulton farm, under which the mine Ia located, penetrated the workings The land in the vicinity Is said to be gaseous and 1t is possible that gas nav have seeped through the coal stratum until it accumulated in suf- hcfent volume to cause the disaster.
 Martanna. the scene of to-day's dis aster. fla a new mining town in Wash Jneton county, Pennsylvania, forty r1iIes south of this city. It was laid ovt and built up by the Ptttsburg. Rnraio Coal Company with a view to making it a model town in every re- spect ...... that could De LOuuu III bhc AAtASS N- tnrs,En countries to provide for the safety and comfort of the miners were adopted.
 An exceptionally good class of min erg waa secured for the new workings. many of them being either Americans or English speaking men,
 Two women, a wife and mother of entomhed miners. became insane to- night. One tried to throw herself dawn the mine shaft, 4so feet deep. The State constabulary rescued her, and carried her away. When cap- tnred she shouted. %My husband is down there and want to go to him Let me jump down"
 She fought so vtciously that half dozen men could scarcely carry her away. Mrs. Josh Holmes, whose son