Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-12-03
.125 Are DEAD IN
NINE EXPLOSION
INSPECTOR HAD JUST GONE
THROUGH AND FOUND NO
CAUSE FOR APPREHENSION.
THEN FOLLOWED AWFUL CATAS
TROPHE AND HUMAN LIVES
WERE sNUFFED OUT.

Pittsburg, Pa, Dec. lon the eve
of the convention of the American
Mining congress, which assemblies
here next week to consider mining
problems in the various states in gen
eral and particularly to discuss mine
disasters and provide means for
their prevention, there occurred
shortly before noon Saturday an ex-
plosion in the Mariana mine of the
Pittsburg-Buffalo Coal company, which
entombed and killed all the men EN-
ployed in the mine at the time, the
number being variously estimated at
125 to 300. The uncertainty as to the
exact number that prevailed through
out the afternoon continued when
darkness enveloped the new mining
town from which the owners had ex-
pected SO much in the way of safety
and comfort of the men through ex-
traordinary study and expense that
had been devoted to this feature of
development of the new coal field
Deputy State Mine Inspector Lout-
tit, a few minutes before the eXplo-
sion, had completed a two days in
spectiOn which had revealed no cause
70, ,1oD7, q md r,s1l
Manager Kerr of the company, came
to the surface in a cage operated in
one of the shafts a few minutes be-
fore II o'clock. Mine Foreman Henry
Thompson and two miners entered
the cage and it was started towards
the bottom of the 500 foot shaft.
Then there was an ominOuS "umbling,
then trembling 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 top of the building
and far beyond it. Thompson was
dead when picked up, while the 9th
ers were MORALLY injured
So great was the force of the eX-
plosion that shattered portions of
woodwork about the mouth of the
shaft were blown into Ten Mile creek,
1000 feet away. Besides the three
men in the cage, portions of at least
two other bodies were blown from
the shaft and found in the fields
nearby.
The ventilating fans were put out OF
commission by the explosion and for
several hours until repairs could be
made no air could be forced into the
mine. The delay in the rescue work
also was caused by the blocking of
the shaft by the wrecked timbers and
machinery. Supreme effort was made
TO hurry the opening of the mine, but
it was late when an entrance was
effected.
At $50 last night when the first
rescuing party reached the workings
they found the dead bodies scattered
about the floor of the mine.
Few if any of the bodies are mu-
tilated, and the men were undoubted-
Iy smothered by the deadly Vapors
which followed the explosion. The
bodies have not yet been counted, but
it is known that there were at least
1875, and the number may be larger.
All but two of the bodies in the mine
it is said. are those of foreigners.
Later News Brings Hope.
The slight hope that any of the en-
tombed miners may be rescued alive
was strengthened shortly before mid
night when Peter Arnold, an Ameri-
can, was brought to the surface suf-
fering only a little from his terrible
Joseph Kearney, one of
the rescuing party, reported that
there were other men alive, From
the conditions of the workings where
Arnold was discovered, it is believed
20 other men may be saved.
Thirty-fcur Bodies Recovered.
At one o'clock this morning (Sun-
day. the rescuing party had recovered !
"a bodies