The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1909-07-01
EXPLOSION KILLS II.
SIXTEEN OTHERS BADLY INJURED
IN Pennsylvania MINE
CRASH.
GAS IS IGNlTED BY A LAMP
Women Volunteer for Rescue Work
When Report Spreads That Sixty.
Five Are Entomhed-ofteial Says
All Bodies Are Found.

~ SSNiCS FNN OAlbs
Wehrum, Pa, June 2i.-As the re-
suit of an explosion of gas in mine
No. of the Lackawanna Coal & Coke
Company, II miners were killed and
| 16 injured With the exception of one,
those killed were foreigners. With
few exceptions those injured were
Americans
Inspector Joseph Williams of AL.
toona with a party entered the mine
shortly after eight o'clock last night
to ascertain whether anyone was yet
| entombed
Due to Gas Ignition.
Superintendent A. NJ. Johnson said
that while the mine has always been
regarded as non-gaseous, the explosion
was due to the ignition of a pocket of
gas by the open lamp of a miner
"The mine has been so free from
gas for the last six years" said the
superintendent, that the state in
spectors have permitted the use of
open lamps. With II dead and 16 in.
jured, am of the opinion that every
one has been accounted for who en-.
tered the mine"
The mine has only been operating
two days each week. Tuesday and
Friday. Those in the mine had en-.
tered the shaft for their daily allow.
ance of coal for family use.
Grouped about the slope entrance of
the mine Just before the explosion
were several Italians. When the ter.
rife subterranean upheaval OF rock
and deadly gas spouted skyward these
Italians were caught Terribly burned
and manned, they rushed about the
settlement crying for aid. The cries
and sound of kissing mine gas at the
entrance of the mine brought the en-.
tire town to the scene.
Superintendent w. n Johnson,
backed by the Office force of the com.
pany stood at the mine entrance and
held back the frantic women whose
relatives were entombed.
Superintendent's Son Injured.
The first man TO reach the surface
was A. l.. Johnson son of the super.
intendent Young Johnson had been in
a lower heading. There were burns
on his arms, body and neck and II
was stated he had inhaled flame. He
is one of the few very seriously in.
jured
Following the superintendent son
came two Italians, their faces burned
to a crisp. They were attended by
the mine physician
superintendent Johnson called for
volunteers to enter the mine. In the
volunteer ranks stood several women
These were ordered back. With wet
handkerchiefs tied over their faces,
the first squad OF the relief party
started down the shaft OF the eight
who started, four came back with
their senses. The others, overcome
with blackdamp, were pulled to the
surface with ropes.
Oxygen Aids the Searchers.
Oxygen, sent by the Cambria steel
works, aided the searchers and with
safety helmets, a fourth rescue party
succeeded in bringing 12 bodies to the
surface Late in the afternoon five
more bodies were recovered. They
were found huddled together in the
lower left heading where they had died
in an evident effort to reach the main
shaft.
All but two rooms of the mine have
been thoroughly searched and it was
announced that it was thought no
more bodies were in the mine. Coro.
ner Hammers has not yet set the
date of an investigation Of the ex.
plosion.
Twelve Hurt in 3t5-Foot Fall.
Clinton, Ind, June 25.-Twelve min.
ers were more or less seriously in.
Jured when cage at the Klondike
mine No. 4, three miles west of the
city, became unpanageable and
dashed from the pit opening to the
bottom of the shaft, distance of 315
feet Several of the men are expected
to die from their injuries.
To add to the horror of the acci.
dent, the cage going up became fast
when the cable got entangled in the
overhead pulleys, and a period of an
hour elapsed before a rescue party
could be sent to the bottom of the
mine.
confesses to Big Theft.