Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-11
Fire in CoIIiery Near Wilkes
barre, Pa, Traps Workers.
DEAD OVERCOME BY SMOKE
Only Eleven Men Employed in
Burne3 Section Because of Strike.
RESCUERS RISK THEIR LIVES
Several of Party Frustrated and Car
ried to Surface by Companions.
Blaze Under Control.

W1LKESBARRE Pa, May 11.-Five
lives were lost by suffocation in the Bos
ton mine of the Delaware & Hudson
Company at I.arksville. near here, this
morning. The names of the dead are:
George Feeder. aged twenty, driver.
John Melodicka, aged seventeen, door
boz.
Jacob Kenulla. aged thirty-nine, miner.
Charles Kermuski, aged twenty-five, la
'borer.
William Adamke, aged twenty five. la
borer.
A strike began at the colliery Tuesday
and consequently only a small number of
men were at work Had the full force
been engaged the loss Of life would have
Sen appalling.
Fire broke out early last night in a
section of the mine where rock miners
were employed. but 1t Is said to have
been gotten under control without diff
Guilty
Overcome by Smoke.
Eleven men were at work in that sec
ton. After midnight the odor of smoke
was detected and another alarm was
sounded. All the employees in the inside
workings made their way from a side
vein to the main gangway. but the smoke
had become SO dense that nearly all
were overcome
Several rescue parties, at the risk of
their lives, then entered the workings
and succeeded in taking out John Nor
rissey, Patrick Lloyd and John Benditus.
When brought to the surface they were
quickly revived. The rescuers, returning
to the gangway. stumbled over bodies Of
the dead. The latter were brought out as
quickly as possible. Several of the res
cuers were overcome by the smoke and
one of them was Frustrated. He was
rescued by fourth rescuing party.
The fire continues to rage in the mine,
pect TO have it under control in short
time.
Fire Caused by Workmen.
Officials Investigating the cause of the
fire believe a workman whose identity is
not known oarclcss;y left naked light
in the shaft shortly after midnight and
this set fire to the mine timbers. The
woodwork, sending the smoke into the
various chambers. The men were trap
ped in one of the inner gangways, and
the flames and smoke drove them for
ward, all avenues Of escape being thus
cut off.
John A. Jones. the day foreman of the
colliery. was the first to enter the work
ings from the surface. He at once called
for rescuers. John Morrissey, who was
first to discover the fire, hastened to his
companions. and outlined a plan by which
they could all be saved. Morrissey and
one of his fellow -workmen went to the
rescue of Feeder and Melodicka, but the
walls of dense smoke drove them back
and they had to give up the task.
Morrissey a Hero.
Morrissey and his companions then
made a dash for the main air course, only
tice work. Summoning all their strength,
they hurled themselves against the brat
ticc and broke it down. They then made
their way quickly to the foot of the shaft
and were hoisted to the surface, where
they received medical attention.
The rescuers by using dynamite blocked
the current of foul air and in this way
entrance was gained to the chambers
where it was known the five missing men
were at work. The bodies of Feeder and
Melodicka were found together. They had
started to work their way to the foot of
the shaft, but were overcome by the
smoke. An hour later the bodies Of. the
yards from the chamber where they
Unrko6