Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-05-20
5 DIE IN MINE FIRE
Employees of D. { II. Go.
Are SuffOCated.
RESCUERS DID GOOD WORK
They Fought Their Way Through
~ Smoke and Saved Three and
Recovered BODIES Of
the Victims.
RFSCUERS DID GOOD WORK

Wilkes Barre, Pa, May IL. Five
lives were lost In the Boston mine OF
the Delaware & Hudson company at
Larksville, near here, by suffocation.
The dead are: George Feeder, aged
twenty years, driver; John Melodecki.
aged seventeen, door boy; Jacob
Kenulla, aged thirty-nine, miner. sin.
gle; Charles Kermuski, aged twenty.
five, lober, married, and William
Adamke, laborer, aged twenty-five,
single.
Fire started in a section of the mine
where a number of rock miners were
employed, but it was gotten under
control without much difficulty. Eleven
men were at work in that section.
After midnight the odor of smoke
was detected and the alarm was given.
All the employees in the inside work
ings made their way from the Ross
vein to the main gangway, but the
smoke had become so dense that near.
ly all were overcome.
Several rescue parties at the risk
of their own lives then entered the
workings and succeeded in taking out
John Morrissey, Patrick Lloyd and
John Benditus When brought to the
surface they were quickly revived.
The rescuers returning to Re gang
way stumbled over bodies Of tie dead.
The latter were brought out as soon
were overcome by the smoke and one
of them was Frustrated. He was res
cued by fourth rescuing party.
So far as the investigation has gone
as to the cause of the fire, 1t Is said
that a workman left a naked light In
the shaft, which fred the timbers. The
blaze worked it's way down the shaft
timbers, sending the smoke into the
various chambers. The men were
trapped in one of the inner gangways.
The flames and smoke drove them
forward, and all avenues of escape
we're cut off.
John A. Jones, day foreman Of the
colliery, was the first to enter the
workings from the surface. He at once
called for rescuers. John Morrissey,
who was first to discover the fire, out
lined a plan to his companions as to
how they could all be saved. Morris
sey and one of his fellow workmen
lodicka, but the walls of dense smoke
drove them back and they had to give
up the task. Morrissey and his COM
panions then made dash for the
main air course, only to have their
way cut off with a heavy brattice
work.
; Summoning all their strength, they
hurled themselves against the brattice
and broke it down. Then they made
their way quickly to the foot Of the
shaft and were hoisted to the surface,
where they received medical attention.
The rescuers, with the use of dyna-
mite, blocked the air current, and in
this way entrance was gained into the
chambers where 1t was known the five
missing men were at work. The bod
les 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 dense
smoke An hour later the bodies of
the other three victims were found,
hundred yards from the chamber
where they had been working
The fire continues to rage in the
mine, but the company officials state
they expect to have it under control
in a short time.
A strike was inaugurated at the col
liery on Tuesday and only small
number of men were at work Had
the full force been engaged the loss
of life would have been much greater