Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-04-14
MANYM|NERSLVEs.
AREE:::SNUEFED. OUT

| sUOUS "OsvOU"u ~ W
}gna
kAr LEAST. 50 KNOWN 70 hAvl
r PERlsHED IN PENNSYLVANIA
COAL sHAFr.'
HrERRIBLE SCENES IT i I PIT MOUTH
.au
among Lost 10 US. Rsseusr-Whss
Blaze Breaks Out, Men Are
Caught Like Rats
In Trap.
.:-gs
Scranton. Pa, April -s.-ole Of the
most serious mine disasters which has
ever visited this section ~ The mining
seuntry occurred at the little village
q Thorp. . short distance from THU
city, when the hveg Of between: sc
and so men ana boys were snuflsd
cat.
Among those known to have per.
1shed are Joseph Evans. who was in
aharge Of the United states mine res.
cue car: Isaac Dave. . lre boss. and
Walter knight. . foreman. A tenn
porary morgus had been erected At
he opening 10 the mine and here
ore congregated hundreds Of women
md children, relatives Of the victims.
Rsiativss erlsf stricken.
Their grief was pitiful. Children Of
tender years cMnGina to the skirts Of
their mothers, while older male men,
bsrs Of ths family sought to soften
he anguish Of the distracted mothers
and sisters OF the unfortunate men
and boys *
None Of the bodies recovered was
autilated, death doubtless having
esen caused ~: inhaling flames and
gases.
The IRE started IN an engine house
at the opening Of Q slope leading from
che diamond: vein $50 feet from the
surface. There were 400 men in the
mine when the are started about 60
Of them In the working into which
the slope led. These 90 were At work
D. blind" tunnel IT the end Of the
slope.
Escape vas completely blocked BY
IRE. smoke and the generated gases.
possibly before these men and boys
5salissd their denger.s The other men,
scattered IN different workings. got
sut BY various exits.
Boss Gives Alarm.
James Vickers. . FIRE boss, who was
near the engine house when the fire
broke out, gave the alarm and tried
70 get to the tunnel where he knew q
large body Of men were at work. He
could 60 only a short distance be-
fore he was forced to turn back, and
II was with difficulty he dragged him.
self through the smoke at the point
Of the fire. He was 90 exhausted that
he had to Be carried TO the surface.
Gangs Of miners ut the Pancoast,
led by Mine Superintendent Joseph
Birtley and assisted by the Throop llre
carried hose into the
mine and fought the Are under great
The United States mine rescue car
stationed in Wilkesbarre was sum.
moned early In the afternoon, and.
lster on, the Delaware. Lackawanna &
Western railroads hospital car and
the Lshigh Valley company's mine res
cue force from Wilkesbarre came to
the scene.
Three men with the oxygen tanks
md helmets ON succeeded in pene.
lFating the slope for . hundred feet
liter the blase at the engine house
had been subdued, and they came up.
- the bodies of two men and . boy.
1Aeir faces were buried in the vet
s1lm ~ II they had 'djed trying to -. :,
eaps the deadly aaasos@ and intense
heat.
Az Bsllsvsd Dead.
The finding ol these bodies led the
lescuers to believe that no one was
Hive in the tunnel and the rescuers
the attack On the burning
lrea 70 reduces the awful heat When
his work had proven somewhat effec-
i've . corps q the expert rescue men, !
With the latest style rescue armor. !:
'ushsdk "a into the slope and later
.ame upon several bodies strewn !,
llong the roadway where the men had |
allen over enc another In their fren- |
led eight % get to the cad Of the slope.
The bodies were carried TO the foot J
II the shaft and stacked up in piles in '
he narrow space, to be taken out
|3ter nightfall, 90 that some Of the hor
or Of the spectacle would be hidden '
" the darkness from the sight Of the
distracted wives. children and other
elatives Of the victims, who thronEed ,
he mouth Of the shaft.
Thorp bought ofhcials. deputy pa.
rolmeh and a squad Of the state con.
tabulAfyfwere summoned from Peck.
lille. three miles away, to take care
4 the crowds. There was no VIC
snce. Although II was feared there !,
night be some disorderly demonstra.
lon on the part Of friends Of the for.
igners among the victims.
The colliery IL owned and operated
y the Price-pancoast Coal company, |
{ the head Of which 10 John r. Bry.
en-. general manager Of the Ontario
Western eollieTiss IN this region.
II Is one Of the largest and most
p.to date colMeties IN the region.
Psddisr Takes Own LIE. !
Duluth, April g. = Joe London, q
'utch peddler ana the father Of nine
committed suicide by taking
arbolic acid and lsft behind word