The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1912-01-18
MINE EXPLOSION
FROM WINDY shot
One Man Killed and Another is Fat
ally Burned. o..
DISASTER AT THE RlEGEL MINE
Both Victims Were Shot Firers and
Were the Only Men in the Mine
a.,z at the Time.--Five Mules -.
.-z- Were Also Killed.

Abba, Jan. 16.-Special: One man
dead and one man probably fatally
burned, five bank mules killed and
considerable damage done to entries,
tracks and shaft resulted from mine
explosion that occurred a little after
five o'clock Monday evening, January
10, 1912, at the new property Of the
Riegel Coal Company, seven miles
north of this place.
Tom Ridges, shot firer, was found
in one entry way with his neck brok-
en- but not burned. He had probably
died instantly. George Mitchell, the
other shot firer, was found in the 9TH
er west entry, alive but unconscious
and terribly burned. The extent of
his injuries cannot be ascertained yet
but the chances of recovery will be
against the man on account of the eX-
tent of the burns sustained. The two
shot firers were the only persons in
the mine at the time of the accident.
The explosion. was caused by
windy" shot, the force of the ex-
plosiye expanding itself in the open
air of the entry instead of in the coal.
Mitchell and Ridges commenced
their work of firing the shots immedi-
tely after the miners had quilted the
works for the afternoon and they had
not proceeded far with the work when
the explosion occurred. They had
been firing entry shots and had not
started on the work in the rooms.
The force of the explosion, although
not a large one, was severe and the
property cannot be operated for sew
eral days, possibly not before Satur-
day or Monday, when repairs can be
completed.
Noise and confusion following the
explosion was clearly indicated on
the surface at the works and investi-
cation was made Immediately by
those on the top" The mine being
practically new work the entries have
not been extended to great distance
and the injured and dead shot firers
were soon located.
Messrs. Dan Riegel and George E.
Fraker of the Riegel Coal Company
were at Oskaloosa at the time of the
explosion. They and others were no
titled and were at the scene of the
trouble as soon as possible. State
mine inspectors were also informed
of the accident and they are making
an examination today.
Fraker Is the name of the new camp
where the explosion occurred. 1t is
located three and half miles south
of Buxton, or seven miles north of
Abba, and about one mile from the
works of the Hoover Coal & Fuel
Company and also near to mine No.
Fifteen of the Buxton mines property.
About one hundred miners are now
employed at the works, which have
been considered as good as the best
in the district. Blame for the acct
dent attaches to no one, so far as can
be ascertained at this time, but
thorough and careful investigation by
officers and mine inspectors is in pro-
gress. An inquest will also be held
by the coroner of Monroe county in
the effort to gather the evidence in
the case for possible future reference.
The explosion recalls the fatal ac-
cident at Lost Greek mine in Mahas-
ka county on the afternoon of Janu-
airy "a, 1902, when twenty or more
miners lost their lives at the property
of the Lost Creek Coal Company near
Eddyville, the result of windy
shot" which caused the flames to
travel against the air" in the mine.
The air is given a peculiar property
favorable to the explosion by reason
of it's low degree of temperature pre-
vailing at the time. These conditions
were present at the time Of the Lost
Creek disaster and again yesterday
when the explosion occurrd at the
mine of the Riegel Coal Company.