The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1913-05-02
.l5 LIVES ARE
SNUFFED OUT
Explosion in a Coal Mine Near
Pittsburgh.
FIRE FOLLOWS EXPLOSION
Cincinnati Mine OF the Monongahela
River Coal and Coke Company,
At FinIeyvilIe, Is the Scene
OF Accident.

GlllSDul 81, L d. ne 44NtS u wv
miners, possibly l20, were snuffed out
when a disastrous explosion occurred
in the Cincinnati mine of the Monon-
gahela River Consolidated Coal and
Coke Company, at Finleyville, about
81 miles southeast of this city. Over
three score of workmen in the mine
made thrilling escapes to the surface,
crawling most of the time on their
hands and knees through deadly gas
fumes and over debris. \ number sus
tanned burns
Excitement Prevails.
But few OF the miners who reached
the surface were in condition to talk.
From these little could be gained. Suf-
fering from burns or fright, the miners
only knew that an explosion had &C.
Cured and that large number OF men
were either killed by the explosion or
asphyxiated by the afterdamp. Sew
eral hours after the explosion seven
foreign miners crawled from one of the
entrances of the mine All were seri-
ously burned. They could give no con-
nected account of conditions in the
mine or their individual experience.
They all said that the mine was full
OF dead people
A gas explosion is thought to have
caused the disaster. although this fact
has not been exactly determined. Fire
damp, it is said, may have been re-
sponsible.
The explosion occurred between No.
l and No. . right entries, 5000 feet
from the mouth of the mine.
A. V. Brown. assistant mine foreman,
stated that 179 men went to work in
the mine in the morning.
Robert Carter, a tracklayer, who
escaped, told the following story:
u had been working at the head Of
No. Is entry After eating lunch l re-
sumed work at 1880 and had driven
only two spikes when the explosion
occurred. The conclusion knocked me
down and I was unconscious for Is
minutes. After recovering I met AS
sistant Foreman Brown. who told me
to get out of the mine. Followed by
about % men, l started down No. s
motor road. one Of the main roads of
the mine. We had not gone far before
we found there was so much smoke We
could go no further We tried No.
motor road and found this also choked
with smoke and debris.
Il then told Assistant Foreman
Brown was going to try No. 16 entry.
He told me I could not make it. Fol-
lowed by the rest I tried. Less than
100 feet in No. IS entry We found our
way blocked with debris We turned
back and had penetrated No. 10 entry
some distance when we were again
blocked by debris.
crawIed On His Stomach.
After investigating I found a hole
at the top OF the debris, I crawled
through this on my stomach for
distance of 200 feet and the others fol-
lowed. l held a small safety lamp as
high as could so that the light would
fall behind ME TO guide the others.
Finally l reached No 4 motor road.
WHICH " as CAtai' SbOppcu, anu q OOl-
ored man was beside ne. We listened
for the others, but could not hear them.
After time, accompanied by the col
ored man, we started for the surface
Before reaching there we met Tom
Thompson. the night boss, whom We
told about what had happened.
Thompson started back into the
mine to lead the others out and We
continued on down the slope TO the
open air, 5000 feet from our starting
point"
Later the other men reached the
open. All were i'll and dazed on &C
count OF fumes in the mine