New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-24
HUNDRED MEN KILLED
BY EXPLOSION IN MINE
ThreeSCore Others Crawl to
Safety from CoI|iery at Fin
Ieyvi|Ie, Penn.
DEATH LIST MAY Re 100
Seventy Bodies Recovered Last
notwithstanding Causes
Majority of the
Fatalities.

Pittsburgh. April 23.-One hundred
miners. possibly 100. persisted shortly
after noon to-day, following a tremen-
dous explosion in the Cincinnati mine
Of the Monongahela River Consolidated
Coal and Coke COMPANY. at Finleyville,
twenty-seven miles southeast Of this
city. Some threescore workmen made
thrilling escapes to the surface, crawl
ing most of the time on their hands
and knees through deadly gas fumes
and over debris.
Up to II O'Clock tonight seventy
| bodies Of victims had been recovered.
The bodies were found by rescuing
squads Of the United States Bureau Of
Mines. the Monongahela River Consoll-
dated Coal and Coke Company ana
the Pittsburgh Coal Company. AFTER
damp hampered rescue workers. but
fire which followed the explosion had
been subdued tonight. it was said
The Cincinnati mine it is alleged,
has been known as being gaseous.
Thirty years ago there was gas eX-
plosion in which mine cars were blown
half way across the Monongahela
River The mine has been in operation
at least eighty years.
Conditions in the mine indicate that
most Of the men were killed by AFTER
damn The bodies were found scattered
in the entrances.
Afternoon rescue parties reported
that some Of the men still in the mine
were alive behind heavy falls of earth
and coal Rapping and weak cries
could be heard. As evening drew OIL
however. such evidences of life ceased.
The explosion was terrific. Mine cars
were splintered and a ffteen-ton motor
was turned over. Many feet OF mine
track were twisted and ripped from the
ties. Fire started ut once. and a large
part OF the mine was soon aflame.
Two-thirds of the dead are foreign
ers. The known dead are John Green
Thomas Carter. son OF William Carter,
superintendent Of the mine hooe''
Anderson machine boss, Charles Ha-
ger. Elmer Boyle. George Nlckers'
Harry Parker. and Peter Mercer, nre
bosses. and John Lake.
OF the men who entered the mine ioi
work to-day thirty-eight made their
escape through what is known as the
Mingo entry OF the mine ana lofty
miners escaped through the Courtney
entrance.
The explosion occurred 3'o" lee'
from the mouth OF the mine, ana Is
thought TO have been due TO gas, al
though it may have been hredahlp'
Rescue work was carried on with dim
Guilty. owing to the fire and deadly
fumes. The coal company maintains
a rescue corps patterned after the mine
force Of The United States government
and aid from the federal mining ex-
perts. it is said. was declined.
Robert Carten. track layer, who es-
caped. told the following story to-
night:
II had been working at the head or
No. 16 entry. The conclusion knocked
me down and was unconscious for mr.
teen minutes. on recovering | met y.
r. Brown. the assistant foreman, who
told me to get out Of the mine as
quickly AS possible. Followed by about
Twenty-Five men | tried No. motor
road and No. I and No. Is entry, only
TO find our way blocked with debris.
I'VE turned into No. ID entry, where
I found "a hole at the top of the debris.
7 crawled through this 200 feet holding
a small safety lamp to guide the others.
Finally, | reached No. motor road.
which was clear. | stopped. and a
colored man was beside me. We
listened for the others, but could not
hear them