The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-04-25
MORE THAN HUNDRED
LIVES lost N MINE
BY IGAS EXPLOSION
SURVIVORS BELIEVE MANY VIC.
TINS WERE suFFocATED
BY AFTERDAMP.
some ESCAPE BADLY BURNED
Rescuers Are Hindered by Fire
Which Followed Professionalism
ter Occurred Far Underground.
Seventy Bodies Recovered.

oeVeHty pouies recovered.
| PlTTSBURG, Pa, April 81. The
lives of 100 miners, possibly 1870, paid
the toll shortly afternoon Wednes-
| day of disastrous explosion in the
Cincinnati mine of the Monongahela
| River Consolidated Coal & Coke
| Company at Finleyville, Pa. Over
three score of workmen in the mine
made thrilling escapes, crawling
most of the time on their hands and
knees through deadly gas fumes and
over debris
| Up to IL O'Clock Conight seventy
bodies of victims had been recovered,
having been located by rescuing
Squads of the United States bureau
of mines, the Monongahela River
Consolidated Coal & Coke Company
and of the Pittsburg Coal Company.
None of the bodies, however, were
brought to the open. They probably
will be taken from the mine at day.
light tomorrow.
Rescue work is hampered by alter
damp. Fire which followed the ex-
plosion, has been completely SUBJ
dued, it is said.
From seventy-six to seventy eight
men made their escape. Some Of
Y MOI
The bodies of several victims have
| been recovered
The mine is afame Rescue work
is being carried on with difficulty
owing to the fire and deadly fumes.
Only a few of the miners who
| reached the surface could talil. Suf-
fering from burns or fright they only
knew tina an explosion had occurred
and that large number of men were
either killed by the explosion or as
phyxiated by the latter damp"
Several hours after the explosion
seven foreign miners crawled from
one of the entrances to the mine. All
| were seriously burned. They could
| give no connected account of condi-
tons in the mine. They all said
the mine is full of dead people"
Relatives and friends of the men
beneath the surface were frantic.
Many of them had to be restrained.
After a time guard was placed
completely surrounding the entrance
es to the mine, and all persons ex-
cept rescuers and mine officials were
held at a distance.
OF the known dead all are Ameri-
cans.
The explosion occurred beween
No. l and No 2, right entries, 5000
feet from the mouth Of the mine.
A. v. Brown, assistant mine fore
man, stated that 1f9 men went to
work in the mine this morning OF
these thirty-eight made their escape
through what is known as the Mingo
entry of the mine, and thirty-eight
Courtney entry.
Robert Carten, track layer, who
escaped, tonight told the following
story:
Il had been working at the head OF
No. Is entry. After eating lunch I
resumed work at 1890 and had driv-
en- only two spikes when the explo-
sion occurred. The conclusion
knocked me down and was uncon-
scious for fifteen minutes. Others
quickly arrived where l was. Fol-
lowed by about twenty-five men I
Of the main roads Of the mine. We
had not gone far when we found that
there was so much smoke we could
go no further. We tried No. 7 mo.
tor road and found this also choked
with smoke and debris. Less than
100 feet in No. 16 entry we foun1 our
way blocked. We turned back and
had penetrated No. Is entry some
distance when we were again olcck-
ed by debris.
Il found hole at the top of the
debris. l crawled through this on
/. my stomach 70 a distance of 200 feet
, and the othes followed Finally |
reached No. motor road, which was
clear. | could not hear those behind.
After time | reached the surface.
Later the other men reached the
: opening All were III and dazed on
} account of fumes"
: Three entries of the mines are en-
5 tirely choked with debris.
: During the afternoon rescue par
ties reported at intervals that some
e of the men were alive behind heavy
} falls of earth and coal. Sounds re-
sembling rapping and weak cries
t could be heard. AS night came, Low.
: ever, such evidences of life ceased.