Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-06-06
STATE PROBE OF
MINE HORROR IS
STARTED TODAY
Toll of Death Increases to S5,
With 49 on the List of
Injured
FIVE MORE NEAR DEATH
Manner in Which Powder
Was Set Off Is Matter to
Be Determined
FIVE MORE NEAR DEATH
By Associated Press.

Wilkes Barre, Pa, June s. = In
Vestigation of the disaster at a mine
Aof the Delaware and Hudson Company
was started to-day under the direction
of State mine officials. The investiga-
ton starts with the certainty that seven
kegs of black powder were burned and
that they were ignited by sparks from
an overhead trolley wire. The manner
in which contact was made is to be
determined, theories and statements
varying on this point.
The death list grew to IS to-day,
leaving 4s on the injured list, the con-
dition of many being serious Five of
them may die.
The dead and the MANNED were lit
orally roasted by the superheated
gas flames following the explosion.
The tragedy occurred while the men
were on their way to work. Owing to
their working places being two miles
from the mouth of the TUNNEL the
men were making the trip in a train
of IA mine cars drawn by an cleo
The train had penetrated the tunnel
about 200 feet when August Ruddic,
OIft VI TIE SURVIVORS,, states IHe over
head trolley wire sagged and touch
ing a steel powder keg formed a
short circuit. In on instant there
was shower of sparks and then the
powder gave way with a terrific blast
and a great sheet of flame, drawn
by the air current enveloped the
helpless men who were huddled
closely together in the cars with no
possible chance to escape.
Enveloped by Flames
Owing to the ventilating system
the smoke and flame was drawn in
ward and the first intimation of the
disaster to those on the surface was
the shrieks of anguish of the in
jured. Rescue corps were at once
formed and the dead and injured
were rapidly brought to the surface
where the living were given first aid
treatment by physicians and then
rushed to the City and Mercy Hos
pitfalls in ambulances and vehicles of
all sorts, even the fire apparatus be-
ing used in the emergency.
When the rescuers first entered
the tunnel they found the dead and
dying piled up in heaps in the cars
and along the tunnel. Bodies of the
dead were burned to a crisp and
cooked flesh came off in strips from
the limbs of the living. OF the dead
sixty nine were found dead in the
tunnel and fourteen others sue
cumbed to their injuries at the hos
pitals.
McCloslSey Killed
Among the men killed outright by
the deadly blast was James ]. Nc
Closkey, a former baseball pitcher,
at one time a member of the Phil
adelphia National League Club.
Assistant General Manager Buch-
anan, of the Delaware and Hudson
Coal Company, after investigation at
the scene of the disaster gave it as
his opinion that the explosion was
not caused by the sagging of the
overhead wire. He is of the opin-
ion that perhaps a steel bar or drill
carried by one of the men. came in
contact with the wire forming the
short circuit which caused the pow
der to give way. According to the
company's figures 143 men and boys
were being carried by the train and
but seventeen escaped injury.
John Common, who was on the mo-
tor when the accident occurred, said:
THE trip forms at the mouth of
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