The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-06
RESCUE SIX MEM ALL
May DIE As RESULT OF !
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION
Crews Work Tirelessly 70
Reach. Other Miners
Entombed,

SpaNgleT,- H., NOV. o.
(By the Associated Press.
twenty-five bodies had
been recovered by 3 o'clock
this afternoon from the
Reilly mine of the Kelley
Coal company, near here,
where an explosion occurred
this morning. Six other min
ers had been taken out, some
of them so badly hurt it was
feared they would not live.
Rescue work under the di-
rection of United States bu-
reau Of mines engineers
from Pittsburgh was pro-
ceeding.
From stories told by rescuers
when they reached the surface, Il
appeared that the miners who had
just gone down the shaft we're m&lgs
ing their way in mine cars to their
Il eoms when the explosion occurred.
As the hours passed hope that any
considerable number had escaped
began to wane. -
Company officials gave the num-
ber Of miners. who had checked in
! for the days work at 81, but there
were villagers who insisted that
+ the number was nearer 100. Fret
reports had put the number be-
| tween 80 and IS.
Spangler. Pa, Nov. 6.-(By the
/ Associated Pressl-The first res
| cue party to enter the Reilly coAi
mine after the explosion this morn
ing, reported at noon today. that
they had found three bodies and
feared that some, if not all OF the
other ninety men entUmbed, are
| dead. -s.- ...
The rescue party entered the
mine under the, direction of Super
intendent o. ]. Flanagan and had
proceeded to the third entry on the
right Of the main entrance when
|
dead miners we're brought to the
foot of the shaft and the party went
back for further exploration.
| -. Find Two Alive.
Shortly after the bodies were 81
moved, two living miners, fearf1Yfy
, burned, were brought up and rush
; ed to . hospital. The men were
unconscious and their recovery Is
regarded as extremely doubtful
j The fan house was destroyed by
fire, which flashed from the explo-
J sion and this fact caused miners to
fear that the entombed men quick
ly were smothered.
: Owing to the volume Of gas in
the mine, the rescuers worked In
relays and requirements were nec-
essary at brief intervals.
Mine officials said the number Of
, men in the workings was less than
usual because Monday is q light
working day. =
The rescuers brought two more
bodies and two more unconscious
: and badly burned miners to the sur
face a few minutes after the FIRST
victim had been removed.
Explosion Fearful
The Reilly mile wa sregarded as
non-gaseous and the miners worked
I with open lamps The explosion
was SO terrific that. the machinery
in the fan house was blown from
its foundation.
Foul air and after-damp quickly
filed the miLe and rescuers re-
ported great difficulty in making
Lrogress toward the section where
the main body Of miners were
trapped. -.
Spangler, Pa, Nov. s.-tBy the
Associated Press.)-A terrific ex'
plosion somewhere in the workings
in the Reilly mine Of the Refill,
, Coal company here at 1879 o'c!ocl
!, this morning entombed between "
and 95 miners who had gone Il
their work scarcely half an hou'
before. Superintendent o. J. Elan
. agan at once organized q rescu'
: party from employees in the vicin
\ ity and entered the mine.
The Reilly mine is q shaft som
200 feet deep and normally EN-
ploys about 125 men. II Is owne
!, by the Joseph H. Reilly Coal com
|. pany Of Philadelphia. and prc
. duces 12s,000 tons q year.
The extent Of the explosion hs
not yet been determined, but at tn
Office Of the company. it was saif
, It had been pretty badf'
!. Most Of the men who went dow
this morning we're married and n
q Continued on Page Fourteen.l