Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-02-26
81 DIEM INDIANA
COAL Mine BLAST
Workers Lose Lives When
Miners Lamp Ignites Gas
In Sullivan Shaft.

foulIIfdu, 1Aus-1u Ill G4plOSAOA u
gas that wrought the greatest mine
disaster In the history of Indiana coal
fields, 81 men are believed to have
been killed almost instantly In the City
Coal company mine on the outskirts OF
this city. Sixteen bodies have been
recovered and identified.
There were 121 miners in the mine
at the time of the blast, which oc-
Cured in the third and fourth entries
north, where most of the men were at
work who were killed.
Rescue crews went to work at once,
and the rescue team of the United
States bureau of mines at Vincennes
reached the scene of the disaster by
motor truck one hour after the ter
rife explosion. They were on the bot
tom within thirty-five minutes after
arrival.
Miners who explored the workings
said an explosion followed by a small
fire had brought sudden death. The
bodies brought up were covered with
burns. Some were killed by falling
timbers.
/, Preliminary investigation indicated
that a miner working with cutting
machine suddenly cut through to an
4 old mine shaft. The rush of accumu-
| lated gas from the opening was ignited
bJ the miners lamp.
Tremendous crowds thronged the
scene soon after the word Of the dis
aster spread throughout the town and
surrounding communities, and automO-
h,les we're parked along the roads Lead
ing to the scene for several miles.
Wives and children of miners en-
ployed III the shaft crowded about,
seeking information, and groups 0
wailing, sobbing !, omen and children
clustered about as the news was bro
ken that 81 Of the men were known
to be dead.
A signal to the hosting engineer
was received within three minutes
after the explosion, but one Of the
cages was caught on the bottom by
wreckage and miners were forced to
climb into the shaft to the bottom and
cut away the wreckage before the
hosting engine could be used. But
one cage was being used as result
in the work of bringing the bodies ID
the surface. A row Of waiting ambu-
lances removed the dead to the city.
Courage and heroism marked the
work of rescuers who braved the dead
ly fumes Of gas and descended time
Of fT1an fY1fn fhn 70 r.iY ont
the dead.
Elmer Davidson, one of the miners
at the scene of the explosion, was
found by rescue workers in the main
entry shortly after the blast and was
brought to Sullivan hospital He
was unconscious for several hours.
The disaster brought to a standstill
all other activities in this city. Efforts
of citizens were directed toward allie
Walton of the suffering o.. families be-
reaved by the tragedy.
The Business and Professional
Women's club took charge OF the re-
lief at the mine shaft and erected
tents In which to shelter the families
vino waited. Arrangements were
made by these women to serve food to
the rescue parties
Mine officials disclosed that the en-
tire 81 men workers in the immediate
vicinity of the explosion were be-
lieved to have been killed almost In
stantly.
Officials Of the City Coal company
mine issued statement declaring that
the 81 miners trapped In the section
of the mine where the explosion oc-
Cured are believed to be dead. They
are:
Harry Anderson, mine foreman; FL
lis Eaton, P. ]. Dunning, Everett Met
calf, John Collins, Frank Cottingham,
James Burris James Eller, Emile
LecoeQ, Charles McCammen, w. M.
Moberley James Boyle, Everett KEEL
Ter, James Miller, Dwight McClanahan
Frank Mason, Dan Purcell, Claude
Trader, Ear I.aughlin, Oliver Keagy,
Mike Cusack, John Neal, Robert Free
man, Harry Gorby, Cecil Carly, Wayne
Walters, Phil Walters, John Row,
Frank Hawhee, John Brown, Gilbert
Taylor, r. J. Jackson, Ross Booth
John Thomas, Charles Sheedy, Clinton
Higgenbottom, Harry Maxwell, Frank
Smith, John A. Ward, Silas Wagner,
Earl Robertson, Pearl Hawhee, Blaine
Gibson, Johmn Salmon, John Baird, Ar
thur Sullivan, Russell Dowdy, Max
Robertson, Claude Sanders, Dave
Smith.
In the hideous turmoil at the pit
head there was moment OF stark
tragedy when Mrs. Eta Sanders, nine
ty-seven years old, recognized her son
Claude among the dead The feeble
woman supported by other children,
had waited at the mine since noon,
scanning every face. AS she watched
doctors lift the body into an ambu-
lance, his mother collapsed and was
taken to a hospital.