Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 April 1902 — TWENTY-TWO KILLED. [ARTICLE]

TWENTY-TWO KILLED.

Explosion of Gai in Tenneanee Mine Can«c* Great Lose of Life. Twenty-two lives are known to have been lost, and eight men were injured, one fatally, as the result of an explosion of gas in the Nelson mine of the Dayton Coal and Iron Company at Dayton, Tenn. Most of the victims were whites and left large families. (las was known to exist in the mine, and the men were required to use safety lamps. It is the rule of the company for the miners to place their fuses ready to be lighted for blasts just before quitting work each dny and there are workmen known as "tiremen” who go through the mine after all the miners are out and set off these blasts. The miners quit work at 4:30 o’clock. It takes them about forty-five minutes to get out of the mine. Two "firemen,” Lark Hhntcr and John Harney, are supposed to have caused the disaster by tiring blasts before all the miners could get out of the mine. They were l>oth killed. It is supposed that one of the fuses was defective and resulted in what is known as a "blown blast.” The flame shooting out from the blast ignited the gas, which in turn ignited the accumulation of dry coal dust in the mine. The explosion that followed was terrific. The sheds at the mine entrance were wrecked. Three men were killed while standing outside the mine and. two seriously and one fatally injured. The Nelson mine has been the scene of two serious explosions in the past. In 1889 four men were killed and eight seriously injured by nn explosion Of gas. Dee. 20. 1895, an explosion of mine dust occurred in which twenty-eight lives were lost. This was caused by a miner carrying an open lamp contrary to regulations. In May. 1901, an explosion of a similar nature occurred iu the Shalliday mine, operated by the same rompany, in which twenty-one lives were lost.