Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1904 — COAL MINE IS A GREAT TOMS [ARTICLE]

COAL MINE IS A GREAT TOMS

Nearly Two Hundred Men Find Death in Its Dark Passages. BUT ONE IS RESCUED AUVE While One of a Rescue Party Is Overcome and Lost. EXPLOSION OF THE DEADLY GAS tr Blows the Means of Rescue to Ruin and Fatally Wounds Two Outside Men - Rescuers Baffled. Pittsburg, Jan. 26.—From nil tbat can be gathered at this hour between 180 and 190 men are lying dead in the headings and passageways of the Harwich mine of the Allegheny Coal company at Cheswick, the result of a terrific explosion. Cage after cage baa gone down into the mine and come up again, but only one miner of all those that went down to work has been brought to the surface. The rescued <V ' man is Adolph Gunia, and he is still in a semi-conscious condition at the temporary hospital in the rude school house on the hillside above the mine. All in the Mine Are Dead. Tn addition to the miners who were at work when the explosion occurred it is now believed by practically all of the men of the rescue party who have come up the 220-foot vertical shaft for a warming and a breathing spell that Selwyn M. Taylor, the Pittsburg mining engineer who platted the mine, and who was the first to reach the bottom after the explosion happened, i& also dow among the list of dead. Of those in the mine all are probably dead. Blew a Mule from the Mine. The explosion occurred at 8:20 a. m., and the first warning was the sudden rumble underground, and then a sheet of flame followed up the deep sbafL Both mine cages were hurled through the tipple, twenty feet above the landing stage, and the three-men on the tipple were thrown to the ground. A mule was thrown high above the shaft, and fell dead on the ground. -The injured men were brought at once to this city, where two of them, Henry Mayliew, check weighman, and George Waltman, tipplcmau, have since died. ALL MEANS or KKSCI'K WRECKED Mining Engineer Loses His I.lfe in the First Rescue Party. As soon as the rumble of the explosion and crash at the pit mouth startled the little village the wives and children of the men below rushed to the scene of the disaster, but to gain no encouragement. There was no way to get into the deep workings. The cages that let the men into the mines and brought them out again when the day’s work was done were both demolished. All day long there was a jam of waiting women and children about the mouth of the pit. It was not until 4 p. m. that the first attempt at rescue was niude. This was a failure, as the two men who volunteered were driven back by the font air. Shortly after 5 p. m. Mining Engineer Selwyn M. Taylor and one of his assistants signalled for the engineer to lower them into the shaft. Taylor is still down there. Three times efforts have been made to reach him, but so far without avail. Thomas Wood, one of the first of the rescue party hauled to the surface, told his story of his trip through the mine. He said: "I was with Taylor, and we clambered over three or four falls. Taylor laid out the mine and seemed to know the way. There was one man aiive at the foot of the shaft. He was sent np. ami then we took the mule path Into the south level. We saw two men who were alive and notified those back of us and then went on. We passed the third, fourth and fifth heading, and then through an overdrift into (the air shaft. I began to feel dizzy and sick, and then I saw Taylor stagger and fall. His lantern fell. We tried to lift him up, but could not carry him up, and 1 made my own way to safety.” MOST CRUEL DISAPPOINTMENT Report That Maay of the Men Were Alive Proves False. There was great rejoicing among the crowd of about 700 or 800 who surrounded the mine at 12:15 this morning when the rescuers came to the surface and announced tbat Selwyn Taylor and from fifty to seventy-five miners had been found. Taylor was unconscious when found, but was not thought to be seriously hurt Rescuer Wood, who went down wRh Taylor on the first trip, remembered on his second trip the route Taylor had planned to take, and following this he discovered the engineer la room 8 near the south

♦0 eat breakfast, rind ihen was taken to the central station and locked up. William McMullen, operator of the floodlight, from which the tire started, was arrested at 1047 Jackson boulevard, where he lives. At 6 o’clock he was put In a cell adjoining tbat of Cummings. Will J. Davis was placed under arrest at his home. 4740 Grand boulevard, as 8:15 o’clock by Policemen Tobin and Far My. Mr. Davis was In bed, but si rat conducted the officers to hi lie knew of the verdict, ni <: < .i?-<'<! for his arrest. The offim. wed him time for breakfast W Idle lie was eating Harry J. Powers and Attorney W. .1. Hynes arrived. The entire party then took an elevated train downtown and went to the central station. Preceding Mayor Harrison’s appearance at the eriminal court building a mittimus was served upon him at his residence by a deputy coroner. The deputy was met at the front door by a domestic and was asked into the reception hall, where the mayor, being caHed, heard the mittimus read. It directed that he, like the others accused, ,“be held until discharged by due process of law.” “All right,” said the mayor when the reading was finished. “Tell Traeger I’ll be down, and the mayor, bidding tbe deputy good-by, proceeded later to the criminal court and underwent the ordeal of giving bonds. Harry Kiawans, 20 years of age, has been arrested, charged with being implicated in the robbery of victims of the Iroquois theater fire. Besides having a note taken from the corpse of \Yilliam A. Keid of Waukegan, 111., who perished in the fire, it is alleged that Kiawans had a watch taken from the dead body of Dr. M. Rimes Kiawans was released on bonds pending a hearing.