The Helena Independent

Ushered Into Eternity Without Warning, in the Twinkling of An Eye.

Long Line of Calamities in Pennsylvania, the Last the Worst.

Explosion of Fire Damp in the Fricke Co.'s Mammoth Shaft - Mourning in the Coke Region.

SCOTTDALE, Pa., Jan. 27. - By the explosion of fire damp in the Mammoth shaft of the H. C. Fricke Coke company to-day fully 110 sturdy miners were ushered into eternity and a number seriously injured. The explosion occurred this morning after nine o'clock, and it is supposed, was the result of ignition from miners' oil lamps. The after damp, which followed the fire damp explosion, suffocated nearly every workman. A few men realized the awful situation, and fell to the ground, thereby preventing the gas from striking them. The persons not killed are in such a critical condition that their deaths are momentarily expected. Up to this writing sixty bodies have been recovered, all without sign of life.

The fire which broke out after the explosion was soon extinguished by the immense fans, which were put in operation, but afterwards broke out again and it is feared many bodies will be cremated. The Mammoth plant embraces 509 ovens, one of the largest plants in the coke region, but it is hard of access. It is situated near the United works where an explosion recently destroyed the entire shaft. The affair has cast gloom over the entire coke region, and to-night hundreds of miners are flocking to the scene of disaster and offering assistance. The appalling loss of life at the Dunbar disaster is more than overshadowed by the destruction of life in the Mammoth calamity. The news spread throughout the entire coke region with great rapidity and everybody was awe stricken.

Coffins have already been ordered for eighty persons, from Mount Pleasant undertakers. No one escaped from the mine in a condition to tell the story of awful disaster. It is estimated that there are sixty wives and families left wholly dependent upon the charity of the world for sustenance by this disaster. In fact, they are almost penniless, as the plant had not been running full force for some time, and work had been exceedingly scarce. Everything possible will be resorted to to supply the widowed mothers and their children with the necessaries of life. The company will act liberally in this direction. Master Workman Peter Wise has sent an appeal for aid to the miners and cokers of the region.

THE AWFUL DETAILS.

Scenes Sad Beyond Thought and Imagination - Around the Pit.

SCOTTDALE, Jan. 27. - This evening a partial story of the disaster was obtained. An unexpected flow of gas was struck and the miners working in headings connected with flats 2, 3 and 4, were all killed. The fire boss, as is his duty, had been in the mine and examined the workings of the places. His mangled body lies at the morgue. The only evidence that he attended to his duties are the certificates of inspection received from him this morning, which guaranteed the mines safe. The miners knew these certificates had been filled out and went to work. They never returned. Superintendent Keighly, who was mine inspector in the Dunbar district when that horror occurred, was at the mine when the explosion took place. He immediately called for volunteers and gathering a few about him, descended the shaft. Before doing so he notified General Superintendent Dinch, and that gentleman ordered all mine superintendents in the region to the scene. When the volunteers entered the mine a sight impossible to picture met them. A bank of cars, mules, and more terrible than all, men were piled in a compact mass, against ribs or walls of coal, and not a living thing was in the wreckage. It was almost solid as the coal itself. So terrific was the force of the explosion that this obstruction was removed with difficulty, and they entered the chamber of horrors. The first object they discovered after leaving the main entry was a gum boot. In it was the leg of a man. Farther on they found a human head, but nowhere in sight was the trunk that had borne it. But in a few minutes, after walking some distance, surrounded by dangers unseen, they found the trunk. The ragged neck with blood oozing from it, told a story of appalling disaster.

Working their way in they found bodies strewn along the gangway. One unfortunate met death while on his knees in prayer, with hands clasped and eyes uplifted. His body was found in this position. It was a pathetic picture. While all this was occurring the people of the region were concentrating at the scene of the great disaster. Women, children and relatives and friends of the unfortunate victims rushed to the mouth of the pit shrieking and sobbing, and the scene was one never to be forgotten. Following them came physicians and undertakers from Scottdale, Mount Pleasant and Greensburgh, and after them Father Lambing, of Scottdale, who went among the bereaved with words of sympathy and condolence, besides urging men to greater work to rescue any who might be alive and imprisoned. The services of the physicians is little needed, for every man in the heading, where the explosion occurred, was killed. None were injured and dead bodies were brought up in a very few minutes. Every corpse was covered and no one even ventured to inquire which body it was, for they knew that every one in that part of the mine at the time of the explosion was dead.

Superintendent Keighly was sorely distressed. He had been in two other mine disasters, Dunbar and Youngstown, but this was far the worst. He said: "No man living knows the cause of the accident, and it will never be known for a certainty. Not so many were killed by the explosion, but the dreaded after damp came and the unfortunates succumbed to it. This is shown by the fact that only those bodies in the immediate vicinity of the worst wreckage were mutilated."

One foreman connected with the mine said that safety lamps were not used in it. The presence of gas had not been suspected. Superintendent Lynch said to-night that he thought it possible that in drawing ribs or pillars some miner tapped gas. All lights were open and gas was an unexpected thing. Up to one o'clock a. m. sixty bodies were recovered. Every five minutes a corpse would be brought to the surface, and pass through the line of watchers without comment save the expression of "another one." It is impossible to obtain a list of the dead, as not even the bosses know just who went down in the morning. John W. Bell, are boss at Hecla No. 1 said; "About two years ago there was an explosion of gas at this mine and one man was burned to death. No safety lamps were used here. There was too much work here for one fire boss. They discharged one a couple of weeks ago to reduce expenses, and one man has been forced to do the work. I intend to make public the last report of the mine inspector and it is a very important document just now." The latest examination of the Mammoth by the state inspector was made on Jan. 16. It shows that at the inlet, which is about a mile or more away from the shaft, there was 55,000 cubic feet of air entering. The general condition of the mine was marked fair.