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Lytle Coal Company
Primrose Mine Inundation

Minersville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
April 20, 1892
No. Killed - 10

1892 Annual Report Description  (2.9 Mb)  PDF Format

See also: Primrose Mine Roof Fall, Feb. 18, 1905


Drowned in a Coal Mine
Bradford Era, Pennsylvania
April 21, 1892

Minersville, Pa., April 20. -- This town, which is situated about four miles from Pottsville, is greatly excited over a horrible accident that occurred late this afternoon at the Lytle colliery, whereby 10 or 12 men are said to have lost their lives by the flooding of the mine with an immense body of water that broke through the old workings.  It is said that the accident occurred just about the time the shifts were changing.

The exact number of men drowned and their names cannot be given.  It is authentically announced by the colliery officials that eight men have met their death by the disaster.  Among those given out are miners Dolbin, Bell and Bugger.

The place where the accident occurred is a new coal operation that is being opened upon an immense scale by the Lytle Coal Company, an incorporated company, the principal stockholders of which are the Pennsylvania railroad officials and Scranton capitalists.

The works are located on Prim Rose mountain, several miles northwest of Minersville and taps the great Wolf Creek colliery, which has laid idle for some years, owing to the large accumulation of water.  About two years ago the present operators, with unlimited means, commenced the reopening of the tract and have spent many thousand dollars in putting in machinery and opening up new slopes.  Gangways are being pushed out from these slopes on each side of the new workings.  The old water lies in it and it is the bursting through of one or more of these deposits without warning that caught the unfortunate miners while at work.

A United Press reporter telephoned to Moosic for particulars.  The reply came that it could not be told how many men were drowned, but that besides the American miners there was a large number of Italians and Hungarian laborers at work inside and it is thought that now at least six of them are also drowned.  They could not say, really, where the water came from, but they were surrounded on all sides with water, and whilst surveyors and bosses were very careful, somebody evidently has blundered.

There were several scores of men inside at the time and some of these swam out while others are said to have been heard talking as if they had reached a high point above the water.




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