Tank's Poetry
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united states mine rescue association
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Tank's Poetry |
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1895 District Four Fatalities (3.2 Mb)
See also Dorrance Mine Explosion, August 3, 1925
From the Google News Archives:  (news links open in a separate window)
Successful Rescue Five men, all badly burned, were brought to the surface at 8:00 p.m. following an explosion which occurred sometime in the late afternoon in the Dorrance mine. Among the men rescued were: Robert Blanchard, William Miller, George Lafly, Joseph Murphy, and Michael Moss who later died. When Blanchard was found he was being slowly roasted to death. His partner, Miller, whose arms were broken, could render him no assistance. These two men were not expected to live. Five Men Badly Burned Rescued One was slowly roasting to death when aid came Evening Democrat, Warren, Pennsylvania October 8, 1895 There is a strong suspicion also that the explosion caused a heavy fall in the old workings, and that this will further retard the work of the rescuers. It is now admitted by the mine officials that there is no hope of finding the engineer corps alive. They all perished in the explosion, and if they were not killed outright they were suffocated by the firedamp. The superintendent is of the opinion that they were killed by the force of the explosion and their bodies probably burned to a crisp. All but eight miners and laborers have now been accounted for. Superintendent Chase thinks, however, that the list of dead will not number more than seven or eight. They may be put down as follows:
Miller and Blanchard are resting easily, but little hope is entertained for their recovery. Blanchard gave his version of the explosion to a reporter as he lay on a cot in the hospital. He said that the engineer corps decided to make a survey of the old abandoned workings, known as the Baltimore section. The party, which was under the charge of Fire boss Daniel Reese, who is an expert on mine gases, consisted of William Jones; William Cahill and Llewellyn Owens. Blanchard and Miller were left behind to finish some work that had been started. About 12 minutes after the party had left Miller and Blanchard the explosion occurred. Both Miller and Blanchard were knocked down by its force. Flying timbers also struck Miller, breaking both his arms. After being knocked down Miller and Blanchard remembered nothing until they were revived at the hospital. Blanchard thinks some of the engineers or probably the fire boss set fire to a body of gas in the old workings, and that all of the party must have been instantly killed. When Blanchard was found he was being slowly roasted to death. Miller, with his broken arms, could render him no assistance. Eight Bodies Recovered Evening Democrat, Warren, Pennsylvania October 8, 1895 Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Oct. 8. -- The rescuing party has reached the entombed miners only to find eight corpses. Michael Moss, one of the injured miners, has died. Walled in by Fire North Adams Transcript, North Adams, MA October 8, 1895 Four prominent mining engineers and 15 miners were shut in by a wall of fire. The accident was one of the most distressing recorded in the coal region in many years. At 8 o’clock five men, all badly burned, were brought to the surface. They are: Robert Blanchard, William Miller, Michael Moss, George Lafly and Joseph Murphy. The first two are members of the engineer corps. Moss and Lafly are laborers and Murphy is a driver. Miller and Blanchard are so badly burned that they cannot live. At midnight the rescuers had made very little headway in their efforts to reach the scene of the explosion. Firedamp made its appearance shortly after 8 o’clock and it was necessary to do considerable brattice work, which proceeded very slowly. The engineer corps all perished in the explosion, and if they were not killed outright they were suffocated by the firedamp. The dead bodies of the victims were recovered at 2:15 this morning. |
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