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Redstone Oil, Coke and Coal Company
Grindstone Mine Explosion

Grindstone, Fayette County, Pennsylvania
July 24, 1899
No. Killed - 5

1899 Pennsylvania Annual Report Narrative  (1.8 Mb)  PDF Format
1899 Bituminous District 5 Casualties  PDF Format
From the Google News Archives:  External Link
(news links open in a separate window)
Casualties:
The deceased:
  • Steve Skievar, Miner, age 47
  • John Yankora, Miner, age 17
  • Lucas Szaszfay, Miner, age 39
  • George Hutneck, Miner, age 34
  • Mike Mikealek, Miner, age 31
The injured:
  • Mike Orbin, Miner, age 34
  • Mathias Orbin, Miner, age 32
Source: 1899 Bituminous District 5 Casualties  PDF Format


Seventy Miners Entombed
The New York Times, New York, NY
July 25, 1899

Brownsville, Penn., July 24. -- An explosion of gas and fire damp occurred today in the mine of the Redstone Coal Oil and Gas Company at Grindstone, five miles from here, in which seventy men were entombed.  Three are known to have been killed, and it is feared that many more are dead.  Two bodies were brought to the surface at noon, but, owing to their blackened and mutilated condition, they have not been identified.  Shortly thereafter two injured men were rescued.

The explosion occurred in Entry No. 10, and the force was so great that eight men who had just descended into the shaft were knocked down and seriously injured.  All escaped, however, but a boy named Solomon, who had an ugly cut across the throat, but who went back refusing to leave the mine until his father and brother could be gotten out.

All but two of the remaining men in the pit when the explosion occurred were able to make their escape, so that the total list of dead and injured numbers but six.  All are Hungarians, whose names have not been obtained.  The injured men have been sent to the hospital at Connellsville.  They are slightly burned and will recover.  The two men still in the mine are supposed to be dead.

Those who were in the mine, except the six killed and injured, made their escape by way of two other entrances.

There was great excitement when the explosion occurred, and a large crowd of women and children quickly collected about the pit mouth, waiting for those in the mine who might be dead.  It was several hours before the extent of the disaster was known, as the miners who escaped by the two exits had to walk several miles to return to the pit mouth.

The explosion was caused by a fall in Entry No. 10, which drove an accumulation of gas into another entry, where it was ignited by a digger s open lamp.




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