Fearful Explosion of Gas in a Pennsylvania Mine Kills Five
Winnipeg Free Press, Manitoba
June 23, 1893
Wilkes-Barre, Pa., June 22. -- At a late hour this evening while eight men were at work at Nanticoke in No. 6 gangway of No. 9 slope of the Susquehanna Coal Company, about three quarters of a mile from the bottom of the shaft, a terrific explosion of gas took place, which hurled the victims off their feet and scattered them in all directions killing four men and a boy instantly and seriously, but not fatally injuring three more.
The dead are:
Abraham Walker, miner, married, leaves wife and five children
Frank Beanick, 14 years old, door boy, died after reaching home
John Smith, miner, married, leaves three children
William Shortz, laborer, burned to a crisp
A Polander whose name could not be learned
The injured are Julin Gwent, horribly burned, two Polanders, names unknown, badly burned on hands and face.
