Mining Disaster.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 67, 23 March 1904, Page 4

Mining Disaster.

The little coal raining town of Cheswick, Pittsburg, U.S.A., was recently visited with a calamity which resulted in the loss, as was cabled at the time, about six weeks ago, of 184 miners—all of the men i« the Harwick mine except one. Death followed instantly upon a great explosion, which blew the cargo out of the shaft, wrecking the buildings at the entrance, and killing two boys who were at work there. Selwyn Taylor, the mining engineer, who had planted the Harwick, headed the first rescuing party. While attempting to find his way about the passage ways he was killed by the gas. Mr Taylor was latown far and wide in his profession. He was a man of wealth, and it ia said that his yacht was waiting for him off the Florida coast at the time of his death, it having been his intentioq to go south with his wife 00 the following day. David Lvsle was the next volunteer, and he too lost his life from breathing the deadly gas. On the following day, when the air finally became purified, the recovering of the dead bodies began. Only one miner was found alive. The bodies of the others were found lying about, the passage ways, shockingly mangled fcy the terrible explosion. The mine was known to have contained some gas, but inspectors had not thought it unsafe. It is believed that the explosion was caused by defective tamping for a blast.