A TERRIBLE MINING DISASTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2492, 30 June 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

A TERRIBLE MINING DISASTER.

At Kansas City, 20th March, a terrible explosion occurred in one of the mines, and as a result a large number of men entombed and thousands of dollars worth of property destroyed. Just as the dinner hour, when the men were ascending eight at a time on the cage, a terrible gas explosion occured, filling every entry with flames, which shot out of tlio shaft. The superintendent thns describes what took place. "At just 7 minutes after noon I was telephoned that an explosion had occured at No. (i. I went out as soon as possible aud found the south cage, mi which the men always ascend, stuck in the shaft, I went down on a tub lowered with rope 3, and found all badly burned in a frenzy, in fact they were crazy, some shouting and others singing. U'e finally managed to be hoisted by means of ropes ami pulleys in a fainting condition, and it was then ascertained that the north cage could be worked. I then called for volunteers to go down with me to see if any poor fellows at the bottom could bo got out. When we reached the bottom I looked through into the entry aud saw a light. I askeil who was there, and a voice responded 'Grey,' and I told him to put out his light. I then asked him to crawl to me, but he was exhausted. He couldn't do so, ami I reached through a small aperture and dragged hiin to the cage. Just as this was done the wind rushed with the velocity of a cyclone up the entry, putting out all our lights but one. This was followed by two loud reports and a scathing flame of lire, which came with a deafening roar, completely enveloping us, and went shooting out the mouth of tho shaft 210 feet deep above our heads. We were all horribly burned, and thought our time had come. The flames ceased as suddenly as they had come, and we had to abandon the attempt to save others. I yelled to the men on top to hoist away, and after what seemed hours we were started up and taken out in safety, though badly burned and greatly exhausted. I'robably all who were in the mine at the time of the first explosion were dead. About 85 miners were cmployed in this mine. They were mostly negroes, who came from Springfield, 111, when the mine was opened, less than year ago."