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Show SEVEN ARE KILLED II TEPMNJBRED Terrible and Deadly Explosion " of Gas in Williainstown Colliery, Col-liery, Pottsvillc, Pa. BODIES OF VICTIMS WERE NOT RECOGNIZABLE Last Report of District Inspector Inspec-tor Pronounced the Mine to Be Gascons. ; POTTSVJIiTjE; Pa., July J 5. Seven inine workers were killed and ten others injured today by a terrific explosion of gas in tho Williainstown colliery of the Summit Branch Alining company, in the lower part of the anthracite coal fields. The mine was wrecked and set on fire. The explosion occurred in No. 1 shaft of the colliery and is believed to have been caused by ono of the men lifting lift-ing the gauze "of his safety lamp .just, after an explosion of a shot, which brought down a large body of coal. Rescuers Risked Lives. The f explosion shook the entire colliery. col-liery. The work of rescue was immediately immedi-ately begun, and when volunteers were called for, almost every man at; tho workings offered his services, which meant a hazardous trip into the burning burn-ing mine. Near tho foot of tho shaft, tho injured in-jured were found, they having rushed toward tho entrance only to fall over unconscious.. All of the dead were found a short distance from the shaft, battered m and burned into an almost unrecognizablo mass. The "Williamstowu colliery is operated by the Susquehanna Coal company, and the emploj'ces who were in the wo r icings ic-ings were almost all Americans. They wore working in what is known as Shaft No. 1. It was with the greatest difficulty diffi-culty that tho rescuers could finally gain entrance to the burning and gas-fillcd gas-fillcd shaft. Two of the first eight men brought, up were revived. Scenes of Terror. Business places at Williamstowu were promptly closed, and the residents of the town hurried to the colliery, about a mile distant, where -they gathered gath-ered near the mouth of the shaft. There were scenes of the wildest confusion as women and children gathered about screaming and crying, and as each body was brought to the surface there was a rush by the crowd to ascertain the identity of the ono recovered and The. storehouse at the colliery -was converted into a morgue. The injured were removed to the' company of f ices,, and there given I'tircat-mojit. I'tircat-mojit. , ' The district mine inspector in his last annual report pronounced the mine to be gaEeous. |