Coalville Times | 1902-09-19 | Page 2 | Seventeen Lives Lost

BbVtNTtKN LIVLS LOST. Hull of timm ami 1'itw.lvr KtHtoa la I Ural llrglitU t,'Htl Mill. A gas and powder explosion ocrurrrd at Norfolk, W. Vs., Monday In ll.e lh l our mine of the Algoma Coal A Cokt company, aa the result of which Jsrnet Lester, mi engineer; John Iteirkle. Hungarluii miner, an I flflern colored miners were imprisoned In the u.iie. The gas and smoke was ao thick tlisl all rescuing parties weie at first drives tmek. II. C Krankenneld, a mine boss, and (ieorue lianpie, a Ilungnrlau m liier ticceeded In crnwling over the fullftt coul and alute after the explosion to the lights of the rescuing parly and were taken out Alive, although badly burned and nearly sulfocutcd by tUt yaa The explosion Is asld to have bees caused by an accumulation of gaa oatrb-lng oatrb-lng lire from the lamp of a miner, and thia in turn tired aix kegs of biastiof powder that had been stored back In the mines. The explosion knocked down all Ue bralticva for a quarter of a mile back toward Ihe mine entrance, thuscutlivg off all of the air from the mra lu-prisoned lu-prisoned behind the debris.