Hartford Republican –
February 4, 1910
Horrible Disaster
Many Miners Killed By Gas
Explosion
Browder, Muhlenberg
County, Scene of Another Tragedy of Life
Rockport, Ky - Feb 2:
(Special to Republican) - The little town of Browder, in Muhlenberg county today
presents a scene of ruin and desolation as the result of yesterdays mine disaster
which cost many miners their lives. Bodies of forty victims have already been
recovered and there bodies are lying in an improvised morgue awaiting identification.
That there is still a large number of miners entombed in the fiery furnace there
is no doubt. It is estimated that there were seventy-five men at work in the ill
fated mines when the horrible disaster occurred. Already forty bodies have been
recovered and rescuers arc at work endeavoring to reach the entombed men, none of
whom can possibly be alive. The explosion which cost the miners their lives
occurred at Browder Mines yesterday afternoon. The news of the disaster spread
like wild fire and soon the entire population
were congregated at the mouth of the mines awaiting news of their loved ones.
The agonized cries of gray haired mothers intermingled with the heart rendering
screams of wives and the wails of orphans were pitiful indeed. Strong men wept
like babies at the thought of the horrible fate of their less fortunate friends.
The shock of the explosion shook the entire county for miles around. Finally an
engineer was lowered into the mines and the crowd awaited above in breathless
suspense. What had been the fate of the
entombed miners? Would they be alive or dead? These thoughts passed through the
crowd with lighting like rapidity. They were not to be long in suspense, the
signal for the raising of the cage sounded and the crowd began to press forward.
The cage was piled up with blackened and charred bodies of men who had entered
the mines that morning never to return alive. The scene was a pitiful one and
the greatest excitement prevailed. The loved ones pressed forward to claim their
dead and their bodies were soon removed and placed in the improvised morgue. A large rescuing party was organized and
worked all night long in their efforts to reach the bodies of the dead and to
rescue the living if there were any. The work of rescue was slow and difficult on
account of the gas and foul air and the men were forced to leave the mines time
and again. Today the rescue party is still at work, but unable to remain in the
mines only a short while at a time. It is thought that the majority of the bodies
will be recovered by tonight. The cause of the explosion seems to be a mystery
and no one seems to know what was responsible for it. Hemmed in 1ike rats in a
trap the miners met an awful death. The burning gas swept the mines from one
end to the other reaping a rich harvest of victims. Coffins for the dead miners
are being rushed to the scene and preparations for the funerals are being made.
Rescuers are hard at work and it is thought the fate of the miners will be
ascertained by tonight. Browder is a small mining town located on the L & N
Railroad near Drakesboro.
One
white man, John Richardson, and four colored men, Silas Sprall (sic), Columbus
Sprall (sic), Henry Mason and Will Berry were former residents of Ohio county.
Hartford Herald – February
9, 1910
THE BROWDER MINE HORROR
One of the Worst in the History of Disasters
MANY DEAD AND ONE MISSING
Terrible Affair at Drakesboro in Muhlenberg County - The
Dead and Injured
Drakesboro,
Ky Feb 2 - Thirty-four dead and one man, Foreman Pete Kelly, missing is the
final count of deaths as the result of the explosion at the Browder mine
yesterday.
Crepe is on
every other door of the straggling Main street of Browder. There were many
funerals today. Coffins were carried in all sorts of vehicles and it was
impossible to hold the funeral services in several cases. There is no move yet
toward an inquest.
There is no
new light on the cause of the disaster.
It has been
definitely established that fifty-five men were in the wing of the mine when
the explosion occurred. Of the twenty brought out alive scarcely one escaped
unhurt. Two of the injured may die.
Drakesboro,
Ky Feb 2- Thirty-two known dead, two missing and half a dozen injured, one of
whom may die completes the list of casualties in the explosion at the mine of
the Elk Valley Coal Company, at Browder, near this place yesterday about noon.
The bodies
of the victims were so mutilated that recognition was difficult and it was some
hours before the identity of all of them was established.
THE DEAD
JUDGE MATT ALLEN, white, Judge of Drakesboro, 40 years old,
marred, wife and six children survive.
RAY BENNETT, white, married, 28 years old
PETE KELLY, assistant foreman, married, 30 years old
MATT LLOYD, married, white, 27 years old
MACK ENGLING, white, married, 35 years old
J. A. RICHARDSON, white, married, 50 years old (Ohio County)
ESTILL CORNETT, white, single, 23 years old
ALEX WILLIAMS, married, 25 years old
BEN LESLIE, white, married 26 years old
WILL W. WHITTAKKR, white, married, 32 years old
J. R. THOMAS, white, married, 35 years old
JIM WILLIAMS, white, married, 29 yearn old
DUDLEY EMPSON, white, married, 56 years old
WILL RENO, colored
(Ohio County)
RAL MARTIN, colored
SILAS SPROLE, colored
COLUMBUS SPROLE, colored (Ohio County)
ALEX SWEAT, colored (Ohio County)
ALEX HUGHES, colored
EZRO MAYFIELD, colored
OBI JONES, colored
RAYMOND BROWNING, colored
WILLIAM JONES, colored
JOHN DUFFY, colored
GEORGE DUFFY, colored
TERRY CASR, colored
HENRY MASON, colored
BUD SMITH colored
WILL BERRY, colored
WARNER JOHNSON, colored
ESTILL BROWNING, colored
LEVY DUVALL, colored
SAM BARD, colored
THE INJURED
SAM OATES, colored, bruised about the face by being hurled
against a rib
JESSE JERNIGAN, white, married, skull fractured. Removed to
his home in Drakesboro. Probably fatally injured.
JAMES LEMONS, white, badly burned, recovery doubtful. Taken
to his home in Browder.
HERSHEL SCHOFIELD, white, badly burned, one leg broken,
condition dangerous.
JOE JAMES, colored, slight injuries.
HARRIS BORAH, bruised and burned, will recover.
FLOYD AVERY, colored, burned and bruised, will recover.
The verdict
of the coroner’s jury, composed of J. D. Trice, J. R. Buckhannon, G. R. McLane, J. L.
Ledbetter, Don Key, T. J. T. Smith of Drakesboro and Browder, was as follows: “We the Jury, find that the men came to their
death by an explosion in the Browder mine, Muhlenberg county, Ky. Cause of
explosion unknown.”
The report
of the inspection by the State authorities was given out tonight as follows: “We,
Prof. C. J. Norwood, State Inspector of Mines, H. C. Jones, assistant and Tom
Long, assistant inspectors, after making a thorough examination and comparing notes, have reached the conclusion that the explosion was
caused by the setting off of a keg of powder. We found and have the exploded
keg.”
AWFUL CATASTROPHE
In Wickliffe Coal Mine, Wherein 34 Men Met Death in a
Terrible Explosion
Drakcsboro,
Ky Feb 2 – Thirty-four men lost their lives in a terrible explosion which
occurred in an unused section of the Wickliffe mine, at Browder. Thirty-two of
the bodies most of them terribly mangled and blackened, have been brought to the
surface and are being buried today.
When the
explosion occurred, the concussion of which was a warning to those in other
sections of the works, there were nearly a hundred men in the mine. The signal
to hoist the cage was given and the frantic miners began pouring
out.
It was
sometime before the work of rescue began, but when a party went down it was
found that the dead and injured could be reached. The work of rescue continued
throughout last night but it was necessary to abandon it for a time this
morning on account of foul air. The air fans were started and cleared
the mines sufficiently in an hour.
The body of
Peter Kelly, mine boss, and that of a negro had not been found at 3 o’clock this afternoon.
Doubt is
expressed as to the real cause of the explosion. Some bc1ieve that a large
quantity of blasting powder was set off, while others say it was gas or dust.
The bodies brought out with the exception of Kelly and the negro are believed
to complete the list of dead. Several of these injured are in a serious
condition.
SMALLHOUS. The remains of Arthur Richardson, who was
killed Tuesday by an explosion in the mine near Drakesboro, were interred in “Aunt
Nellie’s” burying grounds near Equality Wednesday afternoon.
Additional info:
Columbus M. Sprole, b. Feb 1878, resided or born in Ohio County, married to Francis Sanders, 1 child
John Alexander Sweat, b. Oct 1868, resided or born in Ohio County, Widower, Alberta (Verda) Gentry, 4 children
William Reno, resided or born in Ohio County, married to Josie Maddox, 2 children
No comments:
Post a Comment