83 KILLED AND FIFTY BURNED AND MANGLED.
TERRIBLE DISASTER IN TUNNEL OF DELAWARE AND HUDSON COAL COMPANY NEAR WILKES-BARRE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
--------------------------
TROLLEY IGNITED POWDER.
DEAD AND MAIMED LITERALLY ROASTED ALIVE BY THE SUPER-HEATED GAS FLAMES FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION.
NO CHANCE FOR ESCAPE.
--------------------------
Wilkes-Barre, June 5. -- Eighty-three men dead and fifty others burned and maimed, many of whom will die, is the toll of a terrible disaster in the Baltimore tunnel of the Delaware and Hudson Coal company in the East End section of this city early today. The disaster was caused by the explosion of 300 pounds of black powder and the dead and maimed were literally roasted by the superheated gas flames following the explosion. The tragedy occurred while the men were on their way to work this morning. Owing to their working places being two miles from the mouth of the tunnel, the men were making the trip in a train of fourteen mine cars drawn by an electric motor, the powder being carried in two cars in the middle of the train. The train had penetrated the tunnel about 200 feet when AUGUST RUDDICA, one of the survivors, declared the overhead trolley, which sagged, touched a steel powder keg head and formed a short circuit.
Powder Exploded.
In an instant there was a shower of sparks and then the powder exploded with a blast and a great sheet of flames drawn by the air current enveloped the helpless men, who were huddled closely together in the cars with no possible chance to escape. Owing to the ventilating system the flame was drawn inward and the first intimation of the disaster in those on the surface was the shrieks of anguish of the injured.Rescue corps were at once formed and the dead and injured were rapidly brought to the surface, where the living were given first aid treatment by physicians and then rushed to hospitals in ambulances and vehicles of all sorts. Even the first aid aparatus was used in the emergency.
Dead Piled In Heaps.
When the rescuers first entered the tunnel they found the dead and dying piled up in heaps in the cars and along the tunnel. Bodies of the dead were burned to a crisp and cooked flesh came off in strips from the limb of the living. Of the dead, sixty-nine were found dead in the tunnel and fourteen others succumbed to their injuries at hospitals. But forty-nine of the dead have so far been identified.Among the killed outright was JAMES G. MacCLOSKEY, a former baseball pitcher, at one time a member of the Philadelphia National League club.
Assistant General Manager Buchanan of the Delaware and Hudson Coal company after an investigation gave it as his opinion that the explosion was not caused by the sagging of the overhead wire. He is of the opinion that a steel bar or drill carried by one of the men came in contact with the wire, forming the short circuit, which caused the powder to give way. According to the company's figures, 143 men and boys were being carried on the train and but seventeen escaped injury. Seward Button, chief of the state bureau of mines, informed the Associated Press tonight that the state code, contained regulations governing the storage of explosives in magazines and working places, but was silent on its transportation. Mr. Button declared this was a grievous omission in the law and that acting on his own responsibility he would issue regulations tomorrow morning which would present the careless methods and insist that they be obeyed until they can be enacted into law.
(Titusville Herald, 6 Jun 1919)
-------------------------------
LIST OF THE DEAD
Oscar Bidwell
William Bohm
Joseph Borden
Wladislaw Buri (Felix Boritz)
Michael Buria
George Burza
Joseph Chesney (Chesnock)
Alexander Cichon
Michael Connell
Michael Connors (Cutlarksi)
Stephen Demchak
Fred Dippenworth
Andrew Drevenak
Anthony Dziemys
Andrew Felicko
Stanley Forestal
Edward George
Eugene Gethner
Bernard Gillespie
John Golonka
John Grochocki (Greglock)
Michael Harris
Victor Harris
Joseph Hart
Louis (James) Hearn
Mike Hilchanski
William Hogan
Joseph Holup
Jozef Homeszyn
Wasil Homik
Joseph Jaroz (Yaris)
Jan Jaskulski
John J. Jones
George Klepper (Keiper)
Mike Kohut
Michael Kotlarek
Andrej Kumiega
Wojciech (George) Kubik
Wladislaw (Walter) Kubik
Paul Kudla
Patrick Lenahan
Joseph Lipnickas
Heromin Lutostanski (Harry Linteski)
Onufry Luzny
John Makowski
James McGuire
James McClosky
Paul Milcik
James Murphy
Michael Nestor
Anthony Norkunas
Patrick Martin O'Malley (O'Malia)
Edward Oliver
Vasil Osip
John Papys (Pochka)
Llewellyn Parrot
Mike Plahta
Joseph Polanski
Michael Romaskus
John Rushton
Joseph Sambarsky (Strembus)
Simon Shubyak
Stanley Smygiel
Fred Spayder
Anthony Stantaitis
William Staneika
John Stawiasz
Slacki Taminski
Stanislaw Targonski
Samuel Topeka
John Van Nost
Warvezyinel Walosz
Michal Wasik
Richard Weichert
Konstanty Wichowski
Frank Weichert
Adam Wojcik
Jozef Wozniak
Jan Zielinski
TERRIBLE DISASTER IN TUNNEL OF DELAWARE AND HUDSON COAL COMPANY NEAR WILKES-BARRE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
--------------------------
TROLLEY IGNITED POWDER.
DEAD AND MAIMED LITERALLY ROASTED ALIVE BY THE SUPER-HEATED GAS FLAMES FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION.
NO CHANCE FOR ESCAPE.
--------------------------
Wilkes-Barre, June 5. -- Eighty-three men dead and fifty others burned and maimed, many of whom will die, is the toll of a terrible disaster in the Baltimore tunnel of the Delaware and Hudson Coal company in the East End section of this city early today. The disaster was caused by the explosion of 300 pounds of black powder and the dead and maimed were literally roasted by the superheated gas flames following the explosion. The tragedy occurred while the men were on their way to work this morning. Owing to their working places being two miles from the mouth of the tunnel, the men were making the trip in a train of fourteen mine cars drawn by an electric motor, the powder being carried in two cars in the middle of the train. The train had penetrated the tunnel about 200 feet when AUGUST RUDDICA, one of the survivors, declared the overhead trolley, which sagged, touched a steel powder keg head and formed a short circuit.
Powder Exploded.
In an instant there was a shower of sparks and then the powder exploded with a blast and a great sheet of flames drawn by the air current enveloped the helpless men, who were huddled closely together in the cars with no possible chance to escape. Owing to the ventilating system the flame was drawn inward and the first intimation of the disaster in those on the surface was the shrieks of anguish of the injured.Rescue corps were at once formed and the dead and injured were rapidly brought to the surface, where the living were given first aid treatment by physicians and then rushed to hospitals in ambulances and vehicles of all sorts. Even the first aid aparatus was used in the emergency.
Dead Piled In Heaps.
When the rescuers first entered the tunnel they found the dead and dying piled up in heaps in the cars and along the tunnel. Bodies of the dead were burned to a crisp and cooked flesh came off in strips from the limb of the living. Of the dead, sixty-nine were found dead in the tunnel and fourteen others succumbed to their injuries at hospitals. But forty-nine of the dead have so far been identified.Among the killed outright was JAMES G. MacCLOSKEY, a former baseball pitcher, at one time a member of the Philadelphia National League club.
Assistant General Manager Buchanan of the Delaware and Hudson Coal company after an investigation gave it as his opinion that the explosion was not caused by the sagging of the overhead wire. He is of the opinion that a steel bar or drill carried by one of the men came in contact with the wire, forming the short circuit, which caused the powder to give way. According to the company's figures, 143 men and boys were being carried on the train and but seventeen escaped injury. Seward Button, chief of the state bureau of mines, informed the Associated Press tonight that the state code, contained regulations governing the storage of explosives in magazines and working places, but was silent on its transportation. Mr. Button declared this was a grievous omission in the law and that acting on his own responsibility he would issue regulations tomorrow morning which would present the careless methods and insist that they be obeyed until they can be enacted into law.
(Titusville Herald, 6 Jun 1919)
-------------------------------
LIST OF THE DEAD
Oscar Bidwell
William Bohm
Joseph Borden
Wladislaw Buri (Felix Boritz)
Michael Buria
George Burza
Joseph Chesney (Chesnock)
Alexander Cichon
Michael Connell
Michael Connors (Cutlarksi)
Stephen Demchak
Fred Dippenworth
Andrew Drevenak
Anthony Dziemys
Andrew Felicko
Stanley Forestal
Edward George
Eugene Gethner
Bernard Gillespie
John Golonka
John Grochocki (Greglock)
Michael Harris
Victor Harris
Joseph Hart
Louis (James) Hearn
Mike Hilchanski
William Hogan
Joseph Holup
Jozef Homeszyn
Wasil Homik
Joseph Jaroz (Yaris)
Jan Jaskulski
John J. Jones
George Klepper (Keiper)
Mike Kohut
Michael Kotlarek
Andrej Kumiega
Wojciech (George) Kubik
Wladislaw (Walter) Kubik
Paul Kudla
Patrick Lenahan
Joseph Lipnickas
Heromin Lutostanski (Harry Linteski)
Onufry Luzny
John Makowski
James McGuire
James McClosky
Paul Milcik
James Murphy
Michael Nestor
Anthony Norkunas
Patrick Martin O'Malley (O'Malia)
Edward Oliver
Vasil Osip
John Papys (Pochka)
Llewellyn Parrot
Mike Plahta
Joseph Polanski
Michael Romaskus
John Rushton
Joseph Sambarsky (Strembus)
Simon Shubyak
Stanley Smygiel
Fred Spayder
Anthony Stantaitis
William Staneika
John Stawiasz
Slacki Taminski
Stanislaw Targonski
Samuel Topeka
John Van Nost
Warvezyinel Walosz
Michal Wasik
Richard Weichert
Konstanty Wichowski
Frank Weichert
Adam Wojcik
Jozef Wozniak
Jan Zielinski
83 KILLED AND FIFTY BURNED AND MANGLED.
TERRIBLE DISASTER IN TUNNEL OF DELAWARE AND HUDSON COAL COMPANY NEAR WILKES-BARRE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
--------------------------
TROLLEY IGNITED POWDER.
DEAD AND MAIMED LITERALLY ROASTED ALIVE BY THE SUPER-HEATED GAS FLAMES FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION.
NO CHANCE FOR ESCAPE.
--------------------------
Wilkes-Barre, June 5. -- Eighty-three men dead and fifty others burned and maimed, many of whom will die, is the toll of a terrible disaster in the Baltimore tunnel of the Delaware and Hudson Coal company in the East End section of this city early today. The disaster was caused by the explosion of 300 pounds of black powder and the dead and maimed were literally roasted by the superheated gas flames following the explosion. The tragedy occurred while the men were on their way to work this morning. Owing to their working places being two miles from the mouth of the tunnel, the men were making the trip in a train of fourteen mine cars drawn by an electric motor, the powder being carried in two cars in the middle of the train. The train had penetrated the tunnel about 200 feet when AUGUST RUDDICA, one of the survivors, declared the overhead trolley, which sagged, touched a steel powder keg head and formed a short circuit.
Powder Exploded.
In an instant there was a shower of sparks and then the powder exploded with a blast and a great sheet of flames drawn by the air current enveloped the helpless men, who were huddled closely together in the cars with no possible chance to escape. Owing to the ventilating system the flame was drawn inward and the first intimation of the disaster in those on the surface was the shrieks of anguish of the injured.Rescue corps were at once formed and the dead and injured were rapidly brought to the surface, where the living were given first aid treatment by physicians and then rushed to hospitals in ambulances and vehicles of all sorts. Even the first aid aparatus was used in the emergency.
Dead Piled In Heaps.
When the rescuers first entered the tunnel they found the dead and dying piled up in heaps in the cars and along the tunnel. Bodies of the dead were burned to a crisp and cooked flesh came off in strips from the limb of the living. Of the dead, sixty-nine were found dead in the tunnel and fourteen others succumbed to their injuries at hospitals. But forty-nine of the dead have so far been identified.Among the killed outright was JAMES G. MacCLOSKEY, a former baseball pitcher, at one time a member of the Philadelphia National League club.
Assistant General Manager Buchanan of the Delaware and Hudson Coal company after an investigation gave it as his opinion that the explosion was not caused by the sagging of the overhead wire. He is of the opinion that a steel bar or drill carried by one of the men came in contact with the wire, forming the short circuit, which caused the powder to give way. According to the company's figures, 143 men and boys were being carried on the train and but seventeen escaped injury. Seward Button, chief of the state bureau of mines, informed the Associated Press tonight that the state code, contained regulations governing the storage of explosives in magazines and working places, but was silent on its transportation. Mr. Button declared this was a grievous omission in the law and that acting on his own responsibility he would issue regulations tomorrow morning which would present the careless methods and insist that they be obeyed until they can be enacted into law.
(Titusville Herald, 6 Jun 1919)
-------------------------------
LIST OF THE DEAD
Oscar Bidwell
William Bohm
Joseph Borden
Wladislaw Buri (Felix Boritz)
Michael Buria
George Burza
Joseph Chesney (Chesnock)
Alexander Cichon
Michael Connell
Michael Connors (Cutlarksi)
Stephen Demchak
Fred Dippenworth
Andrew Drevenak
Anthony Dziemys
Andrew Felicko
Stanley Forestal
Edward George
Eugene Gethner
Bernard Gillespie
John Golonka
John Grochocki (Greglock)
Michael Harris
Victor Harris
Joseph Hart
Louis (James) Hearn
Mike Hilchanski
William Hogan
Joseph Holup
Jozef Homeszyn
Wasil Homik
Joseph Jaroz (Yaris)
Jan Jaskulski
John J. Jones
George Klepper (Keiper)
Mike Kohut
Michael Kotlarek
Andrej Kumiega
Wojciech (George) Kubik
Wladislaw (Walter) Kubik
Paul Kudla
Patrick Lenahan
Joseph Lipnickas
Heromin Lutostanski (Harry Linteski)
Onufry Luzny
John Makowski
James McGuire
James McClosky
Paul Milcik
James Murphy
Michael Nestor
Anthony Norkunas
Patrick Martin O'Malley (O'Malia)
Edward Oliver
Vasil Osip
John Papys (Pochka)
Llewellyn Parrot
Mike Plahta
Joseph Polanski
Michael Romaskus
John Rushton
Joseph Sambarsky (Strembus)
Simon Shubyak
Stanley Smygiel
Fred Spayder
Anthony Stantaitis
William Staneika
John Stawiasz
Slacki Taminski
Stanislaw Targonski
Samuel Topeka
John Van Nost
Warvezyinel Walosz
Michal Wasik
Richard Weichert
Konstanty Wichowski
Frank Weichert
Adam Wojcik
Jozef Wozniak
Jan Zielinski
TERRIBLE DISASTER IN TUNNEL OF DELAWARE AND HUDSON COAL COMPANY NEAR WILKES-BARRE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
--------------------------
TROLLEY IGNITED POWDER.
DEAD AND MAIMED LITERALLY ROASTED ALIVE BY THE SUPER-HEATED GAS FLAMES FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION.
NO CHANCE FOR ESCAPE.
--------------------------
Wilkes-Barre, June 5. -- Eighty-three men dead and fifty others burned and maimed, many of whom will die, is the toll of a terrible disaster in the Baltimore tunnel of the Delaware and Hudson Coal company in the East End section of this city early today. The disaster was caused by the explosion of 300 pounds of black powder and the dead and maimed were literally roasted by the superheated gas flames following the explosion. The tragedy occurred while the men were on their way to work this morning. Owing to their working places being two miles from the mouth of the tunnel, the men were making the trip in a train of fourteen mine cars drawn by an electric motor, the powder being carried in two cars in the middle of the train. The train had penetrated the tunnel about 200 feet when AUGUST RUDDICA, one of the survivors, declared the overhead trolley, which sagged, touched a steel powder keg head and formed a short circuit.
Powder Exploded.
In an instant there was a shower of sparks and then the powder exploded with a blast and a great sheet of flames drawn by the air current enveloped the helpless men, who were huddled closely together in the cars with no possible chance to escape. Owing to the ventilating system the flame was drawn inward and the first intimation of the disaster in those on the surface was the shrieks of anguish of the injured.Rescue corps were at once formed and the dead and injured were rapidly brought to the surface, where the living were given first aid treatment by physicians and then rushed to hospitals in ambulances and vehicles of all sorts. Even the first aid aparatus was used in the emergency.
Dead Piled In Heaps.
When the rescuers first entered the tunnel they found the dead and dying piled up in heaps in the cars and along the tunnel. Bodies of the dead were burned to a crisp and cooked flesh came off in strips from the limb of the living. Of the dead, sixty-nine were found dead in the tunnel and fourteen others succumbed to their injuries at hospitals. But forty-nine of the dead have so far been identified.Among the killed outright was JAMES G. MacCLOSKEY, a former baseball pitcher, at one time a member of the Philadelphia National League club.
Assistant General Manager Buchanan of the Delaware and Hudson Coal company after an investigation gave it as his opinion that the explosion was not caused by the sagging of the overhead wire. He is of the opinion that a steel bar or drill carried by one of the men came in contact with the wire, forming the short circuit, which caused the powder to give way. According to the company's figures, 143 men and boys were being carried on the train and but seventeen escaped injury. Seward Button, chief of the state bureau of mines, informed the Associated Press tonight that the state code, contained regulations governing the storage of explosives in magazines and working places, but was silent on its transportation. Mr. Button declared this was a grievous omission in the law and that acting on his own responsibility he would issue regulations tomorrow morning which would present the careless methods and insist that they be obeyed until they can be enacted into law.
(Titusville Herald, 6 Jun 1919)
-------------------------------
LIST OF THE DEAD
Oscar Bidwell
William Bohm
Joseph Borden
Wladislaw Buri (Felix Boritz)
Michael Buria
George Burza
Joseph Chesney (Chesnock)
Alexander Cichon
Michael Connell
Michael Connors (Cutlarksi)
Stephen Demchak
Fred Dippenworth
Andrew Drevenak
Anthony Dziemys
Andrew Felicko
Stanley Forestal
Edward George
Eugene Gethner
Bernard Gillespie
John Golonka
John Grochocki (Greglock)
Michael Harris
Victor Harris
Joseph Hart
Louis (James) Hearn
Mike Hilchanski
William Hogan
Joseph Holup
Jozef Homeszyn
Wasil Homik
Joseph Jaroz (Yaris)
Jan Jaskulski
John J. Jones
George Klepper (Keiper)
Mike Kohut
Michael Kotlarek
Andrej Kumiega
Wojciech (George) Kubik
Wladislaw (Walter) Kubik
Paul Kudla
Patrick Lenahan
Joseph Lipnickas
Heromin Lutostanski (Harry Linteski)
Onufry Luzny
John Makowski
James McGuire
James McClosky
Paul Milcik
James Murphy
Michael Nestor
Anthony Norkunas
Patrick Martin O'Malley (O'Malia)
Edward Oliver
Vasil Osip
John Papys (Pochka)
Llewellyn Parrot
Mike Plahta
Joseph Polanski
Michael Romaskus
John Rushton
Joseph Sambarsky (Strembus)
Simon Shubyak
Stanley Smygiel
Fred Spayder
Anthony Stantaitis
William Staneika
John Stawiasz
Slacki Taminski
Stanislaw Targonski
Samuel Topeka
John Van Nost
Warvezyinel Walosz
Michal Wasik
Richard Weichert
Konstanty Wichowski
Frank Weichert
Adam Wojcik
Jozef Wozniak
Jan Zielinski
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