There are no words to describe how I felt when I read this. This is horrible. It doesn't help any knowing the one I'm looking for happened after 1937. ----- Original Message ----- From: The Donathan's Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2002 10:06 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [OKLEFLORE] Newspaper account of 1912 Mine Cave In In reveiews the incidents that occurred in this great explosion and the miraculous escape of a number of entoumbed men we find these facts. Never before in the history of mine explosions in the southwest has there been one the equal of the explosion at No. 2 mine on March 20, 1912. There were 97 men entombed, 73 of them were brought out dead. Ten escaped out of a “man way” located about 200 yards from the main entrance of the mine and these men say they heard no report and had not the smoke become so dense, they could no longer work, they possibly would have worked on through the day. But when the dense smoke came on them they knew there must be something wrong. They were working in the South Eighth. There were 14 fortunates found by the rescue party in the south 13th entry, far back in th mine in a room 8x10. Here those 14 had found an air fount. They took the top off this and packed themselves as closely about this life giving fount of air as circumstances would permit. They hung a curtain at the room entrance and then huddled as near the air as possible, their heads above the top of the pump. As one after another grew faint, overcome for lack of air, his fellows held him over the top of the pump until he was revived by the scanty air. Shy Gussio was one of the rescued party and his thoughts were constantly of his brother, Joe, and twice he left his haven of temporary safety and braved the danters of the mine to find his brother. He traveled far into the darkness and came upon the form of a man which he dragged to one place of the living that he knew, but the body was lifeless and it was not that of his brother. After reviving himself at the air pump he started forth again despite the protestations of his fellows to find his brother. Again he stumbled upon a form and dragged it to the pump and again he was disapointed. He was one of the four of that group who had to be carried out. Sixty nine men were buried at the Miners’ Cemetery here in McCurtain and four were shipped to other places. Frank Crook to Indiana; W.D. Roper to Clio, North Carolina; Charley Coward in to Hartford, Ark; William Farrimond to Missouri. The whole city of McCurtain was in mourning, there was scarcely a home that some relative was not a victim of the disaster, the most appalling in th mining industry of the southwest. Everywhere the scene was distressing. At the mouth of the mine, about the street and in the homes it was the same, women with their babies in their arms and the older children huddled about bemoaning the loss of one dear to them and the men staring a mute appeal. In all of their faces, haggard and drawn after sleepless nights, one could read their agony. About the mine, conditions were especially pitiful. Here hundreds kept watch throught the nights in the hopes by some chance a kinsman might have escaped death and would be brought to the surface. But with a return of each relay of rescuers and reports of additional bodies located but nothing to indicate that any more of the men were alive hope gradually waned till there were but few who had not given up in despair. Ralph Kenny, 16 year old son of Rev. Kenny, pastor of the McCurtain M E church at that time could not escape what fate had decreed. The little fellow was amoung the fourteen living which the mine gave up. Partly insensible at first, he shortly came to himself and smiled as he told of the night in the small pump room where he and thirteen choking men almost fought each other for gasps of fresh air from the broken air pipe. Then a pallor spread over his face, his form quivered, and before outstretched hands could seize his body sank to the floor. Helpers looked at him and then at each other. The strand of life had stretched too severe during the hideous torment of the night. It was a story seldom heard that Koskoski told. He was one of the fourteen who sought safety in the pump room. He and Frank Scott staggered up to the broken pipe at the same time. They frantically pushed each other aside with the first breath of fresh air. When they breathed naturally again, they searched nearby ___________. One after another of the other twelve were found, carried to the living air and revived. The following is a list of those that were taken out alive by rescuing parties; John Izett, James Miller, Joe Miller, Willard Jenkins, John Koskoski, John Connoar, Frank Scott, John Tanner, Claude Gragg, Shy Gussio, John Kokoaki, Jrl, V. Harrison, Pete Parenti, Tom Farrimond. The following is a list of those brought out dead: Nelson Barton 17 American Miner Single Thomas Brunskill 30 Englesh Miner Wife, 2 children Paul Bessa 40 Italian Miner Single Ed Campbell 27 Irish Track Layer Single F.W. Echols 28 American Miner Single, Mother John Golwas, Sr. 54 Austrian Miner Wife, 3 Children Ralph Kenny 15 American Chain Boy Single Steve Luckenish 31 Austrian Miner Wife, 4 Children Anton Maidic 28 Italian Miner Wife, 2 Children Rutledge Poole 17 English Spragger Single W.D. Oper 24 American Civ. Engn'r Single James Phillips 31 American Miner Wife, 1 Child Ollie Parenti 47 Italian Miner Wife, 8 Children D.W. Rutledge 33 American Miner Wife, 2 Child Walter Thomas 32 American Miner Wife, 3 Children George Grego 38 Austrian Miner Unknown William Steele 22 Irish Driver Single Oliver Smelzer 17 German Chain Boy Single W.A. Thomas 35 American Pumper Wife Abe Skinner 47 Welsh Miner Wife, 5 Children Joe Weberger 40 German Miner Wife, 3 Children Charles Sabio 38 Italian Miner Wife R.D. Wimberly 27 American Driver Wife F.W. Woodward 37 Welsh Miner Wife, 3 Children Frank Martin 36 Austrian Miner Single B. McGuire Unknown American Miner Single Benj Nelson 41 Scitcg Track Man Single Alex Oasis 26 Italian Miner Unknown W.C. Perry 28 American Driver Wife, 3 Children Hal Phillips 37 American Miner Single Sam Phillips 35 American Miner Wife, 5 Children John Perko 41 Austrian Miner Wife, 4 Children Joe Romanio Unknown Italian Miner Wife, 4 Children Enoch Katchunis 41 Russian Miner Wife, 4 Children Joe Marosco 33 Austrian Miner Wife, 4 Children Thomas Kokot 54 Austrian Timberman Wife Fred Heinz 51 German Miner Wife, 3 Children Joe Kominsky 41 Italian Miner Wife, 7 Children Tony Lavana 28 Italian Miner Wife Ed MiGuinnes 44 Irish Driver Wife, 1 Child Peter Mattis 43 Russian Bratticeman Wife, 5 Children William Farrimond 38 English M Foreman Wife, 4 Children John Golwas, Jr. 17 Austrian Spragger Single Jack Gradis 42 Russian Timberman Wife, 4 Children Crad Gough 21 Welsh Miner Wife, 1 Child Joe Gussio 23 Belgian Miner Wife John Gough 26 Welsh Miner Wife, 1 Child T.J. Izett 33 Scotch Miner Single Ernest Hankins 18 American Miner Single Samuel Hicks 17 American Miner Single Frank Aldman Unknown Italian Miner Wife Tony Bench 36 Italian Track Man Single Frank Crooks 40 American Fire Boss Wife, 5 Children A.L. Cook 50 American Miner Unknown Enrico Carbello Unknown Italian Miner Single Charles Cowardin 39 American Miner Wife, 2 Children John Gotto Unknown Italian Miner Wife John Day 29 English Miner Wife Crill A. Emberton 31 American Boss Driver Wife Cleveland Fields 27 American Miner Wife, 1 Child Dan Daniels 46 Italian Miner Wife Daniel Compton 22 German Driver Single Charles Conners 22 American Driver Unknown Arthur Buckannan 53 American Miner Wife, 3 Children Omar Thomas 18 American Miner Single N. Bardisonio Unknown Italian Miner Unknown Albert Bonner 35 American Driver Wife, 2 Children William Cross 29 American Driver Wife, 1 Child Oscar Adams 44 American Miner Wife, 4 Children Arthur Andrews 21 American Miner Wife George Bell 38 Italian Miner Wife, 6 Children Willias Andrews 40 American Miner Wife, 4 Children W.G. Birdsong 36 American Miner Wife, 1 Child [email protected] wrote: > > folks > This will have to be checked out to be sure that I have my facts straight, > but I believe there was a mine cave in at McCurtain, Haskell Co., OK and also > one at Heavener, Leflore Co., OK. I think there was also one in the Hartford, > Sebastian Co., AR area which is near Heavener. > I don't know many details of either one except at McCurtain there is a > memorial monument that has the names of the ones buried in the mine > explosion/cave in that were not recovered. > Tom S > > ==== OKLEFLOR Mailing List ==== > OKGenWeb Lawmen and Outlaws > http://marti.rootsweb.com/law/law.htm > Indian Pioneer Papers > http://www.rootsweb.com/~okgenweb/pioneer/pioneer.htm ==== OKLEFLOR Mailing List ==== OK Surname Registry - added yours? http://www.rootsweb.com/~oknames/ Search 4 surnames - http://www.rootsweb.com/~okgenweb/search.htmGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com