40 Miners Killed in Explosion at Shanktown Mine, Jan. 28, 1924

Late Reports Confirm Loss of 40 Lives in Disaster. . . 20 Bodies Have Been Recovered from Shanktown Mine—9 Are in Hospital Suffering from Gas—Rescue Work Proceeding Favorably—Trooper Establish Guard—John Ricco Cited as Hero

By the Associated Press

Shanktown, Pa., Jan. 27—Forty men lost their lives in the explosion which late yesterday wrecked the Lancashire mine of the Barnes and Tucker Coal Company here, according to the best estimates obtainable late today.

Twenty bodies have been brought out, and nine miners, who were saved by the prompt efforts of another miner, are in hospitals recovering from the effects of the shock and gas. Experienced rescue crews led by J.D. Parker, of the Pittsburgh station of the bureau of mines, are working in one hour relays to penetrate the workings and reach the entombed men. All hope that any are alive has been abandoned.

“While no one is quite sure,” said Engineer Parker, “there is every reason to believe that there were 40 victims of the mine disaster. Seventeen bodies have been located, and there is hardly a possibility that the 23 other miners escaped. The rescue work is proceeding favorably. The main heading has been explored to the face of the mine and the crews are now going into the side entries. We expect to have the mine completely explored tonight.”

The women and children who last night stood in the bitter cold and blinding snow waited vainly for some news from the workings, were induced to go to their homes by the Red Cross nurses and the Salvation Army workers. They served sandwiches and coffee to the emergency men during the night, and comforted the stricken women and children, finally led them home. The nurses were then sent to the emergency morgue at Starford, a neighboring village, where they took charge of the bodies.

Five troopers of the state police arrived from the Greensburg barracks this morning and established a patrol around the pit mouth.

John Ricco, a miner, was on his way to work in the night shift shortly before 4 o’clock yesterday when he saw a great volume of smoke burst from the pit. Without hesitation, he ran into the mine and almost immediately came upon a broken pipe and smashed dinner bucket. Tearing along for almost a mile, he shouted at the mouth of every gallery, but got no response until he was near the sixth heading. Here a faint cry answered him, and his search was rewarded by finding nine men alive, but some of them bordering on unconsciousness.

Ricco induced them to soak their handkerchiefs in water and tie them about their faces. He quickly found an air passage, and leading the weak and staggering men along its entire length, he finally came to a point where he knew the earth had fallen in from above. He then helped them one by one to climb to the surface and safety.

From the front page of the Durham Morning Herald, Monday, Jan. 28, 1924.