Submitted by 
Marti Graham

Mine Explosion Entombs 105 Men

Over 100 Men At Work; Only Eleven Escape

Sans Bois Mine, No. 2, Is Scene of Worst Disaster in Recent Years.

Bodies Are Burned

Gas or Coal Dust Thought by Experts Cause of Explosion.

Fort Smith, Ark., March 20 - Out of a total of 116 men who entered mine No. 2, of the Sans Bois company at McCurtain, Okla., thirty-seven miles west of Fort Smith, at 7 o'clock Wednesday morning, only eleven were known to be alive at 10 o'clock Wednesday. 

...[description of mine, medical staff, machinery, etc., but no names]...

Practically every humble home in the community has one or more members buried in the mine. Hundreds of moaning and wailing women and children and grim-visaged men gathered about the mouth of the main slope. The scene is one that can never be erased from memory.

Bring Out the Dead.

About 6 o'clock the rescuing party brought four bodies out of the mine and they were carried to the wash house and laid out upon the floors. The bearers of the bodies passed between rows of grief stricken relatives who clamored for a view of the dead. The bodies were blackened and burned and practically unrecognizable and the confusion was so great that it was impossible to determine definitely their identity.

At 8 o'clock it was reported that the rescuing party had found sixteen more bodies which would be brought out by midnight. This will be the last trip of the rescuing party in the mine tonight, although explorers in relays will continue to work.

The explosion was accompanied by a faint rumble and there was but a slight jar of the earth. A dense cloud of dust and smoke rolled out of the mouth of the main slope.

Superintendent Brown, George Hutchinson and Ben Farriman ran to the mouth of the mine and waited for a short time. They thought that the explosion was a minor one and knew if such was the case the men would come pouring forth in a few minutes. But only one lone man staggered forth, Frank Fields, who dropped utterly exhausted at the mouth of the mine.

Survivors Tell of Disaster.

Fields said he was walking in an entry when he heard the explosion. Then came a puff and Fields half jumped, half staggered, into a side room and left the explosion to go rumbling down the entry. After it passed he staggered to the entrance. Shortly after Fields came out nine miners came across the fields from the south entry, a quarter of a mile away. They had been working in the seventh north entry, an old and practically isolated part of the mine, when the smoke reached them. They escaped through what is known as a "man way" by climbing a ladder to the surface.

The survivors, led by Superintendent Brown, entered the main slope in short time, and bought out one badly injured miner and the corpse of another. The latter was John Golwas, a boy of 17 years. A "rope rider" who was coming to the slope when the explosion occurred also escaped.

The force of the explosion was so terrific that it pushed the cars up the slope and made so much slack in the cable that the engineer thought for the time the cable had broken. The engineer hurriedly caught up the slack and pulled the cars and the rope rider to safety.

W. D. Roper, of C__o, S. C., mining engineer for the coal company, and his two young assistants in all probability lost their lives. They entered the mine early in the morning to do some surveying and are still among the missing. Roper had been employed by the company two year.

The books of the mine company Wednesday night disclosed 92 names on the records, but the company now admits more than one hundred men were employed. Mayor Fagan Bourtand of Fort Smith Wednesday night issued an appeal for aid for the families of the victims.

The cords of the company show seventy men were checked in this morning to work in the mine. This does not include about twenty-five others employed in capacities other than miners and who are known to have been in the mine. A surveying party of three men, led by W. D. Roper, also was in the mine at the time of the explosion. Among the members of this party are Ralph Kenney, son of Reve. J. A. Kenney of McCurtain. Of the seventy-five miners in the mine forty-three were Americans. James Hall and Sam Phillips are among those entombed.

The Daily Oklahoman
Oklahoma city, Oklahoma
March 22, 1912
page 1, 2

List of Dead:

McCurtain, Okla. March 21 - Up to midnight Thursday the list of known dead brought from the Sans Bois mine No. 2 is as follows:

Frank Cook, gas inspector; William Farrimond, pit boss; Will Cross, Ben Nelson, A. Bonner, Dan Crompton, Will Steel, Frank Wilmond, John Gough, Chad Gough, John Golwas, John Golwas Jr., Arthur Andrews, Tony Madig, Fred Heinz, A. C. Emberton, H. McGuerr, F. C. Ogles, George Bell, B. Bardosonia, Will Thomas, Clive Fields, Nelson Bartman, Joe Gussio, Charles Stabio, Joe Romano, Dave Rutledge, Homer Thomas, George Gregg, Charles Cowardin, John Day, Enoch Katchunis, T. W. Evans, F. W. Echols, George Bell [listed twice], A. L. Skinner, T. J. Izetta, Sam Hicks, Tom Brunskill, Hall Phillips, Walter Thomas, Joe Comisky, W. C. Perry, Pete Mattis, Oliver Smelzer, Tony Larivia, Frank Martin, Joe Webergoo, Joe Maroscoe, John Parker, Sam Phillips, W. D. Roper, civil engineer; James Phillips, Ralph Kenney.

Twenty-Five Men Rescued; 84 Dead; 7 Still Missing

Eight Miners Are Found Huddled In Confined Room

Presence Made Known By Constant Rapping On An Air Pipe.

One Man's Heroism

Charles Gussio Risked Own Life In Futile Search For Missing Brother.

McCurtain, Okla., March 21 - At 10 o'clock Thursday night fifty two bodies had been taken from the ill-fated mine of the Sans Bois Coal company at McCurtain, Okla., where more than 100 men were entombed Wednesday by an explosion of gas. Twenty-five men have been rescued alive. Twenty-nine bodies were Thursday night located in the north twelfth entry. Three bodies were discovered Thursday evening under a mass of wrecked cars in the main slope. This makes 109 out of the 116 men who entered the mine Wednesday morning accounted for. Rescuers had been tamping over the mangled forms of three men since Wednesday without knowing it.

The men rescued Thursday morning were found about 9:30 o'clock. They were in the south thirteenth entry in a room eight by ten feet huddled about an air pump. When the rescue party entered the mine Thursday morning they heard a constant rapping on an air pipe leading to the room. Although there was no further proof, this indicated to the rescuers that some of the men were alive. Word was quickly sent to the little band that stood huddled about the mouth of the main slope telling of the discovery. A half hour later the fifteen entombed men were brought out alive.

The men had saved themselves by taking off the top of the pump and building a curtain in front of the room to exclude the bad air and gas. Then they piled on top of each other, placing their heads as near the top of the pump as possible. Every few moments one of the crowd became faint from lack of air and he was immediately place on top of the pile of humanity until he recovered.

Scenes Baffling Description.

It was a pathetic scene when the fifteen were brought out of the slope. Distracted mother, almost insane from grief, rushed to them and clasped them in their embrace, begging them for news as to the safety of the others. One mother, with two small children tugging at her skirts, was seen to reel backward with a shriek. She had inquired for her husband and, receiving no news from those rescued, she collapsed.

Four of the fifteen brought out alive Thursday morning were so overcome that they had to be carried. Their condition Thursday night showed considerable improvement, but two are not entirely out of danger.

"We had almost given up hope," said Tom Farrimond, one of the rescued Thursday night. "How we ever met I don't know. As soon as we felt the explosion we rushed to the nearest pump knowing that we were too far from the entrance to escape death if the explosion was very severe. We had just put up the curtain when a big sheet of flame traveling with great speed, passed our room and sent a small puff of its deadly breathe at us. The minutes seemed like hours to us as we clung to the pump straining every effort to inhale every particle of fresh air as it left the pump. We hardly spoke. We did not discuss the possibility of death or rescue, but __ my comrades thought as I did, they thought of nothing but their loved ones and whether or not we would see them again. There was no food, no water. I doubt if we could have partaken of food if we had it. We suffered greatly from the lack of water."

Lad Dies After Rescue

Ralph Kenney, sixteen year old son of Rev. J. A. Kenney, a Methodist preacher of McCurtain, could not escape what fate had decreed. The little fellow was among 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 the thirteen chocking men almost fought each other for gasps of fresh atmosphere from a broken air pipe. Then a pallor spread over his face, his form quivered and before outstretched hands could seize him, his body sand to the floor. He was dead. The strand of life had been stretched too taught during the hideous torment of the night. Youth could not withstand the return of joy.

Those almost unconscious were carried into the miners locker building a few yards away. Others who could feebly walk supported by men like Tennyson's Sir Galahad, who's "strength was like the strength of ten because his heart was pure."

Korozko's Story

It was a story seldom heard which John Korozko told. He was one of four who sought safety in the pump room. He and John Scott staggered up to the broken pipe at the same time. They frantically pushed each other aside with the first breaths of fresh air. When they breathed naturally again, they searched nearby for comrades. One after another of the other twelve were found, carried to a living air and revived. Then when all assembled a hand was placed beneath the aperture in the pipe that the air might spread equally to each encircled about. This afternoon Scott removed his hat. A dozen cut and bruised places showed prominently where he at first had butted his head on the iron in his frantic desire for more air.

An hour of enthusiasm seemed to have dwindled into a few minutes of time, when another band of rescuers came in sight, this time surrounding bodies huddled in a heap. It was the dead again and all the affliction with the faces of the living had solaced, and softened, again turned to solemn agony on tear washed cheeks. The dead were brought up at intervals of one and two hours, two and four at a time, almost all day long.

After Damp Interferes and is greatly retarding the work of the rescuers.

Gussio's Herosim.

The rescued tell a remarkable story of the heroism of "Shy" Guissio, one of those rescued alive. Gussio's brother, Zack, is one of the missing men. Shy escaped by taking refuge in the little room with the others. As soon as he was revived he started forth to explore the mine in the hopes of finding his brother. Despite the protests and appeals of his comrades he started forth. He soon stumbled across the body of a man whom he dragged to the pump. The man was dead. Reviving himself Gussio started forth the second time and soon dragged back another man. He too, proved someone other than Gussio's brother. Like the first man, the second was dead. By this time Gussion was so overcome that he could not continue his search. Thursday Gussio's father who spent the night making coffins in which to bury his sons gave the coffins away so that others could be buried in them. The father believes his second son will be save.

The body of W. D. Ropier, chief mine surveyor, was brought up late in the afternoon. His brains had been dashed out in the explosion and his body, like many others, was horribly burned and torn. It is believed that at least three timber men are lying dead beneath a mass of debris. The others may be a quarter mile away. At 7 o'clock Thursday night nobody but experts were in the mine. These were Ed Boyle, state mine inspector, two gas men and three helpers. They are equipped with oxygen helmets brought from McAlester Wednesday.

SIXTY-FIVE WIDOWED

The total number of miners killed in San Bois mine No. 2 at McCurtain, Wednesday, is eighty-five...sixty-five of the miners were married and that 250 children are fatherless.

The Daily Oklahoman
Oklahoma city, Oklahoma
March 23, 1912
page 1, 2

Famine Feared; Provisions Low At McCurtain

Hundreds of Men from the Neighboring Camps are Rushing Into Town

Five More Bodies Are Brought from Mine

...identified bodies recovered Friday were those of James, Sam and Hall Phillips, brothers, Frank Martin, Willis Andrews, Earnest Hankins, Oscar Adams, Joe Komiskey and W. M. Birdsong.

To the list of men know to be yet in the mine was added the name of Enrich Kockunis.

From a revised accounting made Friday night there were 108 men in the mine when the explosion came.

Twenty five came out alive, and sixty three bodies have been recovered, leaving fifteen yet to be found. These figures were obtained from reliable sources at the mine by the Associated Press correspondent.

Late Friday afternoon, forty five bodies had been buried. The rest of the dead will be buried Saturday forenoon as the bodies lately recovered cannot longer be preserved. There were no funerals and no ceremonies at the graves.

They were curious eyes which looked up at Antonio Oyasis when he came sauntering up to the mine Friday. Some at first shrank from him. "Where did you come from?" an Italian miner asked him. "I have just come from home," he replied. "But they have got you numbered as one of the men still in the mine, how did you get out?" Oyasis then explained that he was one of the party of fourteen who was rescued alive Thursday morning. When the top was reached Oyasis jumped over the side of the car. Onlookers thought he was one of the rescuers, while the rescuing party thought they had been mistaken in the number brought up. Oaysis (sic) went home immediately. He said he dreaded the sight of the mine.

[article goes on to describe in general without mention of names the various funerals and burials being conducted]

The Daily Oklahoman
Oklahoma city, Oklahoma
March 24, 1912
page 1

NOTE: Page 1 has no mention of the explosion. I did not check futher]

The following was originally posted to the LeFlore County mailing list by The Donathan's, October 01, 2002

Newspaper account of 1912 Mine Cave In

In reviews the incidents that occurred in this great explosion and the miraculous escape of a number of entombed 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 fortunate found by the rescue party in the south 13th entry, far back in the 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 dangers 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 disappointed. 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 the 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 through 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 among 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