| An accident in the Sunshine mines at South Fork last Thursday resulted in the killing of three men, the fatal injury of one and the serious injury of several others. The names of the killed are Anthony Border, Joseph Swank, and Frank McLain; fatally injured, John Coolbaugh. The accident occurred at the completion of the day’s labor when the men were leaving the mines. The men were in the habit of riding out of the mine on the mine cars, notwithstanding, it was expressly forbidden by the company. On Thursday evening the men mounted the cars as usual, there being 20 of them coupled together. Three hundred yards from the main entrance is a lift. Just as the cars were reaching the highest point in the main way, the coupling between the second and third car broke and the cars on the rear end dashed backward down into the dip 200 yards. At the first switch they were wrecked and caused a fearful mix-up. Border and Swank were dead when taken out. McLain died an hour later. Those who had been fortunate enough to jump from the runaway cars ran to the outside and told of the accident. Help was quickly rushed to the men buried beneath the immense pile of wreckage which filled the 6-foot heading for a distance of 20 yards. The first man found was Swank, who was horribly mutilated. Border and McLain were the next taken out, the former dead. |
