Morning journal and courier., 1880-11-13
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. SNOTHBRBD TO DEATH. Terrible Explosion in a Coal
 Mine.
 FIFTY OF THE MINERS PERISH. Rescuing Parties Driven From
 the Pit. THE SIEGE AT BALLINR0BE,
THE SIEGE AT BALLINR0BE.
Land Agent Baycott's Unhappy
 Predicament.
THE NEW DOMINION.

SCOtAa COAAAeTS-AS AcS1SL F'l1Gy
 Lives Lost-Futile Attempts at Rescue
 Thousands at the Mouth of the Pit
 Only Few of the Bodies Recovered.
 STIPULATION, N. S., Nov. 12.-At o'clock
 this morning this community was startled by
 another accident in Foord pit of the Albion
 mines. The report coming so quietly after
 the late disaster, by which six men lost their
 lives, caused the greatest consternation. The
 report spread with lightning rapidity, and in
 short time all business was suspended and
 hundreds of people focked to the scene of the disaster. The facts are as follows Pre- vious to o'clock the two night foremen, John Campbell and John Wier, came to the surface and reported the pit all safe, adding that they had not known the workings so free from gas for some time. At , o'clock the day foremen descended, among whom were Angus Mckay, one of the missing, and A. D. Me Kenzie, who being fortunately on the north side escaped. Descending the pit they saw that the lamps were all safe, gave them out to the men as they came down the pit, and told them everything was safe The men pro- ceeded as usual to their respective boards and other places of work. At twenty-five minutes of Charles Ross, driver of the fan, while performing his duties heard peculiar roar proceeding from the fan. heavy rush of wind lasting two minutes resembling the sound of b-o-o-o-o-o, and moment later the fan house, made of plank, was blown into the air, followed by a quantity of brick from the west side of the fan house. He at once reported to Thomas Blinkensop, oI,i oc l. usual occurrence ordered Ross to increase the velocity of the fan from forty to fifty l revolutions per minute. The flying timber l and bricks at the fan pit attracted the atten- l tion of numbers of people who focked to 1 the spot Within distance of ten feet from the fan is the pit which affords the outlet for 1 the air, and is also used in cases of emergen- cy for gaining access to the mine when other | sources are cut of. Attached to this pit is | the necessary gear driven by the fan engine. | This gear had been destroyed. Blinkensop l ordered that the bogeo or tub be lowered in case any of the men working below 1 might have reached the spot and tried 1 to escape by the fan pit, but when Ross at | tempted to carry out the order he found it | impossible to do so on account of the quan- 5ity and strong quality of damp or poisonous | gas being sucked up by thefan. Blinkensop | then gave orders for repairing the damage to | he fan house. No damage was done the l ian and the engine so far kept working l This was almost providential, for had the fan | been injured and stopped, though only short time, the men working on the north | 'ide would. if not killed by the explosion, i nave very shortly died from the after damp md afterward series of explosions the same | IS occurred at Drummond. This calamity l would have prevented explorations and ren- tered It impossible to secure the bodies for weeks, perhaps months Meanwhile great lumber of the men working on the north ude of the pit being warned of the disaster y the unusual concussion of air escaped by way of the cage pit which communicates with the Foord by a tunnel. About this time he men who had arrived at the bottom of he Foord shaft, some two or three of whom were injured, were hoisted to the surface. l 1t this time, half-past seven o'clock, James l Hudson, the manager, his son Joseph, under round manager, Robeft Simpson, manager | if the Drummond mines, who arrived from had assembled at the pit head and were holding consultation. It was now too l ,atent that 8 great calamity had occurred, 1 nd it was believed that thirty to thirty five nen working on the south side had been cut If from all means of escape. Volunteers 1 were called for, but I am told were slow in oming forward, which may in some measure ,e accounted for by the dread of the late dis ster being in their minds. Finally, howev- r, Messrs. Duncan, Mackenzie, Frederick l chuerman and Rory Mcdonald, who Fill be remembered as one of the olunteers at the late accident, de- cended and attempted to enter the south side f the working but found the gas so strong hat they could only get few yards, so i'm nediately returned to the surface and report d the facts as above. The first party to escend was Joseph Hudson under rond manager, John Mckay, Fred Schuer- nan and boy named Lewis. At the foot of he shaft they met John Dunbar and proceed d fifty yards to the southward to big break n the south side. There they found a man amed Johnson unconscious but living. chuerman and Hudson carried him to he foot of the shaft and took him up. He 7as removed to his residence and is likely to ecover. Returning to the pit and proceeding 0 the same place they found a man named TcGillvray lying on his side insensible with is arm raised so as to protect his face. Iudson says his hands were still warm. He pparently had just died. I felt the change f air which is always warning of an ap- haft for my life. Hudson and his party hen came to the surface, followed a few minutes later by Michael Breen, who came rom the north break and reported stumbling yer man who was still living, but to stay 0 assist him would be certain death to him elf. Next an exploring party, composed of tory Mcdonald, John Dunbar Fred Schuer-
 
 Tent one hundred yards on the north side earching for the man Breen. It was report d that he fell over, but they were unable to nd any signs of him and returned to the urface. Three parties went down, but were bIiged to return on account of foul gas and othing further could be done for some hours. t half past four hundreds of people from he surrounding towns and vicinity had ar ived. Over fifty persons who had gone to york in the morning have met terrible caths. At 9 o'clock a party succeeded in citing sos yards from the shaft, but had to ush back. At the farthest point reached they ound 8 third body, but were obliged to leave till morning. They sent up the two bodies reviously found, one of them unrecogniza- Ie the other that of McGilhvroy. At a. a. the work of clearing the debris will be commenced. This will occupy some hours. hen they will search for the bodies Twen- V men were married and leave over one hun red children. |