The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-11-14
THAT COLLIERY EXPLO.
SION.
Fully Fifty Persons Killed
Some Particulars OF the
Terrible Affair.

81 bllerton, N. D., lo.-At Jl.3J last
night Gilpin, government inspector OF
mines and the local manager, with q gang
Of men, went down the shaft and made a
short exploration and they found the at
mosphere little clearer than during the
dAy and the party were enabled to pene-
trate further. Along the main railway
to the south, they found the bodies Of
three men and q number of dead horses
NO OF the bodies they were enabled to
take with them to the surface, but the
third was so tightly jAmmed into hesp
OF fallen timber and rubbish that an al
tempt to extrlcate would be incur
ring @ useless danger, a. the rubbish
would certainly fall upon anyone tonch-
ing it. Ths choke damp WAS still too
thick 10 allow the party to carry Their
explorations very far, but in one Of the
bends On the start from the main railway
faint smell Of smoke and slightly
warmer atmosphere could be detected,
which showed it was not improbable that
| fire still remained in the mine. When
| the party came to the surface crowd
| had collected to hear the latest news.
| The two dead bodies were carried into =
| temporary deadhouse. One was Identified
ss that Of McGiilivray, but tho other was
30 charred and disfEured rs to be un-
recognizable. One miner, who escaped
usbarmed. says: In trying to get to the
shaft he stumbled across the prUstrste
/ form of an old man. He stopped, and
calling some others running by to his
aid, got him into . cage 10 go 10 the sur
face and then looked about He found
little boy, apparently dead; he was
only inssnsible, and he got the little fell
low and the Old man to the surface, and
then found that he had rescued his own
son and his peer old father. A
brother was sill below. In the
| morning, James Hudson Greener,
and two or three other picked men, went
down into the shaft The party were
also to 90 further into the galleries than
the previous night. The choke damp
was clearing away, and . fire was dis
covered TO be burning. A little further
on brick stopping, closing another I'M
used passage, was found, and here 8
dense black smoke was coming out with
roar like escaping steam. The two men
at once ran back to the rest OF the party,
and as all were now in the greatest
danger, they rapidly got TO the pit bottom
and assembled to the surface
The local manager, government in
epector and several Of the overmen and
old miners were called to q meeting in the
company's Office, and plan of the mine
was spread out.on the table and the locs-
ton Of the fire fixed as we'll as possible,
and the beat action discussed. Itwas de-
termined 70 food the portion OF the mine
where the fire seemed to proceed from, as
II prompt measures were not taken
further explosions were not unlikely al
any moment, the consequence of which
might be serious on the surface. All
night the ceaseless tapping Of small ham.
mers we're heard in one Of the carpenter
shops, and on returning from tbs
mouth u the shaft the spectacle was
one which is rot often seen. The place
had been converted into an undertaken
shop. Collins were beibg made by TIT
scores, that no delay might be occasiOned
The Number lost might be as high q
nfIy. The dangerous state Of the min'
will render the recovery of The bodies I'M
possible for many days, perhaps weeks
In the deadhouse huge platform Il
ample loom for the bodies IS fas
body which could not be recognized the
night before and he at once identified i
by the clothes as that of his son-in- law
Job Skinner. The boots and leSs ar,
charred; one hand roasted, the face burn
black and the top OF the head crushed t
to jelly. The body of McGiliivrsy wa,
but little di.fgured, death having evi
IDENTIFY been caused by choke damp. Tn,
inquest will be commnnced by DR.. Muir
ray at II o'clock in the village. VIM
| Dunbar is in bed in q semi-uhcOnscioui
condition. He is the only rescued mar
who was seriously injured. He was 6
lamp cleaner and had q cabin at the bot.
tom of the pit. He is unable to speak
long enough to tell his story, but his
| wife says as far as abe can gather
| from what he has said, he was in his
cabin at The time Of the explosion. He
saw the fire burst in the back door and
he rushed out at the front, and fell oa his
face. His oil-soaked clothing mad, how
ever, oaught fire, and were burning when
his son, in coming to the pit bottom,
found him aud extinguiShing his gar
| ments, with some astHtance got him TO
| the surface. The old man il badly
burned on the back and right eide in one
spot, aud on the chest and nose. One
arm is so badly burned that the skin
peeled down over his hands. He
did not complain Of suffering much,
which is considered bad sign. He has
frequent deIirious periods, and being 20
years old, his recovery is doubtful All
the other rescued men are out Of danger
and able to converse about their escape.
All tell the same tale. They had been
suddenly struck down and know nothing
Of the cause. There is great mourning
among the cottages. Blinds are down ia
every third or fourth place. Those sud-
denly made widows have large families
Of young children, and il generous assist
ance ID not extended them, their suffering
this winter will be great indeed. Work
has been almost wholly Suspended in the
mines since the disaster.
flooded and al danger considered over,