The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-05-20
DEADWOOD DISASTER,
Gazing in of the Golden Terra
Mine.
A number of men killed
and wounded.
Full account Of ths accident with
list Of victims.

DEADwooD, Oak, May 20-At 7:30 last
evening, as the night shift at the Golden
Terra mine were entering the tunnel for
the night when at the first chamber, about
three hundred feet from the mouth of the
tunnel, the works caved in, and carried
the timbers down with a terrible crash,
filling the great shaft and burying the fore
most man beneath the debris. The com
preston of air forced the rear portion of
the shift from fifty to one hundred feet
through the tunnel as though shot from a
cannon. Thomas Greene was instantly
killed, and John Bates, William Wren,
Matthew Iago, John Lall Charles Rouse,
Patrick King, Timothy Sullivan and
T. B. Sullivan. A number of others escap-
ed unhuri through the tunnel to Home
Stake mine on the back to the open cut.
Among those known to be burned beneath
the cave and probably killed are Jas. Far
lev, L. Weighan, j. Wedlock, John Miller,
Thos Thomas P. Calvin, Angus McLain,
Jack Beavy, Jack Eddy, Joseph Harkens
and Mccormack.
NEWS OF THE ACCIDENT
spread rapidly to all camps and thousands
of men were soon on the ground
with picks and shovels. Superintend
ent McMaster, of the Home Stake company
brought over a hundred men who went to
work with a will, digging for their com
rades; while as many men as could work
were sent into the tunnel from the Home
Stake side. After an hours work, the ex-
cavators were able to converse with James
Farley, who said he was pinioned by tim
bers and rock, and exclaimed, for Gods
sake boys hurry, l can't stand it much
longer" This inspired the men to greater
effort, but Farley's voice
CoO1- rorr-ro Crvr
and probably he, as well as his companions
are dead.
At one o'clock this morning no bodies
have been extricated; the vicinity of the
mine is crowded with friends of the miners,
women and children crying and wild with
grief, presenting scene of the greatest
horror. Work will be continued till the
tunnel and chamber are clear.
The Golden Terra mine belongs to the
Homestake Company and is considered one
of the best in the hills. The point of the
catastrophe, is what is known as the dis
puted ground between Gopher and Terra
Cos
TO SECURE POSSEsSI
of which both companies have been work
ing with undue haste, and timbering in
careless manner,
The chamber had eight sets of timber,
OF about nifty feet hlgh, TWO hunufed Ieet
long and one hundred feet inside. A per
feet mountain of dirt and ore, probably
hundred feet in depth, fell into and filled
this vast space. Had the accident occur
red five minutes later, every one of the
sixty men would undoubtedly have been
killed.
Men who were working heard Farley
talk last night some time. He said the
timbers had fallen on him and there was
no hope for him. Word has just been re-
ceived that two men (Farley and Beatty
had been taken out one dead and the 9th
er died in a short time after being released
There will be no detention in the opera
ton of the mine
LATER REPORTS
say nine men still remain in the mine and
miners working there can talk with them.
1t is expected to get them all out alive this
afternoon. The affair has created great
ov,I oan'f bo nxrT11ain p6