Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1890-06-18

fEIEh MCGUUGh.
OF these twenty-one were married and
have families. The mine, it seems, has
been somewhat troubled with water, aud
air shafts had been drilled from the surface
to the iuncture Of the right and Left shafts,
where the water seemed most abundant.
Az the mines branched OF from this point
they knew that an air hole had been drilled
there that had not yet been broken into.
But they did not know it was to be
broken into to-day. This shaft, by the
way, was . six.inch hole. A miner named
Kirwin had been lift in the right drift near
that branch adjoining the mines exit, and
in the course Of his labors broke into the
perpendicular shaft. The moment this
was broken into, food Of water gushed d
out and Kirwin and man ramed Sandy,
standing by. yelled out for some one to
save the men in the right shaft, a. the
water poured down the hill in stream
and hs fsassd they would drown.
A young man named Hayes, who had
seen the affair, leaped forward 1t the call
and turned down the left drift toward his
endangered comrades below. just as be
passed the cir shaft that had been broken
into the rush of water change to an ugly
roar, which blanched tho cheeks OF the
men. The Aow cf water had changed to q
deadly volume Of irs- damp, and as young
Hayes swung by the shaft . b.azing light
slid through the shaft from end to end il
seemed. The daring young man carried
an open burning miners lamp in hts bat,
and he bad hardly taken step beyond the
roaring shaft when spark ignited the
reservoir of deadly IRE damp aud he sank
corpse ten feet from those whom be had
hoped to save and the men whom he had
certainly doomed.
In an instant an unquenchable fire
sprang up in nine foot vein, just between
the main entrance and the right DR. It, for
ever shutting of the tlirty-two men i'm
prisoned there. Poor cd David Hayes,
father at the mistaken hero, driven mad By
the fate Of his son, dashed into the sui
phurous smoke and straugliug hre damn
only to Tall BY the side OF his SON and 10
be drawn ont an hour later with Jamss
ShearD, both recogolzed only by theil
wives.
Tho 6r-, famed BY cir from the main
drift, and from the fatal shalt itself, soon
sprung into an awful coniisgration.
The miners from the left drift escaped,
blactsnsd and bruised, but safe, and they
tell fearful story Of tho sight beyond The
blsxios coal on the right: Willing hands
and hsssts xere mot wanting ON thA out.
side, and Clerk Cook, with Mine Inspector
KeoRhy, headed party Of 100 who en-.
tered ths main shaft end, after gropipg fol
quarter Of . mile at least, we're driven
back again by the deadly gas, only to 70.
cover breath Tor moment and plunge In
to nnd that the right drift vas imrenetrabl,
and that no man living could pass
They Anally came upon two bodies and
tbey were Lrought 70 the opening Of III
mine. when the two blacksned
corpses, those Of Hhsarn and Hayes, ths
elders. wses drawn into tho daylight l
moan went up from the fsw hundred about
The pit. but tho anguish vas % uothin1
10 the silent watch kept b wives, chlldrsI
and swesthearts 0k the men whose doom
was oil Tho aoOrs a~ful because unknovn
At midniGht tie smoke and sas from ri
night shaft poured up the main exit h =
unbroksn soaame, and after trials almosi
beyond hunlaa endurance ths fsscsinl
party gave - all hopes Of svsn recoverinl
their contadss' dsad bodies from thaI
entrance, - turned their attention 20 q,
Fereusoa nine, mile and half away.
A. this hoof q .. NJ tAsy axs asr.yiul
% psnetsato from that miue, bat u
AAmss and enoke bAlk III II ~ y eH 1T
qsa>. s.-Sr~1l1 .xsas~A So. AZ - la. -.