The Portland daily press., 1891-02-23
THE SCENE CHANGED TO NOVA SCOTIA.
The Spring hHI coIIIery Depopulated
BY Great Gas Explosion.
All Animals Killed and Hardly a Man
VIII Tell the Tale.
the Mine Had Heen inspected and
Pronounced All Right Friday.

HALIFAX. N. s., February 21.-A tremen-
dous explosion took place in the east side OF
the east slope Of the Spring Hill mine at
o'clock today. which resulted In large loss Of
lie and the destruction Of the mine.
The Spring Hin mine Is the most impor-
tant In the Cumberland coal field. 1t employs
1000 men. Its output is 1000 tons Of coal daily,
and 1t is owned by Montreal and English
capitalists. Hitherto 1t mas been slngularly
free from explosions. and the cause Of the
disaster Is so far unexplained. The news Of
the accident created the most intense excite
ment and the whole population appear to
have gone wild.
II was only yesterday that the mine was
examined by Deputy Inspector Madden, and
a few days previously by committee OF the
men. and found to be In satisfactory con-
dltion.
Volunteer parties were Immediately organ.
lied to bring up the bodies and attempt the
rescue OF any Of the men who were supposed
to be beyond the immediate scene OF the ca
lamity. Telegrams were sent to Amherst and
Oxford, the nearest towns, for additional
medical aid, and corps Of doctors quickly
arrived BY special trains. There was no lack
Of brave volunteers, but the work OF rescue
was attended with great difficulty, and the
rescuers themselves had many narrow es-
capes
Choke damp set In Immediately after the
explosion, and IL Is certain that every man
down In the mine Is now dead. Manager
Swift was down In the mine at the time, and
he. too, Is among the victims.
The mine was completely wrecked, and the
passageways are blocked so that II Is not
likely any more bodies will be taken out to-
night.
Several Of the victims whose bodies have
been recovered were killed by choke damp.
A fheh n "A No. f&a
clear Of fire, and ventilation has been re-
stored In the Immediate neighb0rhood OF the
disaster. acquisitions have been made upon
the surrounding towns for collins. hearses,
etc.
Sundays Work.
SPRING HILL, N. s., February 22.-Today
the effect Of yesterdays disaster Is felt more
The work Of recovering bodies Is being
pushed forward and a searching party en-
tered the mine at IL o'clock last night A
plumber Of bodies were taken up and today
the work Is going on steadily. The dead are
being brought out more rapidly and 1t Is ex-
pected that most OF the bodies will be out Of
the pits today, except those which are buried
beneath falls Of the roof. The total number
OF dead Is uow placed at III.
Some Of the bodies taken cut are fearfully
mutilated. Those badly mutilated are iden-
tiged by the clothes or marks on their bodies,
The carpenter shop has been temporarily
converted into dead house. to which all the
corpses are taken and prepared for burial.
Deputy Inspector OF Mines Baldlce went
through the portion Of the mine where the
explosion occurred and tested the air Of No.
l slope. II carried one per cent. of fire damp.
In the west level he could not get any read
ing worth noting. The west side Of No.
slope was clear Of fire damp. In head No.
Mr.. Baldice got u per cent of fire damp. In
head No. he got per cent. fire damp. At
Stoney level, No. 2 slope, 1-15 per cent The
tee appointed by the workmen TO look into
the safety Of the mine showed the ventilation
all that could be desired, both in distribution
and quantity, and the workings were gene
rally found In good condition. He said the
system OF ventilation was such II was almost
Impossible for gas to accumulate.