St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-01

NiAll lGCL. At JlllS ulSldllCc we GQcOull-
tered such hard mass of rock that we
turned to the right and lett as repre-
scented. Each angle of the 49, was
about ten feet long. The curve in the
main drift was 10 work around some
hard rock. As we tunneled in we were
obliged to Use a great many wooden
props as far as the beginning of the
curve. After that but very few were
needed.
We had decided to observe the Fourth
as 4 holiday, and after breakfast two or
three Of the men got out our blasting
powder and fired Salutes. Later on in
the forenoon one went to town, couple
went of hunting, and each was free to
do as he wished. At 10 O'Clock | went
over 10 the mine. 1t was part of my
duty TO inspect the supports and put in
others when needed, and | was going to
give the DRIFT careful going over.
There were two men in the stOrehouse
at the entrance of the mine, and, as
started in. two others, named James
Hart and Thomas Dean, cane up and
said they would 90 in with me. Each of
Us took 4 lamp from the shelf at the
entrance.
At the further end OF the crescent we
spent some ten minutes in Tearranging
a post, and then penetrated back to each
end OF the II" We mad been in the
mine three-quarterS of an hour, and
were about 10 start for the entrance
when there came mighty rush of air,
aud all OF US were picked up and thrown
down with considerable force, while all
our lights were Instantly eXtingniShed.
We OWNED at once what had occurred,
but it was minute or two before any of
us moved. Dean was the first to speak,
CRYING ont III a plOkeu VDice.
Heaven help us, but there has been
a great caye-in.'
| struck match and relghted nv
lamp, and We at once set out TO see what
had occurred. Everything was all right
until we had passed the crescent. Then
we found the way blocked. II was Just
JWentY-nlne feet from where we stood
TO the mouth of the tunnel, and every
inch OF the way had been filled up with
rock and earth by the cave-in. As 20
what had caused the disaster we
we're in Ignorance. and re-
manned so for many days, but
will tell the reader in advance. The
men outside felt that patriotism de-
manded more salutes. and they arranged
2 loose rock on a bOWIder to act as two
anYils do when used for saiuting 4 keg
of blasting powder was taken from the
st9Ter0om aud left in the doorway OF the
mine. At the same time a miner, who
was looking for some article, was lifting
much Of the stun stored there.
When the salute was fired spark was
in some way communicated to the keE
Of powder. ana there was mighty eX-
ploslOn- Most Of Its force rushed i'll
ward, tearing out the supports and
iO0sening rock and dirt But for the
crescent or turn I'D the drift all of US
would nave been Killed, and every foot
Of the mile filed up. we found at our
feet the following articles:
one car of butter. Various pieces of rome
Two cans If con One hatcher.
densed milk, One chlsel,
Two pairs rubber one tin cup.
boots,
boys, the mine mas eaved in. and
sc are lost. said Hart. as We stood in
the drift, staring atthe Debris before US.
tod help us. Tor we shall never see
daylight again. added Dean. and then
we turned back and went to the end of
the drift AID sat down. NV lantern
was the only light we had. and We sat
for ten minutes without speaking a
word. Then Dean, who was a pro-
fcSSed Christian and church member,
dropped on his knees and began TO pray.
His words gave rs heart. and when he
had finished we began to talk of the
situation. lie rush of air which had
brought the articles named from the
mouth OF the mine pointed 10 all eXplO-
sion OF powder. bat We could only guess
that. We knew the distance TO Il foot.
and we knew Just how many supports
had been blown out. You NAV reason
that twtnLynine feet was not so far TO
dig through loose earth. but You are
wrong. Every support blown down
would be twisted and sp.intered aud
bent, and act Is binder of earth and
md rock. 1t would be easier to dig
t!.rCngh two feet OF solid earth than
through one foot of this chaotic
tiil-iD. We had nine companions out
side. and Of course they would make
every effort to rescue us. but we could
not tell how affairs had gone at the
mouth. Perhaps the explosion had
brought down al avalanche OF rocks.
trees and earth from the mountain side,
and Il would take week to clear this
away.
We gathered up the articles blown
back to us by the explosion. and then
took an inventory of everything we had.
VIC found that CTR lamps held oil
enough to give Us light for about thirty
hours. There were five or six picks, as
many SnovelS, and we had two plugs of
tobacco. about fifty matches. and pipe
and some smoking tobacco"
Men have been far worse off than
this" said Dean. as our inventory was
completed. There is water dripping
Gown here to quench cur thirst. and
tive three of Us could live for week on
boot leather alone. We should I've
thankful that it is no worse
We went DOWN TO the block and took
another Survey OF it, but got no eEcour-
aecment rs we were not suffering for
air we knew that some little channels
bad been left whereby it could come TO
Us. We might CLOSE them up il we at
tempted to work through the block
When we went back we decided to
begin new cut. Remember. we were
sixty feet within the bowels of a hill $50
feethigh. There were fully 500 feet of
rock. DIRT and trees above our heads ar
that inonsnt. Our Only hope lay in