Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-12
AN APPEAL FOR CHARITY,
Distressing Scenes at Roslyn,
Washington.
Families Of the Mine Victims
Left Destitute.
A Public Call for Aid by the Mayor
of the Town.
The Work of Rescuing the Bodies Slowly
Progressing-The Cause of the
Disaster Still Remains
Unexplained.
By the Associated Press. I

Ny the Associated Press
RosLYN, WASH, May 11.-Morning
dawned upon the crowd of weary and
grief-stricken watchers, who kept an
all-night vigil at the scene Of yesterdays
explosion. At midnight, much to theil
regret, the rescuers were compelled to
cease their labors, owing to the exces'
sive accumulation OF fredamp. Early
this morning the work Of rescue was re-
sumed. There are seven drifts In the
slope, and fourteen bodies thus far re.
covered were found between the first
and fifth. The sixth and seventh have
not been reached. 1t is expected that
large number of bodies will be found
when the last two drifts are reached, al
most Of the men were at work there 81
the time Of the explosion.
The scene at the morgue is distress'
ing. The mayor has issued an appeal
to outside towns and cities for assist
ance on behalf of the dead minerR fam
lilies, ,manyo of whom are left in straitened
circumstances. General Manager Kapg-
ley, of the Northern Pacific Coal COM
pany, has announced that the company
will relieve all the immediate wants of
the distressed. He arrived from Tacoma
this morning with corps of under
takers and two box cars loadedx with
cofins. The company will bear the en-
tire expense of interment.
Justice Gamble of Clealum empRneled
q corone-'s jury, and after viewing the
bodies recovered, adjourned. The jury
will convene from time to time as the
bodies are taken out, but no inquest
will be held until the bodies of the re-
manning entombed miners are recov-
cred. The relief work is progressing as
rapidly as possible, but possibly another
forty-eight hours will be consumed be-
fore the lowest level is reached.
Various rumors as to the cause OF the
explosion are rife, but it is altogether
probable that the true nature of the dis
aster and the circumstances that led to
it will never be known, since none have
been left to tell the story. The most
reasonable conclusion that can he
arrived at is that Z the woiA'
ing miners unexpectedly encountered q
strong gas feeder. On Tuesday morning,
the day of the explosion, gas was re-
ported in the sixth west entry and the
sixth east man.way. All these gases
were removed by Fireman John Shaw
and the men put to work. They labored
from am. until the explosion occurred,
working with naked lamps. At II
O'Clock noon the mine was reported free
from gas.
A relief committee has been organized
and appeals have been made to other
cities tor contributions. The city is in
deep gloom today. Bodies that have
been recovered have been turned over
to their relatives and friends and this
afternoon and tomorrow they will be in
tered, with what services can at this
time be offered.
The interior of the slope was 80
badly wrecked that it will require at
least month to place it in propershape
for work. 1t is thought that the other
bodies will be reached by tomorrow
morning. The loss to property cannot
be estimated at this time, but will ag-
gregate many thousands.
This morning Mayor Miller appealed
to the people at large through the
mayors Of Seattle, Spokane and Port.
land. Responses to the mayors call for
relief have been literally made. Port
land has telegraphed $500, and several
individuals have contributed sums of
from $50 to $100.