The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-11

distress was heartrending. In several
instances, the deceased miners will leave
their families in comfortable circumstan-
ces, but in many cases the death of the
husband, father or son removes their only
support During the past winter, how
ever, most of the men who have been la
boring in the slope have had steady work,
and will not leave their families absolutely
destitute
The city hall has been turned into a
morgue. and when body is recovered it
is hauled out and laid in the hall to await
Identification and the action of the cor
oner. The latter is absent, but Jus
tice Gamble, Of Cle-Eium, has been
summoned to officiate in that capacity.
From the fearful wreckage of the slope in
terror and the doubt as 10 the existence OF
fire in the lower level, there is no way Of
determining how soon the bodies can be
recovered. Several of the bodies that have
been taken out are badly mutilated in one
instance the head being severed from the
body.
This is the second fatal gas explosion
that has occurred In the slope within the
past two months. The first resulted in the
death Of negro driver. whose careless
ness was the attributed cause. At the
time the Posr-lNrELLIGENcERc correspond
ent had an interview WITH ex-Superintend-
ent Ronald, who was in the employ of the
company there, and he recognized
that the slope work was dam
gerous to an unusual degree and
recommended extraordinary precau-
tions. 1t is stated that Acting Superin-
tendent Harrison has been very careful
with the work and cautioned the men
time and again to observe that their lamps
were in proper shape when entering places
posted as dangerous.
At IL AS D. m. three more bodies were
taken out, making fourteen in all. Those
recovered SO far are:
John Bone. Harry Campbell, G. Pollard, David
Rces, jr., Thomas Rees. ST., Thomas Brannan,
William Hogue. Thomas Holmes, Sen Ostli6.
George Moses. Pruss Loving, John Mates, Rob-
ert Spots, Joseph Lewis. Frank Hanna
A brother-in-law of William Robinson
was working with the latter and was
among the killed. The total loss will foot
up at least forty-eight.
In conversation late tonight with Acting
Superintendent Harrison he stated that
in his opinion the explosion occurred
either in the sixth level west or in the
seventh level east, and his theory is that
some of the miners struck drill hole full
of gas and water, the former forcing the
latter out and bringing it in contact with
the miners lamp. He is convinced that
every miner who was working on either Of
the three levels at the time of the explosion
is dead.
The bodies recovered are burned, and in
some instances badly charred. Others
showed that death resulted simply from
the concussion. 1t appears that those who
were on the upper levels sustained greater
mutilation than did those lower down.
The relief work still continues. and the
miners are working boldly to recover the
bodies of their companions. 1t is thought
that the lower levels are free from fire,
from the fact that the interior air is grow
ing purer hourly.
TACOMA, May 10.-[Special. l-Hoska. the
undertaken, sent thirty cotfins, all he
could get ready, to Roslyn by the mid
night train, to be used in interring the
bodies of the miners. Manager Kangley,
of the mines, went to Roslyn by the Same
train. He says negligence only could
have caused the accident. The gas could
be iguited only by match, the careless
use of lamp or blast. In driving new
levels there are at times portions of ad-
vance work that cannot be supplied with
fresh air, and the explosion may have oc-
Cured in one of these. He does not know
how recently the mine was inspected by
the state mine inspectors. As rule, he
says, they inspected the mines four or five
times year.