The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-05-11
FIFTY MEN KILLED
Terrible Explosion in the Roslyn
Coal Mines.
RECOVERING THE DEAD BODIES
Cause of the Explosion Unknown-A Fire
Started in the Lower Levels
The Work of Rescue.

RosLYN, Wash, May 10.-The first acct
dent of any note at the coal mines in this
place occurred about 80 this afternoon,
just after the afternoon shift had gone on.
The driver had just came out of the slope
when a tremendous explosion occurred.
The shock upset his cars, knocking the
mules and driver down and bruised man
standing 100 feet away.
THE TERRIBLE REPORT.
The report was heard all over town a
mile away. The mouth of the slope was
soon surrounded by an anxious crowd
number of men in the slope is not actually
known, but it is known to be from forty
four to fifty. There is scarcely a posi-
bility that one of them escaped death. Oue
body was recovered in about two hours,
another an hour later, two more at Z 80 all
terribly burned and indicating death was
instantaneous.
IN THE TEMPORARY MoRGUE.
The lower floor OF the city hall was con-
verted into a morgue. The sad feature of
victims have large families, and as they
have not had to exceed two days work per
week during the past year, many of them
are in Strengthened circumstances.
The scenes about the mouth of the slope
were sad in the extreme, men, women and
children standing about in q dazed condi-
ton. The pitiful lamentations of the ne
CrOeS add to the horror.
NAMES OF THE DEAD.
The following is list of the men who
were working in the mine at the time OF
the explosion: Thomas Holiness. j ohm Eos
ter, Philip Davies, Thomas Rees, John
George Moses, a Pollard, Jack Ferguson
George Brooks, Joseph Ellsworth, ST..
Joseph Ellsworth, jr., John Lafferty, Dan
Mcclellan, Richard Forsythe, George For
sythe, Il. b. Cooper, Lishe Jackson, Scott
Giles, Pruss Living, Andrew Erlan
ger, Charles Palmer, Mitchell Hail
Mitchell Ronald, Winston Steele William
Haig, E. Olsifer, John banks, Jake
Wetherby. Joseph Brewell, Thomas Ben
der, Harry Campbell, James Houston,
Joseph Bennett, William Bennett, JOSEPH
Ismay, William Penhalis, Sidney Wright
James Morgan, Jack Bone, Herman
Deuster.
Nearly all of these men were married
and had large families. George Books
family is in Streauor, Ill.
The stope in which the explosion oc
CURED runs from No. down to a pom
where the proposed shaft will be sunk ant
is couple of thousand feet in length. Sew
eral levels have been worked in the slope
at some point on the fourth or fifth level.
DANGER ENCOUNTERED.
For the past TWO months more or les
| danger has been connected with work il
! this part of the slope on account of tn
unusual generation of gas aud the manage
ment is credited With having exercised the
usual preceuticLs. Two air course
were in process of construction il
the supposed vicinity of the explos
ion with the intention of joining
and it is presumed that when the tw
courses met the explosion occurred. Per
sons who were at the opening of the slop
pronounced the conclusion as terrible, i
| being sufficient to at least throw coal ca
some distance from point where it wa
standing near the entrance.
Great volumes of after-damp and smok
rolled from the entrance. making approac
dangerous. AS soon as it was possible t
enter the roof crews were set to work, bu
their progress was impeded by smoke an
which the tunnel continued to emit
THE FIRST BODIES RECOVERED.
At 4:3O o'clock the first bodies wer
reached, being those of John Bone an
John Campbell After that wor
progressed more rapidly and
Is o'clock two other Dodie
were brought out, and at 80 two other
all terribly burned and mutilated. Tt
names of the rescued bodies are To-
Brennan, Tom Rees, a. Pollard, job
Bowen, H. Campbell and William Hagu
; AS progress was made the frightful ex
cuton of the explosion became more man
fest. Timbers were torn out for hundred
of feet and the whole interior was fearful
wrecked.
FIRE STARTED.
1t is thought the fire was started in Il
lower level and arrangements are beir
made to turn on the water as soc
as the fact is developed. The a
fans are working TO their fu
capacity and every effort is being made {
recover the bodies of the imprisoned mel
All the miners in camp who are ab
to work have volunteered their servic
and the men are working in shift
AS soon as one force is fatigued anoth
takes its place. Coffee and refreshmen
are being supplied by the company and Il
, relief work is progressing as speedily
sympathy and willing men will permit.
Fifty Miners Killed.