The morning call., 1892-05-11
APPALLING DISASTER.
Fifty Men Are Buried in a
Burning Mine.
cor ONE THOUGHT TO De ALIVE.
Death Came to Them Swiftly and
Without Warming.
BODIES RECOVERED I'LL BADLY BURNED.
The New Men We're Just Going in for the
Change Of Shift When an Explosion
Came, Shaking the Earth.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

At this writing Il Is believed that every
miner who was at work in the slope at the
time has perished. 1t is not definitely
known as to the number Of men who were
IN the vicinity of the disaster, but it is
thought that there were between IS and so
men on the three levels that were affected
by the explosion. Large relief forces
are at work, and at this time two bodies
have been recovered. These men were
working nearest the opening, and at some
distance from the point where it is thought
the explosion occurred. Most Of the men
were between 1900 and 1000 feet further In
on the slope and in the immediate vicinity
of the explosion. There is no doubt either
in the minds Of the miners or of the COM
pany officials that every man in the mine
was instantly killed by tile explosion. The
following is an authenticated list Of the men
ho were at work on the three levels:
The Men who Were Burned.
Thomas Holmes, married.
John Foster, who has a wife and baby.
Philip Davies, who has large family.
John Rees, a son Of Thomas Rees.
Will Robinson, who has a wife and baby,
Robert Graham, who has a wife and two
children.
old.
Jack Ferguson, who has large family,
a. Pollard, cOloTed, married.
George Brooks. whose family lives at
Streator, I'll.
Joseph Ellsworth ST.. a man of large
family.
Joseph Ellsworth Jr.
John Lafferty single. aged g. years and
the owner Of considerable property.
Dan Mcclellan, who has wife and three
children.
Richard Forsythe, man Of family.
George Forsythe. son Of the above, single.
I. B. Cooper, married.
Lshe Jackson, cOlored, married.
George Williams, col0red, married.
Scott Giles, col0red. married.
Pruss Luving. colored, married.
Andrew ErlandeT, who has a wife and
four children.
Charles Palmer, who has a vile and child.
Mitchell Hale, single.
Mitchell Ronald. who has large family.
His Boy Escaped.
Winston Steel a man Of family. Steele's
son was working with his father, but came
out on the last trip Of the tram and escaped
by jumping. He was knocked down by the
force of the explosion.
William Hague, who leaves mother and
a crippled sister. he was their only sup
port
Elben Alsifpr a man of large family.
Jake WeatherbY, the late mine boss at
No. 3. who has large family.
Joseph Browell, a man of family.
Thomas Bender, who has wife and nine
children.
Harry Campbell. single.
James Houston, cOl0Ted.
Joseph Bennett, who has vile and two
children.
William Bennett, who has a wife and
three children in Europe
Joseph Ismay, married.
William Penhan, married.
Sidney Wright, man Of family.
James Morgan. single.
Jack Bone, single. but who was soon to
be married.
Herman Denster.
The Roslyn mine is one Of the largest in
the State, supplying the entire western
division of the Northern Pacific and Union
Pacific railroads. and has 4 capacity OF 1000
tons per day. The explosion occurred jHst
as the two gangs were shifting at 80 P. NJ
The cause Of it is not known. Two boys
who were in the tunnel escaped, but they
are the only ones from the two gangs that
got out so far as is known Reports so far re-
eeyed Indicate that the explosion mas closed
up the shaft, that the mine is on fire, and
that 1t is impossible to recover any more
bodies. The company will forward 40 eoffius
from here by the midnight train.
Terrible Explosion.
ROsLYN. Wash, May 10.-The first acct
dent Of any note that ever happened at the
coal mines Of this place occurred at about
l 80 o'clock this afternoon, Just after the
afternoon shift had gone on. The driver
just came out of the slope when a tremen-
dOus explosion was heard. The shOcB1upset
his cars, knocked the mules and driver
down and bruised r man Standing 100 feet
away. The report was heard all over the
town, mile away. The mouth Of the
slope was soon surrounded by an anxious
crowd, which grew in size every minute
4 hard rain was pouring down. but the
crowd needed it not. The number of men
In the slope was not actually known, bat il
was known to be between A and 80. There
is scarcely a possibility that one Of them
ESCAPED death. One body was recovered in
about two hours, another an hour later and
two more at 1880 P. NJ. All were terribly
bruised and burned, indicating that death
had been instantaneous.
The lower floor of the City Hall has been
converted into a mOrgue and the rescued
bodies are being viewed by great crowds
The sad feature Of the disaster is that a
large proportion Of the victims leave large
families and as they had not mad 10 exceed
two days work per week during the past
year, many Of them are in straitened circum-
stances. The scenes about the mouth of
the slore are sad in the extreme. Nen.
women and children are standing about in
a dazed condition. and the pitiful lamenta-
tions Of the negroes add to the horror of the
scene.
where the Disaster Occurred.
The slope in which the explosion occurred
runs from the opening Of No. down TO the
point where the proposed shaft will he
sunk, and Is a couple Of thousand feet in
length. Seven levels have been worked in
the slope, and it is coujectured that the ex-
plosioB occurred at some point on the fourth
or fifth level For the past few months
there has been more or less danger
connected with the work in this
part Of the slope on account Of the unusual
generation Of gas. and the management is
credited with having exercised all tie usual
precautions Two air courses were In pro-
cess Of construction in the vicinity Of The ex-
RIosion, it being the Intention TO join them,