Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-05-12

The Avid harvest cf Tues
Gays Explosion
SCENES OF TOUCHING GRIEF
n Is Believed That Fcry-rhree Were
xiisee-The wc-k Of Rescce-A,d
sos she widows and osph.ns.


psGy, and there s q decided dispcsl-
tson 20 hold IL responsible for the testh
OF che foTty-slx men whosre definitely
known 70 have perished ih the scrident
ct mine No. of the Ncrthern Pacific
Goa company st this plske Yesterday.
Report has i that Alex9ncer Ronsl ID,
VINO I'D 90 two weeks ago WAS
superintendent OF the company,
resigned bis position because he
rrfosed GO longer sccept responsibility
Tor the safety OF the Ineh under him
Unless the company took extra precsg-
tons 20 prevent the occutrencs OF Just
such = aS!fsxster IS has oceurredl IL Is
sssa chat three times during tile past
yesr he bad sent In bis reslgbstioG,
tasea on the same complaint. pGrng
the past two weeks George Hsrrison,
whose work as leader of the rescuers
has been saper-hHnnerl, has bccn acting
las superintendent pending the app0int-
,rDent OF another. Tire stone was new
lone beng criven IN for the dsseicgtusent
3of tie n ne N gatrrvass az 500 feck Along
|ts lengsh. Levels were run lal Orally
from ttIe man slope. Manwsyk were
Ihesne driven para lei 70 the slope from
she different levels n orlier 10 establish
q draft and prevent fi-e damp There
Was l5e feet of this vet 10 Re completed
when the explosion occurred. 1t is
suPoosed BY some that the explosion
occurred n the nl2nhoie. A few
moments before the explosion = new
shift Of six men had relieved an equal
number CT men II one OF these leads CT
enir,cs-
Not One of Thsm Escaped.
They had been IN the mine about an
hour when the explosion occurred and
not one of the men lives 10 tell how II
happened, nor TO fix the blame on its
happening. The only persons now liv-
ing who were IN the mine 1t the time
are Waiter Steele and Frsnk Holdings.
The latter Was . rope-rider, who at
tended the cars going up and down.
The former was . trapper, who at
tended the trap-doors, opening and shut
ting them as the cars passed IS lodgings
passed Steele. The latter was taken
with an impulse to 20 to the surface
and steal piece OF pie from bucket
be had seen, and mounted 3 car with
Hodgins. Just rs the boys reached
the surface the explosion occurred, both
being blown from the mouth of the
slope. Immediately afterwards the
inhabitants Of the village crowded
about the opening to the mines giving
utterance TO piteous moan. and calling
upon the assembled miners to rush IN
to the mines and ave their beloved
relatives
Led To the Rescue.
When the excitement was ~ its
height George Harrison led . gang OF
twelve men into the mine TO the rescue.
xNxf. t0 -
until they passed the third level. There
between the third and fourth level
they found the mangled remains of
Harry Campbell and . few feet away
we.e those. of Leslie Pollard (coloredl.
As the men emerged from the tunnel
carrying their ghastlv burden hope fell
IN the hearts OF all. No one IN all the
m ournful multitude bat bad hoped
that some would be rescued alive. but
when they saw the condition OF the
two bodies they we're in despair and
could hope no longer for anything bet
ter than to receive the bodies Of their
dead.
AZ each body in succession caue into
view the crowd gathered about il
eagerly ssekiaS to find friends and
ktnsmen. At l2 O'Clock the work of
rescue was abandoned. Up TO that
hour fourteen bodies had been rccov-
cred. Tho bodies were divested Of
clothing and laid in rows OF two each.
Their faces we're washed off. the blood
and black cncrusted on them being re-
moved.
Horrible Injuries Inflicted.
Then vas revealed the horrible ex-
tent Of the injuries. The meas heads
were blown away, arms severed. eyes
blown out and tae akin blackcned.
scsrred and bruised. Relays were sent
in ten minutes apart, and the men re-
lieved came out nearly sutrocated bv
the deadly gss. their faces resking with
sweat, their eyes dilatea with terror
and their hlscksusd and grimy hands
tinged with the slosd of their COM
rades. One stout fellow came to the
surface. who settersd forward and fell.
"lts MS brother" they whispered. rs
behind him hs mates bore on . canvass
stretcher the form of man crushed
and almost unrccognixable. George
Harrison remained continuously IN the
mine from 3 TO III .. M. directing the
work of rescue. and was carried
~ the surface in the arms of
the others nearly dead. The work
during the night and this forenoon was
most sapgnins that there - no chance
OF recovering any alive. The damp -
still troublesome and the men cannot
work n the mine long at time. The
people are psrsiyzed into silence.
There is no excitement. A coroner's
Jury Was emnsneIled. visited the bodies
recovered and gave permission for the
burial. 10 vii make no investigation
until the warch Is completed. Justice
of the Peace Gamble of Ciaum Will
hold the inquest.
Gssrxe Rsrriscr's story.
Gesrre Harmon. who led'the rescuing
patty. being interviewed hy your CORE
srondent said. "I vas At my Office
when the expiesloa occurred. went
To the nine and called for volunteers.
The men responded nobly and worked
nncsssinzlv, At noon Yesterday there
rss no ere damp n the nine. Tnis
- demonstrated by the fact that every
man worked with naked lamps,
rot safety lsmps. There must have been
q sudden ousburst OF gas. No expense
has been spared by they company 70
prsvent an accident at the nine aud
n wss conssaered . model mIns. The
conspany hss nothing 20 conceal John
ksnxley general manager Of the
company vhe arrived thss morning.
saia
There were possibly forty three
men eslied lf not more. We have Al