The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-05-19
MANY MINERS DEAD.
TERRIBLE RESULTS FROM A
MINE EXPLOSION.
From Forty-avo to Fifty Men Lose Thcir
Lives In . Slope at KOsyln, Wash.-The
ExplOslOn Caught Two Shifts. and Mono
Of Them Arc Alive to Tell the Story.
An Awful Disaster.

The most horrible explosion ever
known in the Pacific Northwest occurred
at the coal mines of the Northern Pa
cific Railroad Company at Roslyn, a
small town about four miles from tho
main line of the Northern Pacific, lO7
miles from Tacoma. At least AZ men
are believed to have been killed. Ex-
citement in the town borders on a state
Of frenzy and has extended throughout
the State. Nothing like it has ever been
known anywhere in that portion Of the
country. and from all parts OF the State
news of intense interest In the matter
Is being received.
Many dead bodies. according to
dispatch, have already been taken out.
and hundreds Of people have gathered
around the scene of the accident:
wives and children # buried men are ut
the mouth of the mine and acting like
maniacs in their terrible distress.
Every body that has been taken out I'D
to this time is terribly disfixured, and
many of those buried have been
crushed beyond recognition. Some are
horrible masses of flesh without trace
of their identity left, while many of the
| unfortunate men are believed to have
been blown to atoms.
Nearly all OF the men were married
and large number of them had large
| families.
1t is thought that the explosion took
place when the men We're chang :ng
shifts. The concussion shook the
| ground perccptibly and the noise was
| heard long distance. Smoke hclched
| from the shaft almost Immediately,
| showing that the mine had taken fire.
| All the inhabitants of Hoslyn were on
| the grounds in an incredibly short space
Of time, and the friends and relatives of
the men known to have been in the
slope crowded about the mouth of the
| mine, the women and children crying
| and the men wrfaging their hands in
| helplessness. Ropes were stretched TO
| keep the people back, and a rescu'ng
| party was hastily formel. In their
| grief many of the men acted like mani
| acs, and as me body after another. each
| horribly mutilated, was brought out the
| wild exclamations of horror and sorrow
| were terrifying. At midnight seven
| bodies hal been recovered, some of
| them crushed beyond recognition, and it
| was known that none of the entombed
| men We're alive. Thirty-three of the
| dead were married men and had fami-
| lies who swarmed about the opening OF
| the tunnel, hoping aga nst knowledge
of their loss. While the wives and chill
| drcn of the victims waited for the rescue
| of the bodies a car load of coffins, sent
from Tacoma by special train, was un
| loaded. and tho coffii were laid side by
| side near the tunnel awaiting c aupants.
IL anything could add to the horror Of
| the situation it is the fact that most Of
the families of the dead are in destitute
circumstances. For several weeks the
| camp has been dull on account Of the
light demand for c. al and as few OF the
men were providpnt, 1t is feared that
much suffering will be experienced un-
| less aid from elsewhere is sent
| When the work of rescue began it was
found that the entire interior of the
mine was clogged with debris, and
nothing could be done until new air
shaft could be put in. Deadly fumes
issuing from the mine sti!ed all
who entered. When the thiid level
of the slope hal been reached and
| several bodies had been found, badly
mang!ed and blackenci, the presence OF
| small fire which was roasting some OF
the cOrpses was noticed. This gave rise
| to the belief that the explosion was
| caused by fire in the mine. Manager John
kangley. formerly of Illinois. says the
gas accumulated in the slope where new
levels were being driven and before
| connections were made with the air
shaft the exposure of damp to blast or
match could have caused the explosion.
Inspectors were continually on guard in
the mine and reported no accumulation
Of gas on the levels and kangley says
it will probably never be known exactly
| what caused the explosion.