Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-05-14
KILLED AT 7HIER WORK.
Forty Miners Lose Their Lives by an
Explosion Of Gas.
Not One Left to Tell the Story-The Nine
is on Fire and the Bodies are
being Consumed.


being Consumed.
special TO the Seattle Point InteIligeneei
from Roslyn. Wash, say: A terrible gas exi
piosion occurred in the the slope Of Mine No.
2, Of the Northern Pacific Coal Company. at
this point, ia which the loss of life has ex
ceeded in number that Of any other disaster
that has ever been ehronicled in the North
west.
The exact nature OF the explosion or cir
cnmstances that led TO it will probably never
be known, since it is believed that every
miner who was at work in the slope at the
time has persisted.
1t is not definitely known how many men
we're in the vicinity of the disaster but Ii is
believed that between forty-6ve and fifty
were on the three levels that were affected by
the explosion.
These men were working nearest the open
ing, and Mt some distance from the point where
it Is supposed the explosion occurred.
Most OF the men were | 500 to 1900 feet
farther in the slope and in the immediate
vicinity OF the accident. J here is no doubt.
cit .er in the minds of miners or the com.
pany officials, that every man was instantly
killed.
The Roslyn mine is one Of the largest in the
State, supplying the western division OF the
Northern Pacific and Union Pacific Roads
with coal, aud has capacity OF ~, 90 tons a
day. The explosion occurred just as two
gangs were shifting at l:3J O'Clock.
The Cause OF it WAS not known. Two boys
who were in the tunnel escaped, but they are
the only ones from either gang so far recov.
e;ed.
Reports so far received indicate that the ex.
pioson has closed up the shaft. that the mine
is on fire. and that it is impossible TO recover
the bodies,
The following is an authentic list of the
men who were at work on the three levels that
were affect ted and their condition as to being
single or married men:
Thomas Holmes. married; john Foster.
wife and Lady; Philip Davies, large family;
Thos. Rees, large family; John Rees. William
Robinson, wife and baby; Robert Graham
wife and two children, George Moses, one
son, ten years old; A. Pollard, tcolored, lmar-
ried; Jack Ferguson, large family; Geo
Brooks family at Streator. ILL.,; Joseph Els
worth, ST., large family; Joseph Ellsworth,
Jri John Ratierto, single. aged 6J Daniel
Mcclellan, wife and three children; Richard
Forsythe, family; George Forsythe son Of
above single; 7. %. Cooper, married; Lizzie
Jackson, (colored,) married; Scott Gilpin,
tcolored, married. Pfuss Luving, (colored.
married, Andrew Erander, wife and four
children; Charles Palmer, wife AMI child;
Mitchell Hale, single; Mitchell Ronald, large
family; brother of ex Superintendent Ronald,
Winston Steele, family; (Steele's son was
working with his father, but came out on the
last trip and escaped by jutnping; VIM lIogue
single, only support OF mother and crippled
sister, Eben o sifer, large family; John banks
Italian, family; Jacob Weatheby, late mine
boss at n. g. large fanny; Joseph Brewel,
family; Thomas Benden, wife and nine chill
Hor n oil
ton, (colored,l Joseph Nebnel wife and two
children;Wm Bennett, wi and three children
in Europe; Joseph Ismay; son.in-Iaw Of ex.
Superintendent Ronald; William Penhals.
married; Sidney Wright. brother of County
Clerk Thomas Wright, family.