Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-05-20
KILLED INA COAL MINE.
MANY MINERS MEET QUICK
Fearful Result Of IN Explosion In . Cool
Mime IT Roslyn, Washlnyton-smd Scenes
Following b Disaster-Recovsring IA
Dead.


Following The Oisnster-Rocoverang the
Dead.
Blown tn literally.
The most horrible explosion ever
known In the Pacific Northwest occurred
cifc Railroad Company at Roslyn, .
small town about four miles from the
main line Of the Northern Pacific, lO7i
miles from Tacoma. At least ~ men
are believed to have been killed. Ex-i
element in the town borders ON a state.
OF frenzy and has extended throughout
the State. Nothing like it has ever been,
knownTa anywhere in that portion OF the
country. and from all parts Of the State
new OF intense interest in the matter
is being received.
Many dead bodies, according to Q
dispatch, have already been taken out.
and hundreds Of people have gathered
round the Gene of the accidents,
wives and children Il buried men are at
the mouth Of the mine and acting like.
maniacs in their terrible Distress,
Every body that has been taken out up
to this time is terribly disflgured, and
many OF those buried have been
crushed beyond recognition. Some arel
horrible masses OF flesh without a trace
Of their identity left, while many of the
unfortun tie men ara believed to have
been blown to atoms.
Nearly al of the men we're married
and a large number of them had large
families.
1t is thought that the explosion took
place when the men were changing
shifts. The conclusion shook the
ground p%erceptibly and the noise was
heard a long distance. Smoke belched
from the shaft almost Immediately.
showing that the mine had taken fire.
All the inhabitants of RosIyn 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 ONE and children crying
and the men wringing their hands in
helplessness. Ropes were stretched to
keep the people back, and a rescu:ng
party was hastily formed. In their
grief many of the men acted like mani
acs, and as enc body after another, each
horribly mutilated, was brought out the
wild exclamations of horror and sorrow
We're terrifying. At midnight seven
bodies hal been recovered, some Of
them crushed beyond recognition, and it
was known that one of the entombed
lei We're alive. Thirty three of the
dead were married men and had fami-
lies who swarmed about the opening Of
tie tunnel, hoping against knowledge
of their loss. While tho wives and chill
drcn of the victims waited for the rescue
of the bodies a car load of collins, sent
from Tacoma by special train, was un-
loaded, and the cotiirs were laid side by
Sid near the tunnel awaiting occupants.
II anything could add to the horror Of
fhn cffy,OfiOn ~ In %1,n fnn% kLo% ,..,x 80
the families of the dead are in destitute
circumstances. For several weeks theI
camp has been dull on account of theV
light demand for coal, and as few of the
men were provident. it is feared that
much suffering will be experienced I'M
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 q rev air
shaft could be put in. Deadly fumes
issuing from the mine stifed all
who entered. When the third level
of the slope had been reached and
several bodies had been found, badly
mangled and blackened, the presence Of
a small fire which was roasting some Of
the corpses was noticed. This gave rise
to the belief that tho 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 a 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
1t will probably never be known exactly
what caused the explosion.