The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-05-14
Fifty KILLED In A MINE.
Terrible Explosion Of Gas in II Shaft at
Roslyn, Wash.

Roslyn, Wash.
Ro>LYN, Wash. May lG.-This after
noon a terrible gas explosion occurred
in the slope of mine No. OF the North
ern Pacific Coal Company st this point,
in which the loss of life exceeds in num-
Der that of any disaster that has ever
been chronicled in the Northwest. The
exact nature of the explosion, o. cir
cumstances that led to it, Will probably
never be known, since it l. believed
that every miner who was at work in
the slope at the time has perished.
1t is not definitely known how many
men were in the vicinity of the disaster,
but it is believed that between tortv-fve
and fifty were en- the three levels that
were affected by the explosion.
Large relief forces are at work, and at
this time two bodies have been rccOV-
cred. These men were working nearest
TO the opening and at some distance
from the point where it is supposed the
explosion occurred. Most OF the men
were 800 and 1000 feet further in the
slope and in the immediate vicinity OF
the accident. There is no doubt among
the miners or the company officials tnat
every man was instantly killed.
! The Roslvn mine is one of the largest
in the state, supplying the Western di
visions of the Northern Pacific and
! Mon Pacific railroads with coal. The
| explosion occurred ust as two gangs
were shifting at ! 80 this afternoon.
| Two boys, who were III the tunnel, es-
capped, but they are the only ones from
either gang. Reports SO far received in
| dicate that the explosion nas closed up
| the shaft, that the mine is on fire and
that it is impossible to recover the bod
les. The company will forward forty
collins from here by the midnight train.
AROUND TIE MOUTH OF THE SLOPE.
The driver had Just come out OF the
slope when tremendous explosion oC
Cured. The shock upset his cars,
| knocked the mule and driver down, and
| bruised man standing 100 feet away.
The report was heard all over the tow n.
a mile away. The mouth of the slope
was soon surrounded by an anxious
| crowd, which grew in size every min
ute. \ hard rain was pouring down,
but the crowd needed it not. The mum
Der of men in the slope was from forty
| four to fifty, and there is scarcely a pos
sibility that one OF them escaped
death. One body was recovered in
about two hours, another an hour later,
! two more at 80. All are terribly
bruised, and indicate that death was m
|
city hall has been converted into Il
morgue. The rescued bodies are being
viewed by crowds. The sad feature Of
the disaster is that large proportion
of the victims leave large families, and
as they had not had to exceed two
days work per week during the past
year, many of them are in stratened
| circumstances. The scenes about the
mouth of the slope are sad in the eX-
| treme.
! Two air courses were IN process of
construction IN the supposed vicinity of
the explosion, with the intention OF
| Joining. II is presumed that when the
| two courses met the explosion occurred.
| Tie persons who were at the opening of
the slope pronounced the conclusion
terrible, it being sufficient to throw q
coal car some distance from point
where it was standing near the en-
trance. Great volumes of terdamp =
and smoke rolled from the entrance,
making the approach dangerous.
As soon as it was possible to enter
men set to work, but progress was Inn
peded by the smoke and damp which
the tunnel continued to emit. At ESQ
O'Clock the first bodies were reached,
being those of John Bone and John
Campbell.