The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-10
RAN OUT OF COFFINS.
The Undertakes of Krebs, |. T.,
0verrun by Orders.
FIFTY-oNE DEAD BROUGHT UP.
Fifteen OF the Injured Die Of Wounds
Nineteen Corpses in the Pit-Sur-
vivors Carefully Wrapped Up.

McALIIsrER, I. T., Jan. a-Perhaps it
will never be known just how many lives
were lost in the Usage mine accident at
krebs. Some of the galleries and ap-
proaches are so blocked with debris that il
is nearly impossible TO open them. Mine
officials now assert that only one man is
missing, Antonio Genonetel. The miners
assert that there are others imprisoned.
OF S35 men in the mine Thursday, hfty-one
dead bodies have been recovered, 1877 es-
capped By way of the ventilating shaft, and
los have been rescued from the main
shaft. This leaves thirty-nine unaccounted
for. The list of those who escaped and
those rescued is known 10 be incomplete.
II is believed about twenty escaped who
are not listed. This would leave nineteen
bodies still in the mine. 1t IS considered
almost certain that all yet remaining must
be dead.
All day yesterday and today 5000 peo-
pie were around the shaft erowding,
gesticulated and shrieking. OF the los in
jured taken out, fifteen have died. and the
remaining ninety-three are lying at their
homes swathed in cotton and yaseline.
This mJrning the company ordered sixty
five coffins, and local undertak-
ers have ordered car load. All
the mines in the vicinity have
shut down, and the miners and the women
of the families of the Krebs miners have
gene to aid in the work OF rescue and TO
perform the offices for the dead and 10 re-
heye the suferings of the wounded.
Everybody is helping with the work of
rescue, with the exception of the negroes
Some time ago the white miners re-
fused TO work with the negroes. This
morning number of negroes went to
Krebs and assisted in the work in half
hearted way, and one of their number was
heard 10 say il served the miners right TO
be killed. These words passed from mouth
70 mouth, and the indignation of the
miners knew no bounds. A United States
marshal, anticipating trouble, was on hand
with posse. and drove the colored men
from the place st the point of Win
chesters.
As body after body was removed from
the ground, the women, crazed with des-
pair. would throw themselves in front of
the shaft in their efforts to determine at
once whether it was that of a father.
brother or husband. Time and time again
were the women pushed back from the
mouth of the shaft, but as the work of res
cue proceeded the same scenes were en-
acted. 1t was almost impossible to recog-
nize any resemblance to the human form
in the bodies OF many of those rescued.
from which heads, arms, legs. hands and
feet in many instances had been torn from
the trunks. Their clothes were either par
TALLY or entirely burned away and in sew
eral cases the flames had literally roasted
almost all the flesh On the bodies The
dead were taken TO blacksmith shop near
the main shaft, where morgue was i'm
provised, and the living were taken TO
their homes. The crowd vacillated be-
tween the shaft and the blacksmith shop
all day. Each article of clothing and the
contents of the pockets were closely scrut-
inized for any distinguishing mark
whereby the body could be identihed.
A horrible sight met the gaze of the
members of the rescuing party at the bot
tom Of the shaft, where lay an indiscrin-
mate mass of debris and dismembered
bodies of the miners. The explosion had
been terrific. Ii literally tore the mine 70
pieces. It closed up the galleries and tore
down the barbados which kept the air
from circulating freely through the un-
used portion Of the mine, thus cutting off
all the air from the galleries. This morn
ing relief party of krebs miners was
compelled, after forty-eight hours of
steady labor, TO stop work. The
party was completely exhausted.
Three car loads of mules were in
the mine when the explosion occurred,
and only two of the animals were hurt.
The boss driver. Tom Kane, was killed.
The uperintendent said the blame should
be laid upon whoever fred the blast, as it
was done too soon. II should have been
fred at $40 O'Clock, after the miners had
left the mine, in which case, although the
explosion would have occurred, only i've
or SIX men would have been killed. The
Usage mine, at Krehs, is Gould property,
and has been operated Tor . number Of