The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-09-30
Water From a River Floods a Mine
Without Warning
qVENYY-EIGHq MEN WERE KILLED
But Eighteen Managed to Escape from
Deaths Jaws-Men Trapped and
Drowned Like Rats In . Pit--scenes
OF Horror at the Little village.

CRYSTAL FALLS. Mich. Sept. 3o.-With
terrific rush the water of the Michi-
CANINE river lroks through bed, weak X
ened by mining, into the Mansfield mine
between and 10 o'clock Thursday night,
drowning % men, who were at work d.
rectly under the cave-in. There were 4d
men In the mine when the accident oc-
CURED, but l6 Of them, who were working
In the lower levels. managed to escape.
None OF the bodies have been recovered
and IL is believed that 1t will be necessary
to divert the channel Of the river before
they can be secured. The news was slow
In reaching the outside world. The near
est telegraph Office is at Crystal Falls, six
miles away, and though a railroad track
runs into the Mansfield camp, It was only
used 20 haul out ore and bring In sup
plies.
A courier carried the news to Crystal
Falls late Thursday night, but not until
yesterday was the news sent abroad. 1t Is
the worst disaster that ever occurred in
this iron region. When the night shift
went on duty 1t was noticed that more
water was coming into the mine than
usual. but no alarm was felt by the men at
the pumps, as they managed to keep the
drift" free.
The miners pursued their work - on
every night when they started In to pass
the ~ hours under the ground earning
bread for their families. Suddenly, = few
minutes after Q. there was an overpower-
ing rush of water and the men felt them.
selves being overwhelmed by an ava
lanche Of mud. ore and water. So rast
came tn food that it is doubtful whet her
the men on the upper levels had time to
drop their tools and run for their lives to
the old shaft.
Shaft Collapsed.
Had any OF them reached the perpen-
dicular opening. however, it would have
awaited them nothing. for the shaft col
lapsed as soon as the water reached aud
undermined It's base.
This occurred at precisely ESQ, and IL
was then known to those In charge of the
niue that the men In the upper level ha d
been trapped and drowned like rats by an
accident which had long been expected.
The news of the disaster sped OH swift
wings throughout the little hamlet, and a
wild cry Of alarm was voiced by the in-
habitants as they rushed from their homes,
gathering about the shaft Just as the last
one OF the IS men was brought to the sur
face.
When the cause OF the accident was ex-
plined to the anxious inquirers, a cry Of
horror went up as they realized that tie
longexpected and much-dreaded accident
had taken place at last, and brought with
it the results so long feared by the wives
and brothers.
There was Q call for volunteers, which
was at once answered, to descend the only
available shaft, aud succor. II possible, any
miners who might possibly be found alive.
But the courage anu strong intent of the
hardy miners were Of no avail, as the
waters had already reached the lower level
shaft. and the angry roar which greet ell
the would-be rescuers as they peered over
into the dark channel at once precluded
all hope OF rescue, and the % men were
given up.
All night the water poured into Its new
found bed, and not until9 9 o'clock yester-
day morning did IL resume its natura
course, after having effectually filled
every cavity and crevice of the great
mine. The death o. these % men mark
the end Of the Mansfield mine, for unless
the river can be forced to seek another
channel the bodies cannot be secured nor
can this rich deposit Of iron ore be worked
again.
Already talk of suits for damages against
the operator by relatives of the dead men
is being heard. The mine was being oper-
ated by the receiver Of Corrigan. Ives &
Co. of Cleveland. Tie money loss will be
1900 600