The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-30
Forty Men Entombed in a Michigan
Mine.
THE RIVER RUSHES IN TO SUFFO-
CATE THE UNFORTUNATES.
Disastrous Cave-in of Mine On the PENN
Slightest-Heartrendin Scenes About
the Mouth of the Pit-Latest Reports
Give No announcement

Give No Encouragement.
Detroit, Mich, September ga spec
ial from Iron Mountain, Mich, says that
it is reported that the Mansfield mine, a
few miles from Crystal Falls, oaved in
last night and killed 40 miners.
Later-A heavy fall of ground occurred
at the Mansfield mine, near Crystal Falls
this morning, entombing 40 men. The
water at this mine rises fast, the ore be-
ing soft, and the chances of rescuing
any of the unfortunates alive are very
poor.
The situation is awful and the scene
around the large cave-in is heartrend-
ing.
A rescuing party is doing everything
possible to reach the poor fellows.
Marquette, Mich, September 29.--A
despatch from Crystal Falls mine, at
which place big cavern occurred, bury
ing 60 men, states that the Mansfield is
seven miles east of that village on the
Menominee range. The main shaft of
the mine extends under the Michigani-
me river, and when the cave-in occurred
it turned the stream into the mine, flood
ing it almost instantly. There were GU
men working in the mine when the dis
aster occurred, and of this number Is
made their escape. 1t is not thought
possible that any of the remaining 40
men can be rescued alive.
Iron Mountain, September 29.-The
latest information from the scene of the
mine disaster at Mansfield states that
the accident occurred during the night
and when the water of the Michigan
ime came rushing into thej mine, the
men were entrapped like lot of rats.
Most of the victims are Cornish men and
nine-tenths of them are men with large
families. This fact lends additional
horror to what is one of the worst disas-
ters which has ever befallen the mining
industry in the upper peninsula. The
number of victims is now placed at 81.
Mansfield is an isolated station on the
Chicago & Northwestern railroad. The
greatest excitement prevails and it is al
most impossible to get connected de-
tails of the disaster or names of the
victims.
Later accounts from the mine say that
as miners were at work in the mine. Of
this number 2S are known to be dead.
L
and the mine is entirely filled with water
to the river level. 1t is impossible for
any one to be alive.
A message from Iron Mountain says
so men were working at the mine and
only three were saved. The drowned
men were all married. The mine was
being worked by Corrigan, Ives & Co., of
Cleveland.
The Latest Account.
Crystal Falls, Mich, September 90
With terrific rush the water of the
Michigamme river broke through its bed
weakened by mining, into the Mansfield
mine, six miles from here, between and
10 last night, drowning % men who were
at work directly under the cave-in
There were 46 men in the mine when the
accident occurred, but Is, who were
working in the lower levels, managed to
escape. None of the bodies have been
recovered, and it is believed it will be
necessary to divert the channel of the
river before they can be secured. 1t is
believed to have been the worst disaster
that ever occurred in the Lake
Superior iron region. When
the night shift went on duty
it 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
hdritts" free. Suddenly at a few minutes
after nine, there was loud report and
tremendous rush of water, and the doomed
men were overwhelmed by an avalanche
of mud, ore and water. 1t is doubtful
whether the men on the upper levels had
time to drop their tools and run to No.
shaft. Had any of them reached it, how
ever, it would have availed them nothing,
for the shaft collapsed as soon as the
water reached it and undermined its
base. The men in the upper levels were
trapped and drowned like rats. Had
there been time they might have de-
scended to the lower levels and crossed
over to No. shaft; but the inrushing
food came too fast.
Men at work in the lower levels were
warned in time. They heard an ominous
roar and at once, suspecting the cause,
for an accident had long been expected,
dropped their picks and fed for their
lives. The water, pursuing devious
course necessary in running from one
level to another, was already ankle deeP
in the lower levels when the men reached
No. 2 shaft, and were drawn up from
what seemed certain death.
News of the disaster spread quickly
though the place and wild cries of alarm
we uttered by the inha bitants as they
rushed from their homessyand gathered
about the shaft just as the last one OF. the
eighteen men was brought to the surface.
When the extent of the disaster was real
lied cry of horror went up and heart
rending scenes were witnessed. There
was call for volunteers, which was at
once answered, to descend the only avail
bic shaft and succor if possible any miner
who might be found alive. But the
courage Of the hardy miners was of no
avail, for the water had already reached
the lower level of the shaft and the angry
roar which greeted the would be rescued
as thew peered into the dark opening
precluded all hope of rescue.
All NIGHT the water poured into its new
found he'd and not until nine this morn
ing did it resume it's natural course, after
having effectually filed every cavity and
crevice of the great mine.
The death of these tWenty-e1ght men
marks the end of the Mansfield mnie; for
unless the river can be forced to seek
another channel this rich deposit of iron
ore cannot be worked again. 1t has been
worked between three and four years and
has shipped $50, 900 tons OF Bessemer ore.
The depression in the iron trade has
closed practically all the mines in Cryss-
tai Falls district, and Mansfield was al
most the only one from which any ore