Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1893-10-07
DROWNED IN A MINE

i0AmPf l
Tweuty-Eight Men Lose Their Lives.
While Eighteen Others Had Narrow c
Escape--Criminal Carelessness Kespon'
sibie for the Awful Catastrophe-The I
Bodies Beyond Recovery.
CRYSTAL FALLS, Mich, Sept. % Q
With a terrific rush the waters OF the !
Michigamee river broke through its bed
weakened by mining, into the Mans
field mine, between . and 10 o'clock
last night. drowning twenty-eight men
who were at work directly under the
cave-in. There were forty-six men in
the mine when the accident occurred,
but eighteen of whom escsaped.
None of the bodies have been recov-
cred, and it is believed it will be neces-
sary to divert the channel OF the river
before they can be secured.
The news was slow in reaching the
outside world. The nearest telegraph
Office is at Crystal Falls, six miles
away, and though railroad track
runs into the Mansfield mine camp. IT
was only used toiilaul out ore and ~
bring IL supplies. A courier carried
the news to Crystal Falls late last
night, but not until this morning was
it sent abroad.
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 com
ing into the mine than usual, but no
alarm was felt by those at the pumps,
as they managed to keep the drifts
free.
The miners pursued their work as on
every night when they started III 10
pass the twelve hours under ground
earning bread for their families
Suddenly, few minutes after .
o'clock, there was a loud report and an
overpowering rush of water, and the
men felt themselves overwhelmed by
an avalanche of ore and water. sc
fast came the food that it is doubtful
whether the men on the upper levels
had time to drop their tools and run
for their lives to the old shaft. Had
anv of them reached the perpendicu'
lar opening, however, it would have
ayailed them nothing, for this shaft,
known as "Old No. t." collapsed as
, soon as the water reached IL and un
! dermined its base.
, This occurred t"precisely $3.50, anc
: it was then known to those in charge
of the mine that the men in the uppel
a level had been trapped and drowned
:, like rats by an accident which hat
: long been expected. Had there
been time the men might have
a descended by some means to TN
lower levels and crossed over t
No 2, but the in-rushing flood cam
too fast, and it is thought that mos
of them met death within five minute
=. after the break occurred.
The men at work in the lower level
70 were warned in time to escape. A fe'
q. minutes after o'clock they heard Il
IS omnous roar, and at once suspectlni
the cause, dropped their picks and tie
" for their lives. The water, pursuin
I'd as it did TIE devious course necessai
=. in running from one level to anothe
re- was already ankle deep in the lowe
az | lcsels ,whel4 the men reached the shat
al and were drawn up from what SCENE
ed certain death.
20 The news of the disaster sped c
it swift wings throughout the little har
or let, and wild cry of alarm was voice
M by the inhabitants as they rushed FRO
70 their homes and gathered about IL
;s shaft lust as the last one of ei%htet
ia men was brought to the surface aliv
nd When the cause of the accident w
ed explained to the anxious inquirers
IT. cry of horror went up as they reallz'
that the long expected and muc
I1v dreaded accident had taken place
ge last. and brought with it the resu
'hs so long feared by the wives and mot
he ers.
no There was a call for voluntee
"a. which was at once answered, 10
ms scend the only available shaft and 81
cor, if possible, any man who mig
nd possibly be found alive. But the co'
tad age and strong intent of the har
nd miners was of no avail, as the wat'
re. had already reached the lower leve
no. and the angry roar which greeted
IN would-be rescuers as they peered o'
>e,, into the dark channel at once p
!, cluded all hope of rescue, and
twenty-eight men were given up,
All night the water poured into
new-found bed, and not until ocl'
les. this morning did it resume its natu
course after having effectually I'll
ter every cavity of the great mine.
fit The death of these twenty-eight IL
the marks the end of the Mansfield mi
his for unless the river can be forced
: to seek another channel, the bodies
lth. not be secured, nor can this rich
cen post of iron ore be worked again
list, The Mansfield mine is situated
tha the banks of the Michigamee riy
lect about six miles east of Crystal ta
OF the codnty seat of Iron county,
orn- has been worked between three
in four years and has shipped about
d 900 tons of bessemer ore. The depl
lich sion in the iron trade has closed pl
was tically all the mines in the Cry'
and Falls district, and the Mansfield
lrsc almost the only one from which
ore was being raised, the fine qua
ith- of its product enabling it to keep
liver working. The ore lenses dipped
nan idly beneath the stream, and for II
un- than two wears the chief work.
ltha have been directly under the be-
sion the river,
into There has been much trouble '
ould water, and predictions have not |
ring wanting that the river would S
wing dav break through the roof OF
pre- mine.
THE vi CTlMs.
The following is list of the
ived men.
here w. H. Pierce. Ole Carlson.
,om- S. johnson. Joseph Kolla.
J, in NJ Harrington. John holistrou
/ the A. Fordsandi. b, Fortlnato'
afro s. Peters John Kirppu.
,;nr +. Johnson. John Randall.
,nJ' Samuel Johnson. John Werner.
, the +. Recco y. Lindqu'st,
MIR. Sheltno Seardra. Chris Arct ndeit
.r to Peter Fury. A.. Stepeno.
Q en-. Nick Fortona. August Cologul
atom Charles Popt. A. Caustauio'
n be- John Regula. V. Yadra.
stul James Straeman. Celest Negril.
l,r Ia Rnb1llu