The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-10-05
AWFUL CALAMITY.
MICHYGAMNsE RIVER FLOODS
THE MANSFIELD MINE.


THE MANSFIELD MINE.
TweDty.eight Men Instantly Killed
by the Rushing Water-River Char
mel Must BE Changed Before the
Bodies Can Re Recovered and
Work Resumed.
CRYSTAL FALLS. Mich. Sept. 3d.
With a roar and rush the waters Of
the Michigamme river broke through
the Mansfield mine drowning % of the
miners at work directly under the
stream. The IS men who escaped were
employed in the lower levels. 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.
The Mansfield mine is situated on
the banks of the Michigamme river,
about six miles east Ct Crystal Falls,
the county seat Of Iron county.
It has been working between three
and four years and has shipped
about $4,000 tons Of Bessemer |ore.
There has been much, trouble with
water and predictions have not been
wanting that the river would some day
break through the roof Of the mine.
The night shift had gone down, and
though, some one noticed that moro
water than usual was coming into the
mine, no special alarm was felt 40 the
pumps seemed to be able to. keep the
drifts free. Habituated to danger, the
miners went to their work as usual, in
tent only upon the accomplishment of
the daily task that brought food and
shelter for themselves and families
So the work went on in its usual
course unNi after . o'clock. Then
there was
A Roar and Rush OF Water.
So fast came the food that it is doubt
full if the men in the upper levels were
able to reach the shaft all. The scenes
of horror and death in the upper levels
can only be imagined, for no one es-
capped to tell the tale. Had the men
been able to reach the shaft death
would still be certain, for the No. l
shaft, the only direct means of reach
ing the upper levels. collapsed and
caved in, cutting off all escape that
way. Had there been time the men
might have descended by some means
to the lower levels and crossed over to
No. shaft, but the in-rushing food
came too fast. There was heartrending
scenes about the mine and wild cry
of alarm through the little hamlet
about the mine. Men, women and
children gathered with horror-drawn
faces to see Is men come forth from
the hideous depths and to behold the
Michigamme river plunging with q
sullen roar into the chasm in its bed.
The men who escaped were almost all
from the two lowest levels. Warned
by the roar of the waters they fed
wildly toward the shaft and managed
to escape from the pit of danger. There
was no lack of volunteers to descend
the only available shaft, but the self
sacrificing. courage of the hardy miners
was allin vain.
The Dark Angry Waters
rapidly rushed into the shaft and
proved even to the courage of despair
that human aid was without avail
there. The 20 men in the pit were
strangled corrses now. Not until after
daylight did the river complete it's
work and resume its normal course.
The mine workings had been filed to
the river level and the fatal stream be-
gan to crawl down its dry bed once
more. The death of 20 men marked
the end of the Mansfield mine, for un-
less the river can be forced to seek an
other channel this rich deposit of iron
ore can never be worked again. Eight
of the victims leave families of children
fatherless. and about half of the re-
naming 20 were the support Of par
ents The news was slow in reach
ing the outside world. The near
est telegraph Office is at Crystal
Falls, six miles away, and though a
railroad track runs into the mine it
was only used to haul out ore and haul
in supplies In the number of Lives
lost this is believed to have been the
! worst disaster that ever occurred in
the Lake Superior iron region. What
measures. if any, can be taken to res.
cue the bodies OF the dead are yet unde.
termined. A careful survey of the
ground by competent engineers will
have to be made, for the first steI
towards getting into the flooded work
ings must be to divert temporarily OF
permanently the course of the Michi.
CANINE river and pump out the mines
The money loss will be $500, 600.