The herald., 1893-09-30
HUNDRED FATHOMS DEEP
Twenty-eight Miners Find
an Untimely Grave.
Buried Alive in the Very Bow
els of the Earth.
There They Must Remain Till Ga
briel Blows His Horn.
A Whole RIvor OF Water and Tons of
Earth Gave In on tho Unrortu-
nate Men-Every Avenue OF
Escape Cut OF.

By the Associated Press.
CRYSTAL FALLS, Mich. Sept. 20.-The
Mansfield mine, the only producer of Bes-
semer steel ore in Crystal Falls district,
located six miles from here, caved in at 8
O'Clock lest night, burying 28 workmen
and destroying $600.000 worth OF prop
The Mansfield working levels ran di-
rectly under the Michigan river and par
allel with it for several hundred feet.
The first level was 35feet below the bot
tom OF the river. The five lower levels
ran parallel with the first, the bottom
being 42S feet below the surface OF the
water. The five upper levels were
stopped in the progress of the work,
leaving only timbers and piliars OF ore
to support the mighty weight OF the
river and floors above. The accident is
supposed to have been caused by the Civ
ing away of the timbers on the fifth
level, allowing the above to follow. and
at last the river to pour in upon the
fated men.
Forty-eight men descended the shaft
last night. Twenty escaped and % per-
ished. The bodies will never be rscov-
cred. Most of the survivorsswere at
work on the bottom level, which had not
been stopped out. and consequently did
not cave when the levels above fell The
men heard the crash OF the cave and
started for the ladder way. All bat four
on this level reached the ladder way be-
fore the torrent of water came down the
shaft and cut off the avenue of escape.
Tony Bulleto. the skip-tender. was
standing with Frank Rocko, the night
boss, at the shaft on the fourth level.
They heard the crash and realised what
was coming. Rocko went into the drift
to inform his men of the danger, and did
not return. Bulleto came to the nurface
in the skip alone. Andrew Sullivan,
another night boss, was on the sixth
levelat the time OF the accident. He
called his men to follow him quickly.
sAll hut four men on this level reached
the ladderway in safety. As they as-
cended, however, they were nearly suf-
located, 90 great was the air pressure
caused by the water pouring down the
shaft. They were able to breathe only at
each landing place, and came to the sur-
face more dead than alive.
Mine Inspector Roberts says his deputy
has been employed in the mine and has
given the work daily attention. He also
says he visited the mine personally at
required intervals and the required
amount OF timber had been placed in
position by the company. is clear
demonstration. said he, ''that the tim
bering system of mining cannot be en-
ployed in that sort of ground. The
company has taken all the necessary
precaution in the conduct OF the work.,
The lost miners are: Samuel Petere,
married; James Strong, married, w.
II. Pierce, married; Frank Booker, Sam
Johnson, Swan Johnson, Mike HarrinR-
ton, AL Tarresani. Frank johnson. Shell
timo Zodra. Peter Turey, Nicolo Fon-
rtani, Charles Pohl, married; John Hos
from, Bax Torurali, John Kirruppa,
John Randals, John Warner, Oscar
Lundquist, 'Chiric Arcanzolo, Antonio
Stiiano. August CoIonns, o. CONSTANT,
VigIle Sodra, Celeeti Nazri.
The Mansfield mine was developed
about six years ago and worked contin-'
uonsly since. 1t is estimated that 1000
tons Of ore were in sight when the acci-
dent occurred. u Today 1t is worthless
pit, only marked by small bay caused
by the sinking from the natural bed Of
the Michi9amme river, by the cave.
The death Of 2S men marked the end
OF the Mansfield mine, for unless the
river is forced to seek another channel,
this rich deposit of iron ore can nevsr be
worked again. Eight of the victims
leave families of children fatherlese and
abont half the remaining supported
parents. What measures, II any, can
be taken to rescue the bodies of the
dead, has not yet been determined.