New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-30


tush the water of the Michieamme River broke
through u bed weakened by mining into the Mans
field mine between . and 10 o clock last nisnt
browning twenty eight men. who were at work
directly under the cavc-in. There were forty-siX
men in the Mile when the accident occurred, hut
eighteen of them, who were working IN the lower
levels. managed to escape. lhe names Of the
drowned miners are as follows
Ar, VGEl.o John. PEERS. Samuel married
COLoGNA, August tll.ECE, W H., married
CARSON Ole, married. IOHb. Chdiles, married
CONSTANT. o. EkNDAID John.
IMAM Nicoio. KEGULA, John.
I%TETMAI9 % l,;2y ROsa i,D,o Kocc2 , I5 [lp"N in.o
H0LM> IRUM. John. sTRoNGMAN, James, mar
;oHSs6y sa@Sc. %gSry %%g2WSrrySAYSI, A.
KOILA, Joseph. married. ZApEA. Sh limo
kLGIH, Celest
Mono of the bodies has been recovered, ana II
Is believed it will lie necessary to divert the chan
mel y thc river before they can be secured
lhe 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 to haul out ore and bring in supplies
courier carried the news TO Crystal Falls late last
night. but not until this morning was the news
sent abroad 1t is believed TO have been the
worst disaster that ever occurred i'll tie Lake
Superior iron region
When the night shift went on duty it was
noticed that water was coming lnto 'h'
mine than usual, but no alarm WAS felt ny 'he
men al the pumps, they managed TO keep 'c
.drifts" free The miners pursucd their w'rN
g. on every nigho wien they started into pass
TIE twelve hours under the ground earning breao
for tleir families. Suddenly, a few minutes
after . o'clock, there loud report ana a''
ovcrpowcring rush Of water AMI the men l'"
themselves being overwhelmed by an avalanche
NJ ,nud ore and water SO fast came the food
that il 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 any Of them
reached the perpcn licuar openin-. however, IT
would have availcl them nothing. for the shaft
known rs "Old Number One" collapsed a. soon
as tie water reached and undermined it, base.
This occurred AT 80 oclo"t, and II was ther
known 10 those i'm charge of III" mine that IN"
men in the upper level had been trappe1 ana
drowned like rats by an accident which had
lonc been expected. Had there been time the
men might have dc, ended by means t.
the lower levels and crossed over 10 No. shaft
but tho inrushing food came too fast, and II Is
thon.}it that most of them met death within
five minutes after the break occurred.
The men ~ work IN the lower levels wcr"
warned in time 10 escape. \ few minutes after
rcctinc 'ro cau~e dropped their picks and fled
for their live. The water pursuing a. it dil
Tho dcy ions csurs" necessary in running from ore
level 10 another WIS already ankle deep in th"
lower levels when the reached the shaii
end were drawn up from what seemed certain
death. -.
tbronshout tn. ilttIr niIllrt. and wild cry o.
alarm WINS voiced by the Inhabitants a. thrN
rushed from t!"r iionr'a. iaS hn"' n ,m
shaft. ius' ~ the last on OF the "lght'cn m''l
WAS brought 10 the surface. When the 'll"
Of the accident explained 4 the ANXIOUS III
ouirers cry of horror W.m up - ul'f n';i,., nam
that the long-eNpect'd and much, ,dicdIcd a'.lu'n
bad 'ikcn place at last. and inruGht WIN
The results 50 long feared b" fh' wives ,'i.,
mothers There WAS = call for volunteers, WIZ
was at one. answered - descend the only avala-
bic shaft and succor. # possible any miners Wl
might possibly b. ionr' alive But thc co''f'o uf
and strong irtcnt Of The hardy miners was ol a
avail. and the waters had already r'acheu III -,
lower level shaft; and the angry roar whlcl
greeted the ud-be r'r'cucs as they prrrn1 , pnn'
into the dark channel a. once precuded an mop
of rescue and tire twenty cirlt men wcr" gwen uP
All night The wdt'r poured INTO itN ne" ia :,
bed and NOT until . o'clock this morning old ~
resume its natural course after having ehectualN
filed every cavity and cr'vi"e OF the gfea' NM
The death Of these twenty -elglt men MARKS 'I,' w.
end of Mansfield mine. for unless tie river can p'
forced fo seek another channel the holes cannon
BE- sccnr d nor can this rich deposit Of iron ore
be worked again. ,,-s ~,
the Michigamtac River. abclt siN miles caN o
C,v.fai lflis the county scat OF Iron County
II l,a> hoen worked beiwc, rec ana tour years.
and has slippcd about 8 10000 tons OF l|'ssh' !
ore The dopics>0n in the iron trade mas cius.u
practically IL tiic mnc- in tho CRYSTAL ran "l1
f,ict and the Mansfield almost the only one
nom which any being raisHi tllc nn'
oualitv Of It's product enabling II 10 keen on
working Tile bed dppcd rapidly behca,n u
tho >:rcinl. ard for more than fw) NHf'S wv
chief workings have been directly unhef ,u'
bed Of the rlver There has been much rou'ic
with water ard predictions have not zen w'h,,
d.. fio riN som
the roof of the niins. M measure, LOOKING 10 d
rescue Of the bodies Of the dead haN" vet nc"h
determined 4 careful survey OF the ground nv
,omprfeni engineers will have 10 bc mace, an,
the irst step toward getting iniO the n"ouFn
workinq, i-ust De TO divert temporarily or per
ranertlv the course cf IN" 'Micn@anne f"F''
and ten pump out tho mine -,
John VI Loney"dr Of MarGTettc. rs ono ot w,
chief owners OF the Mansfield property re s"'. y.
ills af'ciroon that H." land has pce lra%H' 10
Calhoun & Tennv. OF Chicigo, ard that they hs''
formed tho Mansfield Mining Company. MI,
nv "rc,hng" the mine: that IS. by worHhS >"
reckless manner and taking down plilar~ "l o..
in III" upper levels that should have p",'' 'N
20 support the roof. Mr. longv"dr wnui" no,
anirr, that such tie ease nut irii'"'N =,
probable The ninc Inspector oi iron Ionnh VIZ
ccrdnct most ricd invr-tigaticn mo ,hc ao, raS
OF the disaster The vein Of orc was only sixteen
f-ct vide and the nature VI the sron1d was sue, sue,
that e-T-1ts it was eaet IT, n,l"rH an a"clua''
surnort 20 tho hanging wall of the mine.
Already talk OF suits for DAMAGES agaih>, W.
operators by relatives Of the dead men - pci'ie
heard The mine was heinc op"rafcd by the r.
ceiver ~ Corrioan. Ives a. Co. Of Cleveland inc
money loss will he 100000