St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-06-05
Twenty-SiX Men Lose Their
Lives in a Mine in
Mexico.
They Perish From Heat and
Smoke and Poisonous
Gases.
Minister Runyon Is Presented
to the Emperor Of Ger
many.
Programme Of the Bismarck
ians Set Forth by a Can
didate.

EAGLE PASS, lex, June 4.-Fuil par
ticulars of the Fuente coal mine disas-
ter, as nearly as can be learned, are as
follows: The Mexican International
railway. which recently came into the
possession of the mines, is operating
narrOw-guage road with a small engine,
which penetrates the main entry, haul
ing in empty and bringing out loaded
cars. This main entry is lined on the
sides and at the top with creosoted lum-
Der, and three air shafts from it supply
the mines with ventilation. The en-
trance of the track is on the north side
OF range of hills, through which it
passes down an incline to the mouth of
the tunnel on the banks of the Rio Es.
condido river. The workings are all to
the east of the main entry, and some
fifty men we're
Employed Taking Out Coal.
at a O'Clock yesterday evening, short
ly after the locomotive left, the mine
was discovered to be Oh fire, and smoke
and flames were seen issuing out of the
air shafts. About half of the miners
were working near the main tunnel,
and these made their escape, leaving
twentysiX of their number to perish
from the heat and smoke and from the
poisonous gases, which spread like
lightning to every portion Of the mines,
When it was seen that all efforts
were useless to rescue the impris
oned miners, every energy was di-
rected to saving the property
from destruction. A hand-pump was
placed in position on the Escondido
river, pipes were laid into the mine as
far as any work could be done and hose
attached, and water poured on to the
burning timbers. A portable engine
was speedily obtained from Piedras
Negras, and in three hours the fire was
under control. There are twenty-six
chambers in the mine, and the dead
miners are supposed to he well to the
front of the mine. At IL o'clock
today, when your correspondent reached
the scene, one body had been recovered
from the seventh chamber. and shortly
afterwards another, fearfully
ScOrched And Blackened
was brought to the surface. The enth
chamber has been reached, and men
with ropes tied to their bodies, to effect
their rescue if overcome by heat and
smoke, are fighting their way to where
the bodies of their dead comrades are
lying. Supt. George Swepce ventured
in too far and was overcome by heat
and smoke. he was Frustrated, but
was rescued. 1t is believed that by to-
morrow the mine will be cleared of heat
and smoke, which at present Is .impos-
Sible to cope with. 1t is reported that
all parties responsible for the manage
ment of the mines have been placed I'M
der arrest pending an Investigate on
of the causes of the disaster. But for
the prompt action of the officials
of the Mexican International and their
heroic efforts, the mine would have
been destroyed. and none of the bodies
would have been recovered. This is
the first great disaster in the history of
coal mining in Mexico. Large numbers
of the friends and relatives of the I'M
fortunate miners are gathered at the
mouth of the mine mutely awaiting. the
recovery of the bodies of their sons and
husbands. When body is taken out
there is no outburst of grief, but a look
OF quiet resignation and deep grief ap-
pears upon every countenance. Hun
dreds of people from Eagle Pass and
Piedras Negras have visited the scene
today, and the smoke still issuing from
the air shafts impresses on all the folly
Of hoping any of the imprisoned miners
are yet alive.