Morning journal and courier., 1893-09-30
WERE DROWNED LIKE RATS.

River Breaks Into q Mine and
Rushes With Tremendous Force
Upon the Miners, Overwhelming
Them With an Avalanche OF Mud,
Ore and Water-Twenty-KtGh Men
Were Caught I'm One Level and Were
DrOwned-The Remainder Barely
Escaped with Their Lives-None of
the Dead Have Been Recovered.
CRYSTAL FALLS, Mich, Sept. 29.-With
q terrific ruah the water of the Miohi-
CANINE river broke through a bed weak
ened by mining into the Mansfield mine,
six miles from here. between o and 10
o'clock last night, drowning twenty eight
men who were at work directly under the
osve-in. There were forty-six men in the
mine when the accident occurred, but
eighteen who were working in the lower
levels managed TO escape.
None of the bodies have been recovered,
and 1t is believed 1t will be necessary to d.
vert the channel of the river before they
can be secured. 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 1t
was noticed that more water was coming
into the mine than usual, but no alarm was
felt by the men at the pumps, as they
managed to keep the "drifts'' free. The
miners pursued their work as usual. Sud
denly, few minutes after 8 there was
loud report and q tremendous rush of
water and the doomed men were over
whelmed by an avalanche of mud, ore and
ia la-Lkf,1 nh khor fho
the upper levels had time to drop their tools
and run to No. shaft. Had any of them
reached it, however, 1t would have availed
them nothing, for the shaft collapsed as
soon as the water reached and undermined
Its base.
The men in the upper levels were trapped
and drowned like rats. Had there been
time they might have descended to the
lower levels and crossed over to No. 2
shaft, but the in-rushing flood came too
fast. The men at work In the lower levels
were warned in time. They heard an
ominous roar and at once suspeotipg the
cause, for the accident had long been ex-
peoted, dropped their picks and fed for
their lives. The water. pursuing the devious
course necessary in running from one level
to another, was already ankle deep in the
lower levels when the men reached No. 2
shaft snd were drawn up from what
seemed certain death.
The news of the disaster spread quickly
through the little hamlet, and wild cries of
alarm were uttered by the inhabitants as
they rushed from their homes and gathered
about the shaft just as the last one of the
eighteen men were brought to the surface.
When the extent of the disaster was real
lied cry of horror went up, and heart
rending scenes were witnessed.
There was a call for volunteers, which
wss at ones answered, to descend the only
available shaft and succor, if possible, any
miners who might be found alive. But the
courage of the hardy miners was of no
avail, for the waters had already reached
the lower level of the shaft and the angry
roar which greeted the would-be rescuers
as they peered into the dark opening pre-
Guided all hope of rescue.
All night the water poured into its new
found bed and not until O'Clock this
did 1t resume its natural course,
after having filled every crack and crevice
Of the great mine. The death of these
twenty-eight men marks the end of Mans
field mine, for unless the river can be
forced to seek another channel this rich
deposit of iron ore cannot be worked
again. 1t has been work. d between three
and four years and has shipped $50, 900
tons OF Bsssemer ore.
The depression in the iron trade has
closed practically all the mines In the
Crystsl Falls district. and the Mansfield
was almost the only one from which any
ore WAS being raised, the fine quality of
Its product enabling 1t to keep on working.
For more than two years the chief work
Ipgs have been directly under the bed of
the Michigamme river. 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.
ELOQUENT SENATOR MORGAN.