The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-30
DROWNED IN THE PIT.
Twenty-eight Men Perish in a
Michigan Iron Mine.
RIVER BREAKS INTO The ROOF.
The Mansfield Mine Flooded by the
Michigammc River-Bodies Of the
Victims WIZ Never Be Found.

CRYSTAL FANS, Mich, Sept. m-The
Mansfield mine. the only producer OF
Bessemer ore in the Crystal Fails district,
located six miles from here, csyed in at 3
O'Clock last night, burying twentyeight
workmen and destroying $4,000 worth
of property. The Mansfield working levels
ran directly under the Michigamme river
and parallel with il for several hundred
feet The first level was thiriy-tiye feet
below the bottom of the river. Five lower
levels ran parallel 10 the first. the bottom
being AS feet below the surface of the
water. The FIVE upper levels had been
stopped in the progress of the work. leaving
only timbers and pillars OF ore 10 bear
the mighty weight of the floors of ore
above. The accident is supposed to have
been caused by the giving way of timbers
on the fifth level. allowing those above to
follow and at last letting the river pour in
upon the fated men. After the cave the
river bed below the mine was dry an hour
and forty minutes.
Forty-eight men descended the shaft
last night Twenty escaped and twenty
eight persisted. Their bodies will never be
recovered. Most of the survivors were at
at work on the bottom level. which had
not been staked out, and consequently did
not cave when the levels above fell. The
men heard the crash of the cave and
started for the ladderway. Ali but four
on this level reached the Underway be-
fore the torrent of water down the shaft
cut off the avenue of escape. Tony Bull
letto, a skip tender, was standing with
Frank Rocko, a night boss, at the shaft on
the fourth level. They heard the crash
and realized what was coming. Rocko
went into the drift to inform the men OF
the danger, and did not return. Bulletto
came TO the surface in the skip alone
Andrew Sullivan, another night boss. was
on the sixth level az the time of the acct
dent. He called his men to follow him
quickly. All but four men on this level
reached the underway in safety. As they
assembled, however. they were nearly suf-
located, so great was the air pressure
caused by water pouring down the shaft
They were able to breathe only at each
landing place, and came to the surface
more dead than alive.
The lost miners are:
SAMUEi. PETERS. married.
JAMES STRONG, married.
W. II. PIERCE. married.
FRANK RocKo.
SWAN JOHNSON.
SAM JOHNSON.
NIKE HARRINGTON.
A. l.. TARREsANL.
FRANK JOHNSON.
SHELTIMo ZoDRA.
PETER FURY.
NfcoIo FoNTANT.
CHARLES POM, married.
john HoLsrR0M.
Bax ToRuRALI.
john kIRRUPPt.
JOHN RANDALL.
john WARNER.
OSCAR LUNDotIIsr.
CHIRIc ARCANZELo.
ANT STIFASo.
AuausT CoLoGNA.
q. ID. CONSTANT.
NISILs ZoDRA.
CELIsrT NEzRT.
The Mansfield mine was developed
about six years ago and worked continu-
ously ever since. 1t is estimated that 200,.
900 tons of ore were in sight when the ac-
cident occurred. Today it is worthless
pit. only marked by small bay caused by
the sinking from the natural bed of the
Michigamme by the cave.
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 proper amount of timber
had been placed in position by the COM
pany. at is clearly demonstrated" said
he, "thst the timberiug system of mining
cannot be employed in that sort of ground.
The company had taken all necessary pre-
cautions in the conduct OF the work"
The death OF twenty-eight men m arks
the end of the Mansfield, for unless the
river can be forced TO seek another chan
mel this rich deposit of iron ore can never
be worked again. Eight of the victims
leave families of children fatherless and
about half the remaining twenty were sup
porters of parents. What measures. if
any, can be taken TO rescue the bodies OF
the dead are yet undetermined.