Passaic City record., 1893-10-07
DISASTER In A mine.
TWENTY-EIGHTI IRON MINERS
DROWNED IN MICHIGAN.

| A River Burst Through the Roof OF
Their Tunnel-Of Forty-Six Men
Only Eighteen Escaped the Wild
Rush of Water-A Calamity Ex-
pected for Years.
With a terrific rush the water of the
Michigamme River broke through bed
weakened by mining into the Mansfield Mine.
six miles from Crystal Falls, Mich, between
and 10 o'clock at night, drowning twenty
eight men who were at work directly under
the cave-in.
There were fortY-six men in the mine
when the accident occurred, but eighteen of
them, who were working in the lower levels,
managed to escape. The names of the
drowned are:
Sam Peters, married; James Strongman,
married W. r. Pierce, married; Charles
Pohl, married Ole Carson, married Joe
Kohla, married; Swan johnson, Mike Har-
rington, Frank Rocko, AL Torresani Frank
johnson, Samuel Johnson. Shellimo Zadra,
Peter Turry, Nicolo Fontani, John Regula,
John Holmstrum, Ross Fortunate. John
Kirsche, John Warner, John Arcangely, Aug
ust Cologna, Vigilis Zeadra, John Randall,
Oscar Lundquist, Anto Steffano, o. Con-
stanti, Celesti Negri.
None of the bodies have been recovered,
and it is believed it will be necessary to di-
vert the channel of the river before they can
be secured.
When the night shift went on duty it was
noticed that more water was going into the
mine than usual, but no alarm was felt by
the men at the pumps, as they managed to
keep the ssdrifts'' free. Suddenly, q few min
utes after 8, there was a loud report and an
overpowering rush of water, and the men
felt themselves being overwhelmed by an
avalanche of mud, ore and water. So fast
came the food that it 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 perpen-
dicular opening, however, it would have
availed them nothing, for the shaft known as
'sOld No. T. collapsed as soon as the water
reached and undermined its base.
This occurred at precisely $50, and 1t was
then known to those in charge OF the mine
that the men in the upper level had been
trapped and drowned like rats by an accident
which had long been expected. Had there
been time the men might have descended by
some means to the lower levels and crossed
over to No shaft, but the inrushing food
came too fast, and it is thought that most OF
them met death within five minutes after the
break occurred. The men at work in the
lower levels were warned In time to escape.
The news OF the disaster sped on swift
wings throughout the little hamlet and wild
cry OF alarm was voiced by the inhabitantsas as
tQoY IO6UoQ IkOIu IuolL 1AOIk6SS khlaoIlu8
about the shaft just as the last one of the
eighteen men was brought to the surface.
When the cause of the accident was ex-
planned to the anxious inquirers q cry of hor-
ror went up as they realized that the long
expected and much dreaded accident had
taken place at last and brought with it the
results SO long feared by the wives and
mothers.
There was call for volunteers, which was
promptly answered, to descend the only avail
able shaft and succor, If possible, any miners
who might possibly be found alive. But the
courage and good intent of the hardy miners
were OF no avail, for the waters had already
reached the lower level shaft, and the angry
roar which greeted the would-be rescuers as
they peered over into the dark channel pre-
cluded all hope of rescue, and the twenty
eight men were given up.
The Mansfield Mine Is situated on tho banks
of the Michigamme River, about six miles
east of Crystal Falls, the county seat of Iron
County. It has been worked between three
four years and has shipped about 660,0 900
tons Of Bessemer ore.
The first step towards getting into the
flooded workings must be to divert tempor-
arily or permanently the course of the Michi-
CANINE River and then pump out the mine.
The mine was being operated by the re-
ceiver of Corrigan, Ives b Co., of Cleveland.
The loss win be $500. 900.