Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1894-08-30
AN AWFUL olsAsIIn.

Four-ror- Minors Caught ~ n Ftr~ rr.r
sHd Hsif Their Number Sacrificed Tasy
Wight Have t>esp-,t. hat IIs- Rrass
We" -t"Pp-'t to tight the tire. aud
~er- orsrv-ns- bs Sr,oar aad s.a.s.
>EArVI-E- Wash. Aus "a terrible
holocaust took place IN the Oregon I'm.
provement Cos mine at Franklin.
thirty-tour miles from this estv at
o'clock yesterday afternoon. and al.
ready thirty->evvn dead bodies have
been recovered from the mine. Il J.
known that many others are i'm
prisoned in the fiery furnace. but the
number is only a matter Of conjecture
as vet
The first news of the tragedy was ~
ceived in this city by Manager smith
at leo o'clock this afternoon in the
shape of telegram from the mine
superintendent which stated that the
mine was atire and that many miners.
both white and black. were impris-
oned.
Later telegram was received read
ing substantially a. follows; Thirty
seven dead bodies were taken out and
II Is supposed there are more tn b, re-
covered
What proportion Of the dead men are
white, and what proportion are black
cannot at present be learned. hut the
officers say they are equally divided
Wives. children and comrades OF the
dead men are frantic with grief. and
form a picture that would move the
strongest to tears
\ telegram at 40 o'clock stated that
the fire is out and the damage is not 80
extensive as at first supposed. The
smoke had the effect Of deceivin- the
men as TO the extent Of the fire. No
more bodies have hcecn recovered. hut
men are now engaged in exploring the
mine.
\ driver on the sixth north level was
the first to see the fire. Notice was
seni to the men inside who were work
ing in different places. As soon a. il
was known that there was a fire many
of the men in the gsngways rushed
back to notify their comrades. while
Others tied Pell nell for ths. main shaft
II l. known that all the men in the
breasts reached tho gangwsy in safety.
In all about seventy men were at
work in the sixth level. and Of that
number about forty fingered to fight
the Sire. These are thought to have
constituted all those lost.
The breast was burning fiereelv. ami
before the miners were aware of il the
fire had communicated to breasts Nos
co and 6i- Several of the men at breas;
O. took warning and fed Il is
evident that all the men had
time to cox out. for those at work
III the farther breast reached the shaft
| IN safety, while those who were near
est the shaft perished- They evidently
were of the impression that they were
safe from the fir-e. but while they ling
cred the smoke issued FROM some out
side place farther south.
The bodies were all found within a
/ space of 500 feet Many were piled on
top of each other. Indicating that while
in the throes of death they had sought
escape. and stumbling over the prCs-
trate forms of their comrades. were un.
! able to rise
/ Several men were badly bruised. and
one colored man was taken out with a
broken neck, their wounds indicating
| that they threw themselves against
posts and timhers of the gangway in a
wild and desperate eudeavor to escape.
But majority of the bodies bear NJ
marks at all. not even a scratch. and
their features were in quiet repose. in
dicating that their death had been a
speedy and painless one.