The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-08-25
ALL COULD HAVE ESCAPED.
Timely Warning Was Given Of the
Fire in the Franklin Mine.
The Thirty-seven VINO Perished
Tried to Extinguish tho Flames.
INV Associated Prssa)


SEATTLE, Wash, Aug. 25.-Prepara-
lions are being made to bury the thirty
seven miners killed In the Franklin
mines yesterday. The town of Franklin
is In mourning, and the disaster has hor-
rified the community.
There were sixty-two men in the mine
when fire broke out. Twenty-Five men
made their escape in safety. but the re-
mainder. who tried to help their Gem
panionu to smother the flames, persisted.
The fire started at LIS o'clock. Smoke
was seen by some of the drivers on the
sixth north level and notice was given
to the men inside, who were working
| the different places.
| Many of the men in the gangways
rushed back to notify the miners fur
| .her in. while others rushed out and
reached the main shaft.
Breast g. was soon burning herceiy,
| and before the miners knew II the hre
| had communicated to breasts ~ ana oil.
Several OF those who fingered at breast
remained were overcome and asphyx-
lated.
1t is evident that all the men had time
the further breast reached the shaft in
| safety, while those who were nearest
the shaft and consequently were removed
| from the danger persisted.
| Several men were badly bruised, ana
! one colored man was taken out with a
broken neck, their wounds Indicating
that they had thrown themselves against
posts and timbers of the gangway In a
wild and desperate endeavor to escape.
But the majority of the bodies bear no
marks at all, not even a scratch. and
dicating that their death had been a
speedy and painless one.
AS soon as the alarm whistle sounded
from the engine-house. people began to
|
and the cry .'The mine is on frer'
quickly spread throughout the town.
supt Ramsey. The first to volunteer
was George Smalley, negro. who, with
| two others, was lowered down the 100
foot slope to The sixth sixth Level There he
| were doing all they could to rescue mel
| from the north end.
Others went down from the surface
and found the body OF the first man
In the gangway about 1000 feet In from
the slope. The body was that OF John
o: Anderson, and was pulled to the tor
OF the slope. Its arrival on the surface
had been killed.
The fan keeping air in the mine had
been stopped at the first indication OF
fire. but when the rescuers went to work
the fan was started again.
NJ. ID; Storey, one OF the rescuers who
went In from the surface. proceeded
first body. Then the first OF the miners
were found scattered along in row
At one PLACE eight men were lying to-
found under mule, 1--WE mules IN
all being dead. storey says that tn,
men were all lying in the middle of the
ybsd rIed to bury IN her
completely and thus escape the smoke
and gas.
He could not believe they were dead
and turned them over so they io nm
ever, that they were really dead.
John c. Storey. brother Of NJ, D.. sto
south. when boy named Chapman CAV
the alarm that breast 62 was on fire
Storey says he tried to escape via tn
Green River or auxiliary slope b sd
out Via the May slope.
Reaching the May slope he met other
going on to the north level to do wha
they could to rescue their imprisone'
comrades, and he Joined them. WORKING
, every man in line with the deadl.
smoke was killed in two minutes.
AS the bodies began to arrive at tn
ment OF the wives and mothers ana, 10
that matter, the whole populace, becam
almost uncomfortable.
At 3 p. NJ. the last of the thirty-sevei
bodies was brought out, and then the!
began to quiet down. Many of then
were completely Frustrated with thei
violent grief.
The origin of the fire is supposed to b.
due to spontaneous combustion, cause,
=. by refuse and screenings at the bottom
> OF the breast Stacking and catching fire
1t is suggested that possibly the fire ha'
been burning for some time, and from
smouldering blaze 1t all at once becam
[ a burning fire.
The breast is about 300 feet high, ant
ha
D communicated to breasts 60 and 81 of tn
) same level, and the fifth level Is threat
ened. 1t Is believed. with the activ
? measures which will at once b
taken that in three months the fire will
have become completely extinguished.
|