The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-08-25

Y MORNING, AUGUST %,
spread throughout the town. Among
the first to reach the scene was Supt
w. T. Ramsey. He tried to appear un
concerned and as though he really die
not believe any lives would be lost, and
crowd of men, women and children
of both colors who lived near the
track, becoming treasured at the care
less and good-nntured manner Of the
superintendent, began to treat the af-
fair as huge Joke, laughing and jest
ing with each other.
In short time however word came
for help and then when the superln-
tendent called Tor volunteers to go into
the mine. there was great excitement
The first man to volunteer was George
w. Smalley, negro, who with two
! others, was lowered down the HOO foot
slope to the sixth level. There they met
the men from the sixth level south, who
were doing all they could to rescue the
men on the north side Of the same
level. Other rescuers went down from
the surface, and Smalley, C. C. Todd,
John Adams, and John Morgan, found
the body of the first man in the gang
way, about 1000 feet from the slope.
The body proved to be that of John,
g. Anderson, and was pulled to the top
of the slope.
The arrival of Anderson's body on
the surface was the first intimation
to the men, women and children at the
top that any one had met death Con-
sequently. when the body was carried
away there was wild scramble tol
discover its identity. When II was
found, the rescuers were besieged With
questions from mothers, fathers, andl
children concerning the loved ones who
were imprisoned. But their questions
were only answered by an ominous
shake of the head
Meanwhile. the miners from the other
levels were carrying on the work of
rescue In the bowels of the earth. The
fan keeping the current of air in the
mine had been stopped at the first
Indication of fire from the return air
course, but when he rescuers went to
work the fan was Aarted up, and then
the air in that pqrt of the gangway
south Of breast &on the sixth level
was kept pure.
M. d. Storey, one Of the rescuers who
went in from the surface, on reaching
the sixth level north, ran along the
sangway. At 100 feet in he found the
first body, and then the rest of the
miners were found scattered along in
the road.-rIHsoneA place eight men were
iuddled together, and in another one ;
nan was found under q mule. five
mules in all being dead. Storey says 1
nat the men were all lying in the mid {
lie of the gangway with their faces in {
he mud. as If they had tried to bury
heir heads completely and thus escape
he deadly and obnoxious coal smoke. |
lie could rot believe that they were
lead, and turned them with their faces
Up so that they could breath, but he
vas soon satisfied that they were dead. I
AS the bodies began to arrive at the
urface of the main slope, the excite
nent among the wives and mothers Z
'ecame uncomfortable d
At 3 O'Clock the last of the thirty /
even bodies was recovered, and then I
eople began to quiet down. Many Of :
hem were completely Frustrated with I
heir violent grief, Superintendent c
ramsey in speaking of the disaster t
aid: 5
'As soon as the alarm whistle sound q
d, the men at work at the fan on top c
the hill, noticed smoke coming from v
he air, and not knowing the cause. $
shut down the fan. He a
Id just what he should have done, and n
ad the miners not fingered SO long at
ne fire, trying to put it out, they
'ould all have been saved; but the L
noke surrounded them and before
ley were aware Of II, they were over
owered and smothered. All of those
no We're two hundred and three hun =
red feet up in the breast had time TO - -
imb down to the gangway and some : :
them escaped and reached the sur J,
zee, not experiencing the slightest un- =
easant sensation. One of the men :,
ho stopped with the others at breast i
, saw the danger he was in, and a,
arted on run for the main slcpe, =
iouting to his companionss come on.
you'll not get OUT" hut they still Z,
igered, and five minutes later thirty .
ven men were dead"
A a.r.rr u.