The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-09-01
Thitty-Seven Men at the Frank
lin Mine Asphyxiated.
ALL HAD TIME TO ESCAPE ALIVE
The Bodles Were All Found within a
Space of 500 Feet, just South of
Breast Sixty-Two.

SEATTLE, Aug. ga special to the
Pust-Intelligencer from Franklin,
Wash, says: ''At Is minutes to
o'clock this afternoon fire was noticed
by some of the drivers on tile sixth
north level of the Franklin mine and
notice was given to the men inside,
who were working in different places,
some in the breasts above the level aud
others along the gangway. As soon as
il was known that there was fire
many OF the men in the gangways
rushed back TO notify the miners fur
Their in, while others rushed out and
reached the main shaft. 1t Is certain
that all the men iii the breasts OF the
gangway were killed.
In all about 40 men were at work in
the sixth level north, and of that
number. about 40 fingered at breast go,
where the fire originated, and made AN
attempt To put out the fire. The breast
was burning fiercely and before the
miners knew it the fire had communl-
Gated to breasts go and 81 and smoke
began to issue from breast 50 in that
Immediate vicinity. Several OF those
who fingered at burning breast 62 took
warning and ran, but those who re-
NAMED were overcome and asphyX-
lated.
Had Time to Escape.
1t is evident that all the men had
time to come out, for those at work in
the further breast reached the shalt In
safety. while those who were nearest
the shaft, and consequently more re-
moved from danger, erished. Ihey
evidently believed they were In per-
feet safety at the, fire cut While they
fingered the smoke oozed out from
some outside place further south. The
bodies were all found south of breast
50, all within space Of 900 feet.
List OF the Dead.
Following is a list OF the dead whose
bodies have been recovered:
FRANK MILLS, cooredi /, married
ED MAXWELL, coloTed; single
r. W.JoNEs. colored; singh.
JOHN f. RAINFALL, Italian; single.
JOE DAWSON, English; single.
ii. X, ROBERTS, colored; single.
JOHN IRWIN, colored; single
JOE CAssELL Italian; single.
JAMES GIBSON, colored; single.
EDWARD JOHNSON, Swede; single.
ANDY ENGDAHL, Swede; single.
JOHN w. PUGH, Welsh; married.
ANDY GREER colored; single.
Jo l.. BossIE, Italian; single.
Ike CLEMENTS. colored; married.
PETE HARRY, Italian; single.
ROBERT McCosKEY Pole; single.
EVAN d. JONES Welsh; single.
PETER HAY, Scotch; married.
LOUIS FARR, Italian; single.
Phil DE MARL Italian; married.
JOHN STRANDRIDGE. American; single
JOHN L. JOHNS, Welsh; married.
john MORRIS. Welsh; married.
john HALL English; single,
CHRIS BUNKER, Amerjc m; SINCE.
aFrnrg pDin oiv,
JACOB OLSEN, Swede; married.
FRANK LARSEN, Swede; single.
EVAN HUGHES, Welsh; married.
RocIo ETH, Italian single
d. ID. JONES " elsh; married.
EVAN JOINS Welsh; married.
A. J. JONES colored; married.
w. Z. JONES. colored; single.
JOHN ANDERSON, Swede; married.
WILLIAM ZEcoR American; married.
Death Was Painless.
Severed men were badly bruised and
one colored man was taken out with a
broken neck, their wounds indicating
that they had thrown themselves
against the posts and sides of he gang
way in their desperate endeavor to
escape, but the majority of the bodies
bear no marks at al, not even a scratch,
and Their features were in quiet repose.
indicating that their QeaLn naQ been
speedy and painless one.
About half tie miners were negroes,
having been brought from the east four
years ago to replace the strikers The
mine Is owned by the Oregon Improve
ment Company and produces the best
coal III the state Of Washington. The
damage to Tue mine is not large.
story or a Rescuer.
Nj. ID. Story, one of the rescuers who
went in from the surface, upon reach
ing the sixth level north, ran along
the gangWay. AT 1000 feet he found
the fret body, then the rest of the
miners were lound scattered along IN
q row. In one place eight men were
lying together and in another one man
was found under mule. five mules in
all being dead. Story says that the
men were all lying in the middle of
the gangway with their faces in the
mud us if they had tried TO bury their
heads completely and thus escape dhe
deadly and obnoxious coal smoke. He
could not believe then were dead and
turned them with their faces up so
they could breathe, but he was soon
satisfied that they were dead. Nearly
all the bodies were found south of the
burning breast.
John &. Story, a brother If NJ. ID.
Story, was at work in the sixth Lever
south when a boy named Chapman
gave the alarm that breast 90 was on
tlre. Story says he tried to escape via
the Green river or auxiliary slope, but
finding this impraclicable lie returned
making up his mind that he would &C