The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-25
BY FIRE DAMP.
Awful Explosion in a
Mine.
SMOTHERED TO DEATH
BY the Deadly Fumes of
Coal Smoke.
MEN COULD HAVE ESCAPED.
But They Attempted to Put Out
the Flames.
sICKENiNG SCENES OF HORROR
When ThIrty-Seven Bodies Were
Brought Up From the Burn
ing Depths.
sIcKENiNd SCENES OF HORROR

CEATTLEt aug. "A Speclal TO the
Post-InteIligencer from Franklin, Wash,
says: At Is minutes to u O'Clock fire
was noticed by some OF the drivers on the
sixth north level of the Franklin mine,
and notice was given to the men inside
who were working in different places,
some in the breast above the level and
others along the gaugway, as soon as it
was Known that there was fire.
Many of the men III the gangways
rushed back 10 notify the miners further
in. while others rushed out and reached
the main shaft. 1t is certain that all the
men in the breasts reached the gangwaY
in safety.
In all about seventy men were at
work in the sixth level north. and of
that number about forty fingered at breast
6. where the fire originated, and made an
attempt 20 put il out.
The breast wac burning fercely, and
before the miners knew 1t the fire had
communicated to breasts go and 81, and
smoke began to issue from breast 81 in
that immediate vicinity.
Several of those who fingered at burn
ing breast 90 took warning aud fed, but
all who remained we're overcome and
. asphyxiated. 1t is evident that all the
men had time to come out for those at
work in the further breast reached the
shaft in safety while those who were
nearest the shaft, and consequently more
removed from danger. persisted.
They evidently believed they were in
perfect safety at the fire, bat while they
fingered the smoke ooZed out from some
outside place further south, and the bodies
wers all found south of breast g. They
were all found along within a space of
500 feet. Several men were badly bruised,
and one cOl0red man was taken out with
q broken neck. their wounds indicating
that they had thrown themselves against
the posts and timbeFs of the gangway in a
wild and desperate endeavor to escape.
But the majority of the bodies bear no
mark at all, not even a scratch and their
features we're in quiet repose. indicating
that their death had been speedy and
painless one.
AS soon as the alarm whistle sounded
from the engine-hOuss people began to
crowd around the mouth of the slope, and
the cry Tine mine is on fre!" quickly
spread through the town.
Among the first to reach the scene was
Superinte ndent W. I. Ramsey. He tried
to appear unconcerned and as though he
really did not believe any lives would be
lost, and the crowd OF men, women and
children Of both celOrs, who lived near the
track roundabout, becoming reassuEed at
the careless and gOod-natuTed manner of
the superintendent, began to treat the
affair as huge joke. laughing and joking
with each other.
In a short time, however, word came for
help, and then when the superintendent
called for volunteers to 60 into tbs mine
there was great excitement.
The first man to volunteer was George
w. Smalley, negro, who with two others
was lowered down the 1l00-foot slope to
the sixth level.
There be met 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 sur
face, and Smaliey, c. c. Todd, John Ad-
ans and John Morgan found the body of
the first man in the gangway, a bout 1000
feet in from the slope. The body proved
to be that of John q. Anderson, and was
pulled TO the top of the slope. The arrival
of AndersonSs body on the surface was
the first intimation to the men, women and
children on the surface that any one met
death.
Consequently, when the body was car
ried away, there was a wild scramble TO
discover its identity. When it was found
the rescuers were besieged with questions
from mothers. fathers and children con-
eerDing loved ones who were i'm prisoned.
But their questions were only answered
by an ominous shake of the head.
1t was first thought that Anderson was
not dead, but after being worked with for
ten or fifteen minutes no signs of life
appeared.
Meanwhile the miners from the other
levels were carrying on the work of rescue
in The bowels of the earth. The fan keep
ing the air current in the mine had been
STOPPED at the first indication of fire from
the return air course, but when the res
cuers went to work the ian was started up
and then the air in that part of the gang
way south of breast 81 on the sixth level
was kept pure.
NJ ID. Story, one of the rescuers who
went In from the surface, after reaching
the sixth level north ran along the gang
way. At 1000 feet in he found the first
body. and then the miners were found
scattered along in a row. In one place
49, t-ANN "SAO iyluS IoSSbnef, ana IN
another one man was found under mule.
five mules in all being dead.
Story says that the men were all living
in the middle of the gangway with their
faces 10 the mud, as if they had tried to
bury their heads completely and thus
escape the deadly and obnoxious coal
smoke. He could not believe they were
dead, and turned them with their faces IN
80 That they could breathe, but he was
soon satisfied that all were dead, Nearly
all the bodies were found south of the
burning breast.
John G. Story, brother of w. d. Story.
was at work in the sixth level south when
boy named Chapman gave the alarm
that breast 81 was on fire.
Story says he tried TO escape via The
Green River or auxiliary slope, but finding
this impracticable he returned, making up
his mind that he would go out via tie main
slope. Reaching The main slope he met
others from the sixth level south who
were going into the north level to do what
they could to rescue their imprisoned