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 Nine
The Thirty-seven Who Perished
Tried TO Extlnguish the Flames.
Oily Associated Prens.l

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-
rifed the community.
There we're sixty-two men In the mine
| when a fire broke out. Twenty-Five men
made their escape In safety. but the re-
mainder. who tried to help their COM
panions 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 we're working
the different places.
Many OF the men In the gangways
rushed back to notify the miners fur
tner In. while others rushed out and
reached the main shaft.
Breast 81 was soon burning hercely.
and before tho miners knew 1t the fire
had communicated to breasts, so and 81.
O. took warning and fed, but ali who
remained were overcome and asphyx-
lated.
II is evident that all the men had time
to come out, for those who worked In
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, and
one colored man was taken out with a
broken neck, their wounds indicating
posts and tmbers Of the gangway in a
| wild and desperate endeavor to escape.
| But the majority Of the bodies bear no
| marks at all, not even scratch, and
their features were in quiet repose. In
| 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
crowd around .. The mouth Of the slopse,
quickly spread throughout the town.
Supt. Ramsey. The first to volunteer
was George Smalley, a negro. who, with
| two others. was lowered down the 100
met men from the sixth level south, who
from the north end.
8hs5s Tens the d Sody f d the the sura sn
in the gangway about 1000 feet in from
the slope. The body was that Of John
o: Anderson, and was pulled to the top
was the hrst intimation that any one
The fan keeping air in the mine had
ilre, but when the rescuers went to work
the fan was started again.
NJ D; Storey, one of the rescuers who
went In from the surface, proceeded
first body. Then the first tt of the miners rs
were found scattered along in a row.
At one place eight men were lying to-
found under a mule. Ave mules in
all being dead. Storey says that the
men were all lying in the middle of the
f sy hs wh re ef r IN the m HEADS
completely and thus escape the smoke
and gas.
He could not believe they were dead,
sra arn9d R %a oys5 so sey iS s
John c. Storey, brother Of NJ. D.. sto-
reg; was at work in -, the e. sixth Level,
the alarm that breast g. was on fire.
Storey says he tried to, escape via the
Green River or sIfliary slope but
making up his mind that he would go
out via the May slope.
Reaching the May slope he met others
ncs on to ot he noh se vs ya 90
osx sGs' anS he as'Saf As
steadily for two and half hours before
every man in line with the deadly
smoke was killed In two minutes.
AS the bodies began to arrive at the
ment of the wives and mothers and, for
that matter, the whole populace, became
almost uncomfortable.
At 3 P. NJ, the last of the thirty-seyen
bodies was brought out, and then they
began to quiet down. Many of them
were completely Frustrated with their
violent grief.
The origin of the fire is supposed to be
due to spontaneous combustion, caused
by refuse and screenings at the bottom
of the breast Stacking and catching fire.
1t Is suggested that possibly the fire had
been burning for some time, and from
smouldering blaze 1t all at once became
burning fire.
The breast Is about 800 feet high and
te Ava Thn Ava hoQ ntc
communica ted to breasts 60 and 81 of the
same level, and the fifth level Is threat
ened. 1t IL believed, with the active
| measures which will at once be
| taken that in three months the fire will
have become completely extinguished.