The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-08-30
Thirty-Seven Men at the Frank
lin Mine Asphyxiated.
ALL HAD TIME TO ESCAPE ALIVE
The Bodies Were All Found within q
Space of 500 Feet, just South of
Breast Sixty-Two.

Wash, says: "At 10 minutes to |
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 breasts above the level aud
Others along the gangway. AS soon as
it was known that there was q 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 In the breasts of the
gangway were killed.
In all about 10 men were ut work In
the sixth level north, and Of that
number. about 40 fingered at breast 60,
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 communi-
Gated TO breasts so and 81 and smoke
beran to Issue from breast 60 in that
immediate vicinity. Several of those
who fingered at burning breast 81 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 ut work In
the further breast reached the shaft in
safety, while those who were nearest
the shaft, and consequently more re-
moved from danger, rershed. They
evidently believed they were in per
feet safety at the, fire but while they
fingered the smoke oozed out from
some outside place further south. The
bodies were all found south OF breast
so, all within o space of 800 feet.
List OF the Dead.
Following is list OF the dead whose
bodies have been recovered
FRANK WILLIS, colored; married.
ED MAXWELL colored; single.
X. W. JONES. colored; single.
JOHN f. RANrALLI Italian; single.
JoE DAWSON English; single.
II. II, ROBERTS, colored; single.
john IRWIN colored; single.
JOE CAssELI. Italiani single.
JAMES GIBSON, colored; single.
EDWARD JOHNSON. Sweue; single.
ANDY ENeDAHI, Swede; single.
JOHN w. PueH. Welsh; married.
ANDY GREER colored; single.
Jo. l.. BosslE, Italian; single.
IKE CLEMENTS. colored; married.
PETE HARRY, Italian; single.
ROBERT McCosKEY, Pole; single.
EVAN d. JONES. Welsh; single.
PETER HAY. Scotch; married.
LOUIS FAIR Italian; single.
Phil DE MARI. Italian; married.
JOHN STRANDRlDoE. American; single.
JomN L. JOINS Welsh; married
john MORRIS Welsh married.
john HALL. English; single.
CHRIS BUNKER, Americ IN; single.
CHARLEY STRAENs. colored; single.
JACOB OLSEN, Swede; married.
FRANK LARSEN, Swede; single.
EVAN HuGHEs Welsh married.
RocIo TETTI, Italian; single.
ID. d. JoNEs. Welsh; married.
EVAN johns, Welsh; married.
A. J. JONES. colored; married.
W. p. JONES colored; single
john ANDERSON, Swede; hurried.
WILLIAM ZEcoR, American; married.
Death Was Painless.
Severed men were badly bruised anc
one colored man was taken out with 0
broken neck, their wounds indicating
that they had thrown themselve!
against the posts and sides of tue gang
way in their desperate endeavor tS
escape, but the majority of the bodie,
DeaT uO Iluf h5 W J, nOi cNcu u SCIdtCu
and their features were in quiet repose,
indicating that their death had been O
speedy and painless one.
About half the miners were negroes
having been brought from the east foul
years ago to replace the strikers. The
mine is owned by the Oregon Improve
ment Company and produces the hes,
coal in the state of Washington. Tit
, ! a 70 linz 10 - 10
Story OF Rescuer.
NJ. ID. Story, one of the rescuers whit
went in from the surface. upon reach
ing the sixth level north, ran aloni
the gangway. At 900 feet he fount
the first body, then the rest of tn
miners were lound scattered along II
row. In one place eight men wer
, lying together and in another one maj
was found under a mule, five mules II
all being dead. Story says that In
men were al lying in the middle c
the gangway with their faces In tn
mud as If they had tried 10 bury thei
,, heads completely and thus escape th
deadly and obnoxious coal smoke. III
could not believe then were dead an
turned them with their faces up s
? they could breathe, but he was 500
+, satisfied that they we're dead. Nearl
= all the bodies were found south of I'll
burning breast.
), John G. Story, brother Gf M.
- Story, was at work In the sixth lev
;, south when a boy named Cnapma
y gave the alarm that breast 81 was o
fire. Story says he tried to escape "
the Green river or auxiliary slope, bt
finding this in practicable lie returne'
making up his mind that he would s
- out via the main slope. Reaching Il
main slope he met others from u
Re sixth level south who were going in
z. the north level to do what they cou
b, TO rescue their imprisoned conrad
d and joined them, working steadily I
,e two and half hours before coming
A the surface. 1t is his opinion tn
f. every man In line with the dead
,e smoke was killed within two minul
Ia after the smoke reached them.
so Scenes at the Slope Mouth.
AS the bodies began to arrive at t
surface of the main slope the excl
ment of the wives aud mothers, a
ne for that matter the whole populace,
1T came uncomfortable. At 3 O'clock
ma last of the 81 bodies were recovered a
er then the people began to quiet dow
Many of them were completely pr