The record-union., 1894-08-25
Terrible Explosion of Gas in a Mine
at Franklin, Washington.
THIRTY-SEVEN WORKMEN LOSE
THEIR LIVES.
Nearly All the Dead Brought TO the
Surface Bore Not Even a Scratch,
Their Death Having Been Due to
Asphyxiation- 1.-Two Men Killed and
Eleven Injured by an Explosion of
Gas In Pennsylvania Mine.
Special to the REooRD-UNIov.

Special to the REooRD-UNIoy-
SEATTLE, Aug. PA terrific explo-
sion OF gas occurred in breast siXty-two
on the sixth level of the Franklin Mine,
at Franklin. near this city. this after
noon. Sixty-two miners were impris-
oned, of whom thirty-seven lost their
lives, the others having escaped unin-
jured.
About half the miners were negroes,
having been brought from the East four
years ago to replace strikers. The mine
is owned by the Oregon Improvement
Company, and produces the best coal IN
the State of Washington. The damage to
the mine is not large.
Following is list OF the dead, whose
bodies have been recovered: Frank
Willis, colored. married; Ed Maxwell,
colored, single; r. w. Jones, colored,
single; John Frantalli. Italian. single;
Joe Dawson. English, single; III. r. Rob
erts, colored. single; John Irwin, colored,
single; Joe Cassell, Italian, single; James
Gibson, colored, single; Edward john
son, Swede, single; Andy Engdahl.
Swede, single; John w. Pugh, Welsh,
married; Andy Greer. colored. single;
Joe Bossio, Italian, single; Ike Clements,
colored, married; Pete Parry, Italian.
single; Robert McCoskey, Pole, single;
Evan D. Jones, Welsh, single; Peter
Hay, Scotch, married; Louis Farr, 1tal-
ian, single; Joe Stanrldge, American.
single; Phil De Mari, Italian, married;
John e. Johns, Welsh, married; John
Morris, Welsh, married: John Hall, Eng
lish, single; Chris bunker, American.
single; Charles Stevens, colored, single;
Jacob Olsen, Swede, married; Frank
Larson, Swede. single; Evan Hughes,
single; d. d. Jones, Welsh, married;
Evan Johns, single; A. j. Jones, colored,
married; w. z. Jones, colored, single;
Joseph A. Anderson, Swede, married;
William Secor, American, married.
At 10 minutes to II o'clock a fire was
noticed by some of the drivers on the
sixth north level, 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 gangway.
AS soon as it was known that there was a
fire, many of the men in the gangways
rushed back to 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 num-
Der about forty fingered at breast six,
where the fire originated. and made an
attempt to put out the fire. The breast
was burning fercely, and before the
miners knew it the tire had con- eaai-
Gated to breasts 60 and 81, and smoke be-
gan to issue from breast 6l in that imme-
diate vicinity. Several of those who lin
gered at the burning breast 81 took warm
ing and fed, but all who remained were
overcome and asphyxiated.
1t is evident that all the men had time
to come out, for those at work in the tur-
ther breast reached the shaft in safety,
while those who were nearest the shaft
and consequently more removed from
danger, perished. They evidently be-
lieved they were in perfect safety at the
fire, but while they fingered the smoke
oozed out from some of the side places
further south, and the bodies were all
found south of breast 81. They were all
found along and within space of 500
feet. Several 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 timberS Of the gangway in
a wild and desperate endeavcr To escape.
But the majority of the bodies bear no
=
features were in quiet repose, indicating
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 slope.
and the cry, ''Phe mine is on fire !"
quickly spread throughout the town.
Among the first to reach the scene was
superintendent w. L. Ramsey. He tried
10 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 colors who lived near
the track round about becoming reas-
sured at the careless and good-natured
manner of the Superintendent, began to
treat the affair as d huge joke, laughing
and joshing at each other.
In short time, however, word came
for help, and then, when the Superin-
intendent called for volunteers to go into
the mine, there was great excitement.
The tirst man to volunteer was George
w. Smalley, negro, who, with two
others, was lowered down the ], 1,100-foot
slope to the sixth level. There he 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 surface,
and Smalley, @. G. Todd, John Adams
and John Morgan found the body OF the
first man in the gangway about 900 feet
in from the slope. The body proved to
be that of John @. 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 on the surface
that anyone had met death. Conse-
quently, when the body was carried
way, there was wild scramble to dis
cover its identity. When it was found
the rescuers were besieged with ques-
tions from mothers, fathers and children
concerning loved ones who were i'm
prisoned. But their questions We're only
answered by an oninouS shake of the
mead. 1t was first thought that Ander-
son was not dead, but after being worked
with for ten or fifteen minutes, and no
signs of life appearing, it was concluded
he was dead. Meanwhile miners from
the other levels we're carrying on the
work of rescue in the bowels OF the earth.
The fan keeping the air current in the
mine had been stopped at the first indica-
ton of fire from the return air course,
but when the rescuers went to work the
fan was started up, and then the air in
that part OF the gangway south of breast
62 OF the sixth level was kept pure.
NJ. u. Story, one of the rescuers who
went in from the surface. upon reaching
the sixth level north, ran along the gang
way. At LOCO feet in he found the first
body, then the rest OF the miners were
scattered along in row. In one place
eight men were lying together, and in
another one man was found under q
mule, five mules in all being dead. Story
says that tine men were all lying in the
middle of the gangway with their faces
in 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 up so that