The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-08-25
TWO MINE FATALITIES.
Thirty-soven Lose Their Lives
Near Seattle, Wash.
ENVELoPED IN CLOUDS OF FLAME.

The Men Might Have Escaped but for n
Heroic EGmt to Suppress tho Fire.
Explosion in n Pennsylvania Mine Kills
Two and " ounds Eleven.
SEATTLE, Wash, Aug. 25.-A terrific
gas explosion occurred in breast 62 on the
sixth level Of the Franklin mine, near this
city, yesterday afternoon. A number OF
miners Were imprisoned and thirty-seven
were killed. The fire was soon extin.
guished, and the work Of taking out the
bodies began. All were recovered. Fol.
lowing Is u list of the dead:
American = William Secora (married),
John Strambrige and Chris bunker En-.
Chisholm Hall and Joe Dawson Scotch
Peter Hay (mar ried) Welsh-John L.
Jones (married), Evan D. Jones, ID. d.
Jones (married), John Morris (married),
John w. Pugh (married) and Evan
Hughes (married). Swedcs - Jacob Oh
sen, Ed Johnson, John Anderson and
Andy EngdAhl. Italian-Louis Fetrra,
Phil de Mari tmnrried) Joe l.. Bossi, Joe
Cassell, John Frantalli Rocco Tetti and
Pete Harri. Pole-Robert McCoskey. Col.
ored-Charley Straens, James Gibson. IKE
Clements tmarried), II. r. Roberts, John
Irving. Frank Willis (marred), Ed Max.
riod) w. p. Jones and Andy Greer With
the exceptions noted all were single men.
About half of the 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. aud produces the best coal
in the sttae of Washington. The damage
to the mine is not large.
At 12.i5 o'clock yesterday afternoon O
fire was noticed by some of the drivers on
the sixth north level. and notice was
given to the men inside who We're work
ing the different places, some in the breast
about the level and others along the
gangway.
Many of the men in the gangways
rushed back to notify the miners further
in, while others rushed cut and reached
the main shaft. 1t il certain that all the
men in the breast reached the gangway
in safety.
In all about seventy men were at work
in the sixth level north, and of thnt num-
Der about forty fingered at breast SO,
where the fire originated. and made an
attempt to put it out. The breast was
burning fiercely, and before the miners
knew it the fire had communicated to
breasts 90 and 81. Several of those who
fingered at the burning breast, ", took
warning, but all who remained were
overcome and asphyxiated.
II is evident that all the men had time
TO come out for those who worked in the
further breast reached he shaft in safety,
while those who were nearest the shaft,
and consequently more removed from
danger, persisted. They evidently be.
ieved they were In perfect safety from
the fire, but while they fingered the
smoke oozed out from outside places fur.
ther south, and the bodies were all found
south of breast e.. They were all found
within space of 500 feet,
Several of the men were badly bruised
and one colored man was taken out with
brok, n neck, iltheir wounds indicating
that they had thrown themselves against
the posts and timbers of the gangway in
wild and desperate endeavor to escape
The majority of the bodies. however, beaI
no marks at all, and their features are in
quiet repose. indicating that their deaths
La been speedy aud painless one.