The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-26

soRethey and died.
Mr.. Msrg.ns pointed cut the spot where
Ike CSsrnfneas. coiosec. sank While carry
Ing cut Frank wis. and Tie miner $50
had dEsiocased his aeek BY running saio
post Ia "a ende4voE 70 escape. NJ. Nor
gans explained that the lass body Sas
found tAErty feet beyond the sseoad stop
plDg. whers ths FIRE 10 nov raging. Ine
tbirsy-aevan miners we're az fonnd dead
along the gangsay within spaes OF 10
feet The eoron@r's party carried away ss
nnsrnsntoes Of the disaster caps and nin-
srs' lamps found slong the gangSAy.
which had fallen OF the heals q the min
ers IS they sank into their last enforced
sleep.
TEE fsorEsr sEsus.
Ate o'clock Coroner Horton summoned
q jury consisting Of John Kobeson. Barney
Curtis. J. c. Sackesi. T. T. Makssa, > }.
Collins and T. u. Mathews. three colorsd
and three whita- As soon as the Jaryrnsn
were swora in they were escorted 20 tae
new, half-anished Masonie ball. where the
thirty-seven dead miners were lying ~
rows on impTovised benches- Each BODY
was labeled with is name. After al e1-
animation OF tis dead the inry adjourned
20 tbs school house, where the inquest
proceeded.
Superintendent Ramsey was the hrss
witness called. lie testified that be Was
second IN authority to Superintendent
Corey, aud he pointed out 20 the jury on
map the place whsFs the fire IN the sixth
north levsl - located. He explained the
air course. and, in fact. the general WORK
ing Of The mine. He pointed out the place
where the dead miners we're ST WORK ana
also the places where found. lie SAID shat
tbs man in charge Of the fan a. the nlii saw
the smoke coming out Of the air course.
aad, not knowing where the seat OF tie IRE
was. be closed down, sinking that TO run
would only cause the ire 10 become more
fierce and draw the smoke to the miners;
he did jast right and 81 the miners would
have been saved had they not fingered 1T
the IRE IN breast sixty-two. The examina-
ton was continued Dy Prosecuting Assor-
nsY Miller:
do you know that ell the bodies have
been removed z"
Eyes. There's no more in the mine.
The re.cuing party went 800 feet farther
In from tne Gre nj sixty-two and found no
more bodies. II was impossible for the
Tescners 70 get MP into the breasts, but We
checked up the pay roll and are convinced
that the men hare been accounted Tor.
Archie Jones. coiored track cleaner IN
the north sixth level, said that he was
cleaning track about 900 yards inside the
IRE and Joe Dawson ran up and sAidi
''Arehie, get bucket; there's ire In
breast slxty-swo." Jones went on 20 say:
II got bucket and threw some water
on the fire. and then saw so much smoke
coming ont that got scared and ran right
20 the bottom. While / vas there saw
some OF the men running back aud
forth. Dawson vas u driver. and he Is
dead"
sDld you see any others come out I"
.sYes. When Joe Dawson was telsingus
there was fire in breast sixty.two fell
low named Jack ran 20 the bottom for an
empty car With which to load buckets OF
water and put the fire out
Have you been working in sixth north
level right along 7"
Yes
ibid you pass IN front of breast sixty
two often?'
ssYesn
"But never saw any fire theref"
mo, not iiil Joe Dawson told me-"
Nine Inspector David Edmunds asked
good many questions. vieing with Prose-
cutting Attorney Miller. Mr.. Burleigh
questioning Jones, the witness said that IL
oil the men had run out they would have
been saved. Nearly all OF them stopped
at the IRE. Men who were in the further
breasts passed me. getting out all right.
JOHN noRoAs's STORY.
John Morgan. one Of the oldest and
most experienced miners in the town,
gave some of thu most important testl-
mony ELECTED at the inquest lie said:
III frat heard OF the Ere by message
coming down between the fifth. sixth
mp forth with; shat there was a Ere on the
north sixth and l was needed. got in
the car and made all haste possible.
got into the main hosting slope and,
when in Iess than thousand feet, l met
O man coming out, and We went back. lie
followed ms a little while and then turned
back. | met smoke. I heard q man hol-
lsring in smoke. l rushed TO him. lie
was almost unconscious. l helped him
ous TO better atmosphere. l went in a
second time; but / found the smoke get
ting thicker and resreated with the man
had rescued To within 500 feet OF the
bottom. Then sent man TO
start the fan with ali haste possible
BY this time men had gathered from
al parts Of the mine. l was OF the i'm
preston that the men were dead, bat |
was In hopes they wero alive. The fan
stopping reversed the course of the air.
as soon as the Ere started l went in
with G. G. Todd. As / walked along I
trsmped on something. turned and said
% Todd:
"'Charley, there's piece Of canvas
"Ne stopped. bat found the canvas vas
q man. and he was dead.
The witness then explained the finding
OF ths bodies along the gangway and said
that at the points where the two dead
mules were found six or seven dead bodies
were found also. The last was that of q
man named Olson, whose head was lying
right up against the air course tunnel.
lie proceeded alone TO breast sixtv-Seyen
by stopping under the dense smoke. At
sixty-seven. he said. be began TO weaken
and reiterated 10 whore Todd was waiting
for him Later he secured cars and mules
and carried the dead 10 the bottom, where
they we're hoisted TO the surface. Con-
tinuing. he said;
IL vas confident that II any men were in
thS breasts they we're dead, for no one
could live ia the dease. hot smoke. Had |
been even hopeful Of their lives I would
have made = more determined effort 70
rescue them. even as loss OF more life"
"Hsd the fan been left running. would
the men have seffocatedf"
'Well. | hardly shink they would"
WAS il right TO stop the tan -
''No. Everybody Was excited and civ
Ing orders. aud ] dont kaow who gave
the order - stop the fam. IL was not
either Mr.. Ramsey or myself. IL was
wrong"
Ut these men had gene from their
places Immediately npon being notified.
would they have di~dfH
..No: they could have all escaped"
ckusHr ~ rKAR
"weaid The smoke have followed them
mora RAPIDLY than they could haxa