The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-28
SCORCHED By THE GAS
Two Explosions at Franklin
Cause Death and Injury.
ONE KILLED, NINE INJURED.
Park Robinson Meets Death on Mis-
sion of Rescue-Ffve Miners
Severely Burned.

Two small explosions of gas occurred
IN the Franklin coal mine OF the Oregon
Improvement Company yesterday after
noon. resulting in the death OF P. 3. Rob-
inson. the pit foreman. and the serious
injury OF five and slight injury of -four
men. News of the explosion was imme-
diately telegraphed 80 Superintendent
Corey and General Manager Smith. and
the former left for the scene on last even
ing's train.
The details OF the explosion are told in
the following special dispatch from the
Post-Intellgencer correspondent:
Franklin, June E.-Specdal.-An explo>
sion occurred at p. m. in the new slope
driven from the seventh level to connect
with the sixth level of the main slope of
the Franklin coal mines The morning
shift had quit work al $50 p. n. and re-
ported 10 the afternoon shift that there
was no gas. but just before leaving had
set of two shots. The 5 O'Clock shift had
gone TO work and got nearly 10 the face
Of the slope, which is I'D about eighty
feet. when an explosion of gas occurred
Five men were burned al this time They
came out of the gangway 10 go home.
and sent for Pit Foreman p. B. Robinson.
He came Immediately and saw that the
men were gotten out.
He then started for the scene OF the ex-
plosion. When he reached there. he pick
and was holding it. when another explo-
sion occurred about one hour after the
first 1t tore down the door. broke Rob-
inson' arm and injured his spine, and he
was also badly burned about the face and
head. He was brought TO the top fmue-
dateIy and carried home and medical
aid was summoned, but he died al
O'Clock this evening.
He leaves a wife and four small chill
fhs oldest ah0slf ~ wears,
OF the others FIVE are badly and four
slightly injured.
Badly burned Charles Johnson. W. p.
Johnson. Charles Anderson.
Slightly burned ALI IAnquist, August
Johnson Charles Leander.
Paul Boyd slightly bruised.
w II. Gleaves, colored, slightly bruised
and burned.
Park Robinson's name is familiar TO the
people of this state from the leading part
he took in Ihs riot at the Franklin mine
on June IS 1891. He was a tall, muscular
man, all bone and muscle. and was noted
as dead shot. his fame as marksman
having spread from Dakota, where he had
served as deputy sheriff. on the even
ing of Sunday. June 2S 1891, the train
which had carried a number of the colored
miners to Newcastle was returning TO
Franklin when a general fusilade began
between the strikers in the brush and the
guards on board the train. and at the same
time another party of miners began 10 de-
scend the hill toward the row of houses
occupied by Robinson and the other mine
bosses. Robinson, seeing them approach
ing through a clump of woods behind his
house. rushed in and seized his rife. He
fired at the two foremost and instantly
killed one man named Morris and mortally
wounded another named Williams, who
died next morning. The grand jury which
met soon after to inquire into the riot in
dicted him for manslaughter. and he was
tried and ACQUITTED on the ground that he
killed the men in defense of his home. He
made a trip t1Dakota soon after, and ulti-
mately returned 10 Franklin, where he has
since been working.