Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-03-30
CONFLICTING REPORTS.
The Number of Men Entombcd Not Yet
Known.

Evanston, Wyo., Marrh IL reports are
conflicting even at this distance of but
five miles from the scene, as TO the mum
Der of men entombed by the destruction OF
the power house.
The chief of motive power, O. Il. Malt.
by, with j. Crawford and John Lamb
who were fatally injured i'm the hosting
house, have since died, and Andrew Ma
son, another employe. is not expected tc
live.
on account Of the uncertainty as 10 how
many of the $50 men I'm the workings had
gone out Of the mine for the day, the re-
ports OF the catastrophe range from ~ ia
nearly 100.
When the first two bodies were brought
TO the surface from not far down the
slope by the rcscuers who had been or
ganized under General Superintendent
Bradley, the crowd of relatives and others
crowded around the wreck on the surface,
abandoned hope that any unfortunate
could possibly be found alive when
reached by the rescuers. The relief party
was speedily at work under Superintend-
ent Bradley, but progress was slow az the
foul air and after damp prevented ingress
by any OF the several accesses or escape
slopes. with which a mine of this SORT
(entering the hillside at an angle instead
of by vertical shaft is provided. SONG
three hours or more after the accident,
not far from Q o'clock. volunteers tried the
main slope and returned with two bodies.
bringing also the bad new that a cavein
barred further progress. This necesst-'
tated laborious work removing the obs
structions as the main passage VS. some
1000 feet I'm length and has lateral gal
leries on nine different levels, each of
which is from a mile to a mile and IA half
- ~ ,ht1 aud dicnnN.at IL IN
victims were entombed therein will re-
quire days, according to stoppages caused
hy the cavein Of the explosion. AS the
miners are usually ready TO leave at the
hour of C, Il is thought that many may
have been approaching the main slope
from the galleries when the disaster &C.
Cured, just before that hour. Before the
blast a number of men had reached the
surface and those who started at once fol-
their homes escaped injury in the flying
debris THAI followed the wreck of the
hosting plant.
OF those I'm the immediate vicinity only
one or two are known to have escaped
serious or fatal injury. In the list above
given, Bruce, Sellers, Clark and Coach,
were at the entrance to the slope. With
them stood John Hanna. who worked IN.
der Coach, and although the others were
80 - nonoaa paI,or - -
aa,a ou, . ,aw n,,rutes a rIier pokor mos
~ 49, ain 49,, Mi, tuIod -,
a. o,nnInya nnaar Ena,naa,
Maltby. Superintendent Bradley's call to
Evanston for doctors and help drew q
great crowd TO the mine, many of them
crying aloud Tor information ABOUT rela'
tivcs employed below the surface. Tor the
explosion had shaken the whole town ana
the terrible truth was dreaded though not
fully realized.
In addition to the eight names hereto
fore reported as believed to be dead In the
mine, the following are reported missing:
List of Missing.
Mliiali MeuuP'
.Iobn Feehv.
William Langdon and - Langdon (son
OF William).
11e9,ge n.Sue.
John Lock.
John Critchley.
Joseph Highton.
On account OF the excitement IL Ia yet
impossible TO learn of the safety OF all
who had left the workings early. Until
this Is known 1t is not possible TO tell how
many the victims may number. All
thought that any can now be rescued
alive has been abandoned. AS fast AS
bodies were recovered they were laid out
In the blacksmith shop. which became a
morgue for all that was left of the
mangled victims.
n..,,, pou xo ~. 800
"a
a. noon .ooay "i'y"i"e . '"e oen'h ron
snu one injured.
wore. Jomas "a prnce ,nre,nan. n Malt.
by. superintendent of motive power; w. E.
Cox. head carpenter; william Sellers, jr.;
James w. Clark. all married. and Jerry
Crawford. single.
TIL following have been brought out:
willard. James Lamb. Fred Morgan,
Saint Clay and w. II. Grieves.
recover the bodies of the following men,
all married. known to have been In the