Evening journal., 1895-09-10
FIERY TOMB SEALED UP
Thirty Michigan Miners Left to
Their Awful Fate.
NO HOPE OF RBsoUING THEM NOW.

The Mouth Of the Shaft win Remain
Closed Untn wednesday to Smother the
Flames, nnd Then the Gas win he
Drawn on.
HoUGHToN, Mich, Sept. 1o.-The situa-
ton az the Osccola copper mine remains
about the same as ON Sunday. Captain
Richard Edwards and couple Of men
went down as far as tho second level in
shaft No. 1 Sunday night to make some
repairs TO the pump. Everything appear
ed TO be clear there, but after the men
had been working for awhile they sudden
ly felt themselves being overcome by tho
gas and started up One = these men be-
came exhausted before gong far and had
Go be helped TO the surface by his compan-
ions.
Captain Richards and Captain Edwards
with small gang OF men, went down
shaft No. 3 Monday and succeeded In get
ting within about 200 feet Of No. 4, when
they were afraid TO go further owing TO
the strong gaseous odors and returned TO
the surface as fast as possible.
After this attempt had been made tho
mon who had relatives and others having
friends In the mine went TO Captain W.
n. Parnell with the request that shaft No
3 be uncovered. They had no hopes of the
men being alive but were very anxious
to recover the bodies. Captain Parnell
thon called all the minors together and
made a long address TO them, saying that
10 would give the fire draft, and that there
was timber enough in the mine TO keep
the fire up for weeks, and that this action
would cause a much longer delay in recov-
ering the bodies. He is of the idea that
the best plan Is 60 cover every drift until
about Wednesday, which would no doubt
amply smother the fire, then open shafts
Nos. and D, create draft and draw the
gas out of the mine
Would Not Open the Shaft.
In conclusion Captain Parnell said pos
itivcly that he would not under any con
sideration open shaft No. 3. He, however,
consented at the request of the men to
batten up shaft No. 8 and open shafts
Nos. and .. which latter two have been
closed with traps, and leave it thus for
about five hours with the cndeavor to
create a draft and draw the gas out and
away from No 4, I'm the vicinity Of which
IL is thought most Of The bodies will be
found.
II this method does not prove successful
after about five or six hours, it was decid-
ed that every shaft should bo battened
down and kept so until about Wednesday,
when all the shafts will be opened and
another attempt mado to reach the bodies.
The relatives of the ontombed men are
becoming more anxious as each hour
passes by Co recover the bodies and would
willingly enter the burning mine, which
they know would mean DEATH 60 try and
find even a few Of the missing bodies.
The majority OF the men say that most Of
the bodies viii undoubtedly be found on
or near the seventeenth lovel Of shaft
No. g.
About O'Clock Monday afternoon the
men became convinced that their scheme
would not work, and now every shaft has
been tightly sealed, to remain SO until
Wednesday. Many thousands again visited
the mine, and when this latter announce
ment was made the frantic cries Of the
heart broken mothers sons and daughters
could be heard all over the location.
Many sorrowlul sights were to be seen
at several of the homes Mothers, with
eight and ten small children clustered
about them, were weeping frantically,
thoir last ray Of hope having disappeared.
How the fire originated is a great mys-
terry. Captain Richards thinks 1t is the
work Of incendiarics while others say
that it was undoubtedly due 90 careless.
ness on the part of the miners