The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-03-15
MINERS SMOTHERED
twenty-five Men Caught in the
Famous Sultana Mine. q.
SHAFT HOUSE DESTROYED BY FIRE.
-he Mining Disaster at White Oaks, n. NJ
A Certainty That Eight Men Have
Lost Their Liyes-Six Bodies
Recovered.

WINNIPEG, Man, March 12.-The
shaft house at the famous Sultana gold
mine, IA miles from Rat Portage, caught
fire early yesterday afternoon and be-
fore the flames were discovered they
completely enveloped the building.
This, of course, shut off the air supply
to the mine, in which were working
twenty or twenty-five miners.
A messenger who arrived at Rat
Portage from the mine at o'clock last
night says when he left at 4 o'clock
only four men had been brought up. A
number of doctors were working over
these in the hope of resuscitating them.
but with small chances of success.
The other men in the mine were GER
tainly suffocated, and practically given
up for lost. The shafting and shaft
machinery being destroyed hindered
the work of rescue. The families OF
the men live at Rat Portage, and there
is intense excitement as their only CON-
munication with tn nine is a cir
cuitous and somewhat dangerous wag-
on trail.
The fire started at 1 o'clock and
until 1:30 no effort could possibly be
made to assist the men in the shaft.
AS soon as the ruins were sufficiently
cooled it was found that the timbers
lining the shaft were blazing and
water was then directed on these tim
bers. but in the excitement the greater
portion was falling useless down the
shaft.
Shortly after o'clock the fire was
extinguished in the shaft and the men
descended it and found six men on the
first level, apparently suffocated. They
descended to the lower level and found
three more, but these men were in
better condition than the others and
efforts were begun to raise them. The
first raised were suffering badly, but
were revived after short time. The
fourth man, John Lagler, was very
low when he arrived at the surface and
died shortly afterward. The others
were in a critical condition when
brought to the surface. but all recov-
cred except Dolph Ericsson.
THE DISASTER AT WHITE OAKS, v. NJ.
SAN ANTONIO, Tex, March i2.-Yes.
terday's stage from White Oaks to Car.
thage, 10 miles from here, brings addi.
tional news of Saturdays disaster at
the Old Abe mine. When the stage
left White Oaks Sunday it was certain
eight men had lost their lives, the only
one escaping being one who was close
to the mouth of the shaft when the fire
broke out. Already six bodies have
been recovered. Three bodies were re-
covered Sunday in the mainway be-
tween the second and third levels.
The others were found in the slope con.
Meeting the third and fourth levels
The other two bodies are believed tc
be in the sixth level.
White Oaks is over GO miles from
Carthage, the nearest railroad point,
and the nearest telegraph line is at
this place. When the stage left there
the camp was still in such confusion
and excitement that little in the way
of details could be learned. The origin
of the fire is unknown.
The Old Abe mine is gold property
that has been worked for a number OF
years and is wonderfully rich. Almost
from the grass roots it paid handsomely
and the company's stock cannot be
bought at any price. The owners are
mostly residents of Albuquerque.