The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-09-09
MINERS INA FIERY TOMB
Flames Spread with Awful Rapid
ity i'll a Michigan Mine,
THIRTY BURNED OR sUFFOOATBD.

The Mine Onicials say That There Is Not
the Slightest Chance That Any of Those
Below win he saved-1he Cause of the
Fire Mystcry.
CALUMET Mich, Sept. 9-At about 3
o'clock saturday afternoon fire broke out
To The shaft of the Osceola mine and it Is
moro chan probable that thirty men and
boys have been burned to death or suf.
foe ted
The names Of the men known to be ~.
the minr are us '.l3ws: - Trcmbath
mine boss; Richard Bichcl. Michael John
son, Richard Granfcl. Richard Sufallt.
John N#aan, Jacob Bryant, Francis
Lander Al.yaudcr Danfal John Cudlp,
Tn'mas Curtis Robert Johns, Peter Mar
Din. Jo. .e1h SaeAe', James Hurigan, VIII
i1m Darald 3arney lllgore and Antoine
2,zv.ak All are minors. In addition
ere Poor Stangurd and Walter Dohle,
drll boys
Fhn fire startad in shaft No. 8, which is
os "a 10 oarry the miners to the surface
lum tle mine when the fire broke out
all Of the men and boys employed in the
mine. about 800 in number, made rush
for the shaft in the hope Of being taken to
tho surface. The fire was too rapid for
thcm, however, and the chance Of escap-
'nv by the shaft was entirely cut off by
she flames and smoke. The majority of
the minors made "a break for u cross cut,
ind i'm shat way managed to reach another
shaft from which they were taken to the
top Thirty were missing when the roll
WIS called.
Within short time after they had
"eacbcd Che surface smoke began pouring
from all the shafts, and the escape of the
Uen below was entirely cut Off. The men
IN charge say that there is not the slightest
chance for any of the men now in the mine
to escape with their lives. If they are not
burned they must have been choked with
the dense smoke within a short time afJer
the fire started
Fortunately the mine is not as heavily
timbcred as some of the mines in this To-
cality, and it will not take it a great while
to burn out. As the thing now stands
there is not the slightest thing that can be
done for the men and no effort is being
made to extinguish the flames. Nothing
is known of how the fire started.
Captain p. Richards, with a gang Of
seven men, went down No 8 shaft last
evening and went about 700 feet toward
No. shaft, when they had to turn and flee
for their lives on account of the smoke and
gas. Some of these men were very nearly
overcome, only reaching the surface in
time to save their lives. 1t is learned that
the place where the fire caught was the
worst place in the whole mine, and the
only place in the mine where fire of any
extent could have caught.
Several of the men who escaped claim to
have passed others on the ladders that
were unable to proceed further on account
of being overcome with smoke and gas
At the time the alarm was sounded over
/ POO were underground, and all could have
escaped had they used proper precaution
Several miners in their flight passed a
| group of seven or eight who had stopped
! to rest and were smoking their pipes They
scented to be in no hurry or think Of dan
/ ger. When told to hurry to the surface
| they remarked that they had plenty Of
| time, but not one of them reached the sur
face.
/ An attempt will be made to reach the
men today. There is no danger of the
| bodies being burned. and it is generally
/ thought that the men escaped to some Of
| the drifts leading to other shafts and We're
overcome by gas and smoke before they
could reach place of safety. This being
/ the case, the botHos will be recovered as
soon as the fire is gotten under control
and the gases leave the mine.