The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-21
MUST ALL Be DEAD.
Wyoming Mine Disaster Worse
Than First Thought.
Now Believed That Eighty Men
We're Killed.
NO CHANCE TO ESCAPE.
Is Almost Impossible That Any
Can Be Alive.
The Debris Can't be Cleared
Away for Days.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 2L-A
special to the Tribune from Red Canyon
says: A terrific explosion at Rocky
Mountain mine No. 5, situated at Red
Canyon, Wyo., is believed to have killed
eighty men, who are imprisoned in the
mine, in addition to ten who were in the
power house above ground or near the
shaft openings. The slopes and entrances
to the lower workings are all blockaded
by wreckage, and it is thought at least
three days will be required for rescue
parties to reach the bodies in the mine.
The horror occurred at 5:45 yesterday
evening at No. Central Pacific mine,
Red Canyon, five miles north of Evans
ton. 1he explosion in the mine shook
the whole country around, wrecked the
power plant, a fan house and several
other buildings, enSai1ing heavy loss. but
the death roll far overshadows other con-
siderations.
Edwin Cox, the outside carpenter,
James Bruce, outside boss, James w.
Clark William Sellers, jr., aud James
! Gernily, an Austrian, were killed in the
power house, while o. Maltby, foreman,
Jerry Crawford, and Andrew Mason were
injured and died soon afterwards, the last
three being about the power house at the
time of the explosion.
| A few hours later the dead bodies of
! James Limb and Fred Morgan were
brought from the slope, only short dis
/ tance down. but as this is written there
is around the mine great throng of
people anxiously inquiring regarding
| friends known to be in the mine, and all
| hope of any of them being alive is gone.
No one after seeing the ghostly spec
! tacle presented by the two bodies brought
out of the slope could have hopes of any
in the mine being alive These bodies
were burned and blackened, with gar
ments torn 10 shreds, making it almost
! impossible TO identify them. How many
were In the mine at the time of the ex-
| plosion will take time to tell, but the
| best information obtainable now places
the number at over eighty. Nearly all
known to be killed leave large families.
Immediately after the explosion Super
intendent Bradbury telephoned to Evans
ton for all the physicians, with an extra
train. The Tribune correspondent went
on the train and viewed the scene of dis
aster before darkness set in. The relief
corps, carrying lanterns, got ready TO de-
scend in hopes of rescuing alive some
of the victims. The blacksmith
shop was turned into dead house,
with four bodies lying there, one dis
| figured with its head blown off, the 9TH
ers less mangled. Brave men had tried
| to descend some of the air and escape
slopes without success, and it was not un-
| til three hours after the explosion that
volunteer party entered the main en-
trance to the slopes, and soon afterwards
returned with two bodies. Then report
ed caves stopped further progress down
the slope.
A party went down to shovel out the
caves after which the searching party
again entered and work in that line is
now going on
This slope being down 1000 feet, with
nine levels, each one and half mile long,
will probably require several days to
reach all parts of the mine.
A few lives were saved because
of the time of the explosion.
The miners quit work at o'clock, and
it is customary for them to be near
the entrance and come out just as
the whistle blows. A number of men
had come out and some had just left the
entrance to the mine slope, away from
the working tunnel, when the explosion
occurred, thus escaping death.
| Z4ke Baker and father and brother
/ came out five minutes before the ex-
plosion. Zeke was hit by the timber
which killed the Crawford boy, but he
was not much hurt. John Banna, car
penter, had just come out and was talk
ing to Cox and Bruce when they were
killed. being burned slightly.
It was understood the following per
sons were in the mine: Willard Brown,
John Dexter, John Lock, Chas. Clark,
Jos. Highton, Thomas, James and Sam
uel Hutchinson, George Hides, George
Hardy, John Fearn, VIM Bansdon and
son, Aaron Butler, John Feebe, John
Critchly, VIM. Weedup, E. Sloan, John
Martin, Jr.
The weigher was the only person in
the powerhouse not killed. he being
slightly burned, except the engineer.
who was blown through the window, but
little hurt. Around the mines is a popu-
lation of about 1000.
Many families are bereft of fathers or
sons 4 more sorrowful community
could not be found; women, children
, men, mourning the loss of husband
, father or brother.
The explosion is described by many as
most terrific, shaking the whole town and
| causing women and children to run into
the streets crying, "Oh, my husband, u
"Oh, my papa," with raised hands, i'm
ploring for the safety of the beloved
ones. The explosion is supposed to have
| come from blast setting fire tx
, dust, making dust explosion
since the mine was supposed to BIZ
free from gas, being well ventilated
/: | The Rocky Mountain company, gener
? | ally designated as the Central Pacific
| mines, have two mines, Nos. and
{ | with one mile face, making two separate
: | mines with $50 feet pillars separating
them. This leaves No. unharmed. bu