Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-04-10

Bodies Recovered.
New Whatcom, Wash. April "a
fearful explosion Of hredamp occurred
yesterday evening in the Blue Canyon
mine ON Lake Whatcom, and in the
blacksmith shop near the tunnel lie
tle blackened bodies OF % miners,
Wulle only TWO of all who were in the
Mlne when the explosion occurred
hFec TO tell the story of the frightful
catastrophe and their own marvellous
escape
The following are the names of the
killed: Mine Superintendent David Y.
Jones leaves wife and child. Andrew
Anderson, wife and one child. James
McAndreWs leaves "a wife; James
hrkley, leaves q wife. Kirk Clinske,
wife and four children.
All the others were single men.
Their names are as follows Charles
Siverman G.. Bamsburg. VIM. ListOr
Samuel Olsen. James NcNulty, j. A..
Morgan. Martin 81. Blum. p. t. Chase
Charles Carlson. II. Ravett. Philip
8lnkie VIM. Evans. j. Williams, Alex
ander HendricksOn. Ben Morgan Geo
Roberts, Thomas COnhu. Lucas
LOtaka.
The two men who escaped are Ed
ward Gel.en, OF Fairhaven. who was
working aJ Jhe outer switch i'm the
mine M company with George Roberts
and James kerns The latter was
working with Ben Morgan i'm room No..
or the gangwdy at the OUtermost OF ali
the works i'm which work was being
carried on.
The explosion occurred shortly be-
fore o'clock when the shift would
have been changed and the miners
were already climbing the steep hill
from the buuk-h0use to take the places
of the men killed The disaster was
caused by an accumulation Of hre-
damp. which was exploded by blast
I'm the breast of the sangWay- The
faces of the men who were working IN
the breast are badly burned, but "a ma
jority of those who were working in
the rooms of the gansway We're only
slightly disdgured by the fire, ana
many of them not at all.
PHYSICIANS and miners say that the
men working in the breast must have
been killed by the shock OF the eNplo-
sion while the others succumbed 20
tine tireldup as they slid down from
the rooms 90 the gangw0y, then filled
with deadly gas. This gangway rs
reached by a tunnel ESQ feet long. and
the distance from the intersection OF
the SaDgw8y 20 the breast where the
explosion took place is about 1000 feet
The main air SHAFT reached the gang
way about 300 feet from the tunnel
and air i5 supplied by Watsr-power and
which was noe affected by the eNplo-
sion.
Kerus. the only miner who escaped
froa amy of Che rooms. says that he
hvas not stunned or even thrown
down by the shock, though Morgan.
who was working with him was killed.
.-o-~s'-ligtst wars G0t eytinguished and
T,.ssls q he. tie slid down the chute
16- ~ gangWay. losing his light ana
mauqeed to- make his way in the dark
ness along the poisonous passage, over
dead bodies and piles of coal. lo0sened
bv the explosion. 90 the open air. hut
before he reached the entrance the
vork OF rescue had commenced.
Oat i'm the tunnel me met party OF
brave miners cropping their way IN
ward as cast as me escape OF the pOls-
cnous gas permitted This party and
others f0lloviug pushed their way into
tine mine and carried out one 10y one.
the bodies of tbe dead miners as they
came upon them scattered along the
cauawav. The FIRST body found was
rngr oil the mule driver. lying beside
tAe dead animal. $50 feet from me
main entrance. From there 20 the fall
of the gaugway. distance OF ABOUT 9oV
feet bodies were scattered along as
tsev fell FROM Che chu-es leading 20 the
rooms Most of Jhe bodies showed lit
he evidence of a struggle. and IN most
instances death apparently came
quickly. -..,
1irAudrows body was found buried
under n Slide of coal, and McNulty was
,,,or his hands and knees about %
,--ls from where me- had been work
iro and his handkerchief was tied
rrer his nose and mouth.
Ain rbat is possible is being done to
alleviate the distress of the families oil
line deceased. The president OF the
co,,D,ny A. r.. Downs now I'M New
Vort has been notified by wire Collins
have bpen ordered. and after the in
cuesf fbe bodies will bee taken 20 Seat
tie. l5 miles distant
ME Blue Canyon mine is the proper
ty on tbe Blue Canyon Coal Mining
ComBary composed Of Nj. E. Downs,
A IS. Houser and several other Mon
tana capitalists IL was opened in 1890
Er h Warduer. who sold il to the
,,-ssanr owners. The coal is OF a high
r-,1ily and is now used on United
st.res sbips. The company has spent
,,,rcb money fin opening the mine, and
T.d iust got it into paying condition.