The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-03-27
Fifty Widows Weep.
Five Times Fifty Orphan
Children Cry.

EVANSTON, WYo March 2l.-An
explosion occurred at s p. NJ. yester-
day in the Rocky Mountain Coal and
Iron Company mines, No. 5, at Red
Canton. Up to noon to-day 6fty.nine
deaths were known to have resulted
Those killed on the outside by flying
timbers were:
James B. Bruce. foreman; O. Malt
by, superintendent O fmotive power
w. E. Cox, head carpenter; VIM.
Sellers, Jr., James W. Clark, all mar
ried, and Jerry Crawford, single.
The following have been brought
out: - Willard, James Lamb,
Fred Morgan, married, aud S Clay
and w. Il. Grieves. single.
The large force of men is now at
work to recover the bodies of the fol.
lowing men. all married, known to
have been in the mine at the time of
the explosion: VIM. Morris, John T.
CLARK, Jas. Clark, VIM. Kangden,
ST., David Lloyd, John L. Martin,
George Critchler, John Thebey, John
Kester. VIM. Wagstaff, Chas. S.
Clark, Jas. Hyden, Matt Silta, Wal
ter Miller, Samuel Hutchinson, John
Dexter, Henry Burton, Samuel Hal
sey, Thomas Booth, Ben Coles,
Samuel Bates. Thos. Hutchinson,
Isaac johnson, John Lamar, Angel
Dermody, Baptiste Julian, John
.Ferne, john Harley, Matt johnson,
a. A. Sybou, VIM. John Wilkes,
Chas. KasoIa, Gus. Kasola. Aaron
Butt, VIM. Weedop, JAS. Hutchin-
son, VIM Sellers Sr.. Hugh Sloan,
Henry Sathren, and the following un-
married men: Albert Clark, Wm.
Graham, Marshal Langden, John
Morris, David w. Lowey, Geo.
Hydes, John G.. Locke.
There are fifty widows and fully
$50 orphan children in the camp to.
day as the result of the disaster
There is mo FIRE in the mine and the
work of recovering the dead bodies
is proceeding as rapidly as possible,
and will probably not be completed
to-day. The interior of the mine is
badly wrecked, caved in in many
places and full Of foul air All the
buildings at the mouth of the mine
were wrecked The entrance to the
mine is by vertical passage into the
side of a hill, not a perpendicular
shaft and the workings are very ex-
tensive. No explanation OF the dis
as.er has as yet been discovered.
The work of recovering the bodies
goes steadily on, night and day,
rushed forward by volunteer squads
OF miners aud other citizens who re-
l,eve eacs, other from time to time
The work is attended with grave
peril and the first group of MIXERS
who ventured to brave the gas, fire
damp and c~rumbling walls were over
come and had to be rescued by
others. The terrific force Of the ex.
plosion in finding vent at the mouth
of the slope, blew the heavily timber
ed shed over the mouth of the slope
and over the passageway leading out
to the tipple, clear into space, NOW
ing down she tops of the power
house. tipple shed and other build
ings at the mouth of the slope, more
efecutally than chain shot could
have done.
A little boy who had come to the
mine with a horse aud buggy to take
his grandfather, Henry Burton, home
at the close of the days work was
driving over the slope near its mouth
on the public highway at the moment
of the explosion. He and the horse
and buggy were thrown almost per-
pendicularly in the air, fully twenty
1--WE feet and all fell in a heap into the
mouth of the slope, where the buggy
was demolished. The boy was pick
ed up unhurt and the horse. an hour
later, was rescued not much hurt
apparently, although badly singed
and stunned. The shock Of the ex-
plosion was felt for miles around and
was distinctly heard at Evanston,
seven miles away.
The Rocky Mountain camp, gen
orally designated as the Central Pacl,
fc mines, has two mines, Nos. 5 and
6, with one mine face, making two
separate mines with $50 feet pillars
separating them. This leaves No 6
unframed, but deprives the company
of one half Of it's capacity. This Is
the third disastrous explosion in this
vicinity. In 1881 No. 2 mine,
Rocky Mountain, exploded, killing
thirty.six Chinese and four white
men. In the spring Of 1886. IN
Union Pacific mine, No. 4, thlrty-slx
men were killed.
Newell Beeman, the manager, ar
r;,od from Salt Lake tonight and