Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-07-03
Three Of the Men Alive But the
Others Are Believed to
- Have PeriShed. ~.
Work of Rescue Promptly Be-
gun But So Far With
,~y out Result. =,
Victims Were Propping Up tho
Roof When the Cavein
e., Occurred.

of the men persisted. About 40 Of the
imprisoned men were English, the 9TH
ers were foreigners. The men were at
work propping up the roof when the
fall occurred. The alarm was lmme-
diately given by the ringing OF the fire
bells and rescuers were put to work
without delay Twelve hours later the
first bodies were found in the slope
some distance from the plane where
the men had been working. More than
two-thirds of the victims were married
men and leave families. Among them
were Acting Mayor Langan, who was
inside superintendent Of the mine, and
J. H. Linott, ward councilman.
Mine Was in Bad Shape.
About two weeks ago the surveyors
reported to General Superintendent
Law that the mine was squeezing, :"
and that unless steps were Immediately
taken to timber it a cavein or fall
might be looked for. Superintendent
Law lost no time, but at once put a
number of men at work to brace the
falling roof. The "squeeze" continued,
however, and Saturday the situation
became alarming. In the afternoon
slight fall occurred, and the men who
were at work had to retreat before it,
A consultation of mine officials was
then held, and it was decided that he
roic measures would have to be resorted
to to prevent heavy damage to. the
mine. Inside Superintendent Langan
gave instruction that the most expe-
rienced miners should be secured. Ex-
pert timbermen put in an appearance
at that hour and were soon lowered into
the workings They made their way
to the Red Ash vein, 1900 feet down
the slope. -
~'~ The Work of Propping
proceeded rapidly until II o'clock when
another fall occurred. It made a low,
rumbling noise, and the flying coal and
debris drove the men back. Then the
''squeeze' ceased again and the men
thought it was safe to resume work.
They labored on until 8 30 O'Clock
when, so it is presumed, the roof fell in
without warning making tremendous
crash.
The alarm was first given by Water
Carrier John Sheridan, who, with
William Richard and Thomas Gill,
were the only ones to escape of the
whole party who entered the mine at
night. He was on his way up the slope
to get some fresh water for the men
and when about 100 feet from the foot
of the shaft, was knocked down by the
conclusion. He was badly cut and
bruised by flying coal and rock. Helay
unconscious for 10 minutes and then
came up the shaft. The conclusion was
so great that it was AZ
Heard for Miles Around.
The foundations of nearly every house
in Pittston were shaken, and windows
and doors were ratified as in tornado.
In the houses nearer to the mine per-
sons were thrown from their beds. The
first thought was that great earth
quake had occurred, and the inhab-
itants rushed from their houses. The
ringing Of the fire bells and the Shrek
ing of the big mine whistle told the
story.
J. The work of rescue wos prompt and
efficient. The best miners who re-
manned on the surface joined volun
tarily in the hazardous task-for haz-
ardous it certainly was. There was the
constant menace Of another fall or an
explosion of firedamp. Special efforts
were made to keep the air fan in good
order, so, that if, by any chance, the
men were alive they should have fresh
air to breathe. The blocked slope and
gangways
Held Ont Little Hope
of the air reaching them. The rescuers
were divided into three relays of 40 men
each under the direcL-m of Mine Fore
man McMullin. The men worked as
they had,never before worked, clearing
away the debris in the slope with the
energy that only springs of the knowl-
edge of dear lives behind it. They made
good Roadway, considering the difficult
ties they had to contend with, and at 8
in the afternoon had cleared the slope
distance of 600 feet. Activity brought
encouragement but when the first clear
ance was made it revealed q sight that
dispelled all hope. Under the mass of
rock lay the bodies OF superintendent
Langan and Foreman Linott. A dam
per fell upon the work of rescuers.
They had been working for life and
had found death. Still the hope re-
NAMED that others of the men
Might BE Penned in Somewhere,
and that they would yet have the salts
faction Of finding them alive. During
the afternoon it became necessary to
swear IN extra policemen to control the
crowd around the mouth of the shaft.