The record-union., 1896-02-20

NEWCASTLE (CoI), Feb. 19.-The
number of lives lost in the Vulcan mine
explosion, according TO the Coroners
list, is fifty-five. The officers of the
company have checked up their lamp
list, which shows that ffty-one lamps
were issued this morning to miners so
that it is probable that f1fty-five will
about cover the casualties of the explo-
sion.
Four bodies were recovered up to 3
o'clock this afternoon, the deadly gas
still preventing a thorough search of
the long slope and the many chambers.
A temporary fan was set up and a Wig
orous effort made to clear the mine Of
its deadly fumes, but as all ventilation
must be done through the slope, this is
a slow process.
Fortunately, it was fully proven this
morning that the mine did not become
fired by the explosion, and after the de-
bris at the first 800 feet of slope was re-
moved all further obstructions seem to
have been overcome, and nothing but
the black damp now prevents the rescue
of the bodies. However, this is still
merely conjecture. Back of the slope,
in the main entry, which runs to dis
tance of l, 400 feet, the effects of the ex-
plosion may have caused great masses
OF coal to fill the passageways, and this
obstruction will further delay the pro-
gress of rescue.
OF the four bodies recovered, the first
was that of Ed. Welsh, the rope-rider,
who was caught in the drift and his
body badly mangled as he was pro-
jected out of the slope with such terrific
force The next body was that of Abel
Dore, found at 9:30 clock last night
His brother Joe was found at 1870
o'clock, and a French carpenter named
Frank CimOnsie was found at 2:30 a.
m. These were found lying along the
SLOPE about 800 feet in, and they were
badly mangled, as if they, too, had been
driven outward by the force of the es-
Gaping gas generated in the explosion.
The remaining bodies are around the
bend of the slope in the entry which
forms the other side of an inverted
capital letter q, which is the shape Of
the workings, and it is along this other
arm of the u that the chambers were
opened.
Before daylight the fan was in mo-
tion..drawing out the foul gas and black
enter the slope were made, none could
get in far enough to discover any more
bodies. At IL: 80 o'clock to-day work
ceased, because of the still evident dan
ger of the gas. The fan still pumped
pure air into the mine, but the work of
clearing out the damp will be very slow.
A popularity of the Vulcan mine has
been the presence of some substance,
either dust or gas, which strangely af-
fected the eyes of the miners. After a
few days they had to take a lay-off to
restore their eyesight, and all had to be
treated after working a shift in the
mine.
The entire town has worked hard to
assist in recovering the bodies of the
dead and to look after the families of
the men. Nearly all were married, and
some had large families solely depend
ent upon the earnings of those caught
in the death-t trap.
Little progress may be hoped for in
the work Of rescue tonight
Late this afternoon State Coal Mine
Inspector Griffith, accompanied by a
party of worlzmen, ventured into the
slope, but made little headway beyond
the place where the bodies already res
cued had been found They discovered
that much debris must be removed be-
fore the work of rescue can be done.
and also that the drift and chambers
are rapidly filing with water. Pumps
must be set up at once to combat this
new source of trouble, and further de-
lays will ensue. There will be no fur
ther progress made tonight Every
body is worn out from the excitement
and fatigues of the past thirty hours.