The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1896-06-30

at PittStOn about O'Clock LnlS morn
ing, the roof caved in and it is belleyed
all of the men persisted. About forty
of the imprisoned men were English
speaking miners, the others were Tor
eigners. The names of the former are:
NJ. j. Langan inside superintendent;
J. H. Linott, inside foreman; Alex Nc
Cormick, fire boss; Robert Haston,
machinist; Thomas Murphy, driver
boss: Michael Costello, j. II. Kelley,
Michael Gaudhan, Jonn Hart, James
Daley, Michael Cornell, Daniel Ward,
Frank Kehoe, James Cleary, Edward
Buckley, John Casey, Edward Rogers,
James Kehoe, James Mcdonald, Ed
ward Delaney, Cornelius Mcclure,
James Gordon, NJ O'Brien, Michael
Hughes, Edward Kilday, James Burk,
Patrick Ruane, Thomas Tenpenny, NJ.
r. Gaffney, Thomas Doing, Anthony
Kane, j. w. Murphy, Owen Lee, An
thony Gordon, James Wall, - Wall,
Dominick O'Malley, Peter Martin. NJ.
Ford, Timothy Durbrick, Thomas
Dempsey, Thomas Carlin, Patrick
Gibbons, john O'Boyle, Peter Joyce.
Many Leave Families.
Aside from these, there may be 9th
er English speaking miners among the
unfortunates Thirty Polanders and
thought the total number of bodies in
the mine will reach 100. The men were
at work propping up the roof when the
fall occurred. The alarm was immedi-
ately given by the ringing Of the fire
bells, and reScuerS were put to work
without delay. 1t was several hours
before the first bodies were found III
the slope, some distance from the
plane where the men had been work
ing More than two-thir(ls of the vic
Tins were married men and leave fam
lies Among them were Acting May
or Langan, who was inside superin-
tendent of the mine, and j. II. Linott,
q ward councilman.
About two weeks ago the surveyors
reported to General Superintendent
Law that the mine was squeezing,
and that unless steps were immediate
ly taken to timber it a cave-in or fall
might be looked for. Supt. Law lost
no time but at once put a number Of
men at work to brace the falling roof.
The squeeze continued, however, and
yesterday the situation became alarm
ing In the afternoon a slight fall oc-
Cured, and the men who were at work
had to retreat before it. A cOnsulta-
ton of mine officials was then held
and 1t was decided that heroic meas
ures would have to be resOrted to to
prevent heavy damage to the mine.
Inside Superintendent Langan gave
instructions that the most experienced
miners should be secured. Expert
timber men put in an appearance at
that hour and were soon lowered into
the workings. They made their way
to Red Ash vein, 1000 feet down the
slope. The work of propping proceed
ed rapidly until II O'Clock when anoth-
err fall occurred. 1t made q low, rum
bling 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 500 o'clock
when, so it is presumed, the roof fell
in without warning,
Making n Tremendous Crash.
It is supposed, however, that the
men were not all together, but some
near the slope, and these probably ran
up the incline when the fall occurred.
This is the only way the finding of
Mayor Langans body in the slope can
be accounted for. If the men received
any warning they had to run up the
slope, but not to any great distance.
The falling rock and coal filed up the
slope and the adjoining gangWays,
completely shutting off all avenues of
escape.
1t was at first supposed that the men
might have escaped being caught in
the fall and that they were imprisoned
behind She debris, but the finding of
the two bodies would go to disprove
this It is still possible, however, that
living men may still be behind the fall,
although it is extremely improbable.
Even If they escaped being crushed by
the falling roof, the possibility of their
being alive for any length of time in q
gaseous mine is remote. 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 en-
tered the mine last night Crowds of
people gathered about the mouth of
the shaft and numbered thousands by
daybreak. StalWart men stood APP
palled and frantic women, who had
husbands or SONS in the doomed mine,
waited in despair. One mother cried
out that she had two sons @,elow. An
other was the wife of one of tile I'M
fortunates, and had nine helpless chill
dren at home, Many knelt on the
ground and in voices broken with Sobs
impIored Divine Providence to restore
their loved ones alive. When it was
given out that there WAS little or no
hope of rescuing the men alive, women
and girls tainted and were borne away
Senseless.
The report that two bodies had been
found In the mine was proved 10 have
been premature. No bodies have yet
been found, and all hope of finding any
person alive has been abandoned.
Supt. Iathrop, of the Lehigh Valley
Ccal company, who Is an authority,
says it will be ten days before the