The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-06-15
MANY MIN IN DANGER
One Hundred Miners Have a
Narrow Escape.
FIERCE FLAMES IN A COAL NINE.

Fire Breaks out In ColIiery at Taylor
willie, Ills, but the Miners Fortunately
Escape with Their Lives-Two of Them
Have a Very Close Cali-Two Hundred
and Fifty Men Thrown Out of Employ
ment-Loss $50, 900.
PANA. Ills, June l5.-Nearly 100 men
had narrow escape with their lives in
the coal mine at Taylorville Friday
morning from "A furious fire that started
there. Fortunately all were saved by
means of the cscapement shaft. The
mine has been scething mass OF flames
all day, and il looks as If IL would be to-
tally ruined The fire was in the mine OF
the Tayloryille Coal company and was
started at o'clock by one of the
mules in the stables at the bottom
of the shaft kicking over gas
lamp. This ignited the hay and other sur
rounding inilammable material. which ig-
nited the timbers and casing supporting
the roof Of the mine The fire gained rap
idly and aided by gas soon spread to the
main entry, where it had direct access TO
| the shaft. Reaching this it leaped to the
|
casing i'm the shaft which it completely
| destroyed. The fire belched from the
| mouth of the mine like volcano, and
soon the entire top works, engine house,
| hoisting tower. fan house and other sur
face buildings were in flames.
All Mass Of Ruins.
In a remarkably short time were n
mass of smoldering ruins, including
| Al D,., fu N =
| as TO be indescribable. The department at
| Taylorville was utterly unable to do any
| thing with the fire, and after working for
six hours fighting the flames, wired TO
| Chief Hawkcr of the Pana fire department
to come on special train with the en-
tire department and all the hose
the city could get along without
At that time. however, the Pana
department was busy battling with two
furious connagrations in this city, and re
piled that il was busy and it was impos
sible to go. The Springfield department
was then wired for help, and responded
wi h n portion of its department and equip
ments and is now at work on the fire
The fire is confined entirely To the in
terror of the mine which Is now hllec
with gas and binding, suffocating smoke
which prevents an entrance, so the fire
men are unable To work on II to any al
vantage The only means of lighting TN
conliagration is by pouring water dow
| the shaft
One Hundred Men In the Mine.
When the fire first broke out there wer
, nearly lO1 men in the mine, but they sue
ceeded in making their exit through tn
air and escapemcnt shaft. Two men wer
rescued after being overcome by smoke
, but were brought to consciousness on al
riving at the surface. The mine has
number of very valuable contracts, whic
, will have To be cancelled The coniiagri
, tion also throws 2jO men out of emplo,
, mcnt The Pana department wired TN
: | Taylorville department that II would
= | over on "A special train il needed, ana wil
n probably do 50. The loss can .hardi
= be estimated owing To the continuatio
. of the coniiagation, but 1t cannot FOO
q less than $50 900. including all damag'
up TO the present hour. If the fire contil
| ues i'm the mine the damage will be Inc
| Unable and the mine will in all prob
bilitv have to be abandoned. AT n la
i' hour Friday night the fire was still ra
ing, with but slight indications OF bein
k subducd under less than twenty-four houl
+ The company carried noinsurance ana tf
Is loss will consequently be total