Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1898-09-29
ENTOMBED IN A Nine NINE
Seventy Men Caught by a
Gas Explosion.
EIGHT WERE KILLED OUTRIGHT
Others Managed 70 Escape, or Were
Rescued Fearful Scene After
the Explosion.

DTOWHhNlIle, Td., Otpt. 6Os-CoNcHbv
men were entombed today in the EN-
pire mine of Snowden, Gould & Co,
! one-fourth Of mile below town. as the
result OF an explosion OF gas, followed
by anothr explosion OF fre-damp. OF
the number entombed. all escaped or
were taken out by rescuing parties ex-
cept eight, who were killed outright,
and three more or lesT burt. The
dead are:
John Halston, miner aged 35, col
ored; leaves a wife and two children;
Salem Halston, miner, his brother;
Robert Davidson. miner; John Ben.
nett, driver; William Pritchard. miner;
Henry Hagar, driver; j. Cartright,
miner; James Hall, miner.
The injured are: George Baker,
miner; John Baker, slightly burned,
and Samuel Mcintyre. cut on the head.
The explosion is said to have been
caused by the loosening OF a large
block of coal. which opened a pocket
Of gas. Immediately following the ex-
plosion OF gas, there was a second ex-
plosion Of fire-damp. There were 70
men at work In the mine at the time
of the disaster, and at first 1t seemed
an impossibility for any OF the 81 men
in mines No. and No. 10, where the
explosion occurred, to escape. -Four
men-Jacobs, Davis, Wheasea and
Walker, who were near the entrance,
managed to crawl out, and the Others,
with the exception OF those caught by
the falling coal, escaped by traversing
mile and half OF underground pas
sages, coming out at the entrance near
Lynn station. This point is four miles
from the opening of the mine.
Just above the entrance to the mine
there is an artificial plateau up against
the hillside. From the edge OF the
plateau a good view of the truck lead
ing to the mine could be had. Here
women. stood wringing their hands in
anguish, weeping and wailing. The
hundreds of people realized that they
stood at the entrance Of living tomb.
1t was several hours later that the
tinkling of the electric bell in the en-
gine-house announced that q train Of
coal cars was coming from within.
The scene OF tine disaster is more than
a mile from the entrance. The cars
are takeA in and out by means of heavy
iron cables. wrapped and unwIapped
by two large spools. 1t took about 10
minutes for the first load to reach the
outside world.
While the cable was winding the sus-
pense bordered on the awful. No one
knew what was coming, but feared the
worst, in which there was no disap-
pointment. AS ose OF the spOols in
dicated that the load would soon arrive,
the suspense became all the greater.
"Here it comes" was an almost unani-
nous whisper. When the little train
of cars emerged, shudtlei was visible
in the crowd. First there came two
cars loaded with coal. Then three
cars, in each Of which there were two
bodies. In one were two brothers.
side by side, John and Salem Halston.
In the others were Robert Davidson
and John Bennett, William PIitchard
and John Cartright James Hall was
In the last car.
When the bodies were brought up
from the mines they presented ghast-
ly appearance. Their faces were be-
grimed with the black dust of the
mines. Before they were brought out
the rescuers tied handkerchiefs around
their heads to give them better ap-
pearance
After the first lot of bodies had been
brought out the excitem ent grew more
intense. There we're yet many men in
the mine. and there was more anxiety
to know who would be brought out
next. During the entire afternoon
there was desperate wait.
1t was announced that many men
had come out from an abandoned entry,
nearly three miles distant. This al
layed the fears of many, and as fast as
the men were accounted for to their
families and friends, rejoicings and
congratulations followed.
At 8 o'clock tonight, the last Of the
explorers from the mine came out and
announced there was nothing living
or dead behind in the mine, leaving
tho list OF fatalities as given. Tonight
there is constant stream Of people
passing in and out of the undertaking
establishments to view the bodies.