Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-06-17
ELEVEN MEN KILLED IN A NOVA
SCOTIA COAL MINE.
EXPLOSIONS CAUSED BY FIRE
EFFORTS TO ExTINGUISH THE FIRE
HAVE FAILED.
Bodies of All but One of the Victims
Recovcred-Most of Them Left
Large Familics-One Died
to Save n Fellow
Workman.

HALIFAX, N s., June 16.-According to
an official account of this mornings dis
aster in the Ca.edonia mine, of the Do
minion Coal Company, at Glace Bay. Cape
Breton, there were two explosions, the first
killing six men and the second five. Fire
started near what is known as the Deep
Pump, the cause being unknown.
Six men who were on their way out were
overcome by an explosion of firedamp
and suffocated where they fell Three
quarters of an hour later, party of men
We're on their way to the scene of the fire,
headed by Thomas Johnson. the under
ground manager, when an explosion of
gas occurred, by which they were killed
instantly. The bodies of the victims, save
one, were recovered by a rescue party in
which was John Johnson, assistant manag-
er of the Dominion Coal Company and a
son of one of the dead.
After great difficulty the position of the
fire was located and a body Of volunteers
attacked the flames with water. This work
was carried on vigorously for several
hours, when it was found that the extent
of the fire and the difficulties of fighting
it rendered efforts useless. Up to this
evening the efforts of the fire fighters had
not been effectual in extinguishing the
flames.
The men who lost their lives in the dis
aster are:
Thomas Johnson, underground manager.
John Doyle and John Doyle, Jr., father
and son. the latter leaving widow and
three children.
Arthur Grant. leaving widow and three
Alexander Mcdonald. widow and eight
children.
stephen Mccormick. widow and six
children.
Rory D. McDougal, widow and three
children.
Neil Mcdonald.
Malcolm McCauley.
William Simpson.
Donald Martin, widow and two chill
dren.
All the bodies have been recovered except
1t was about o'clock that the whistle,
announcing that something was wrong in
the mine, was blown. In a very short time
the streets were crowded with frantic peo-
pie.
johnson, when found. was near one of
the cross-cut doors. He was undoubtedly
killed by the force of the explosion. The
others who were with him were choked
with fire damp.
The scene in the pit was of most weird
character. The dead men We're thrown
promiscuously into the boxcars and rushed
to the cage. Darkness was only broken
by the fickering lights Of the lamps in the
was staggering under the influence of the
gas and almost blinded with the smoke
that was pouring in volumes upon them.
One of the men was found with his hands
around a post. Mccormick was found
with handkerchief across his mouth and
a waiStcoat over his head.
He probably went into one of the rooms
| to save a mate, but the damp had become
| so dense that he succumbed. The others
were found in different attitudes and posi-
| tionS. -
The coal in the West Deep. as well as the
timber, is on fire. The air currents changed
several times while the volunteers We're
| in the pit. This would indicate that an
| explosion had taken place in the West
| Deep.
| Thomas Brown. manager of Caledonia,
went down with the rescue volunteers and
was knocked senseless by the second explo-
sion. He was carried from the PIT uncon-
| scious, but will recover.
The Caledonia colliery averages $500 tons
per day.