The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-10
MANY MET DEATH IN A MINE.
WE'RE CAUGHT IN SEVERE ExPLo-
SION OF FIRE DAMP.

seventy or Eighty Men Were at
work in the Shaft, and About
Twenty-Five or Thirty Escaped
AIive-sixteen MangIed and Mis-
sbaDen bodies Taken Out-sOme
We're Not Observation-Disclosures of the
terrible Disaster Are Somewhat
Mcager.
rsrbonado, Wash, Dec. 9.-About noon
to-dav this quiet coal mining village was
summed with the report of a terrific sub
tsrranean explosion in the mine of the
carbon Hill Company, the tunnels of
which run for miles under the town.
There was an enormous rumbling, smoth-
ersd sound for a few moments, and then
# ceased abruptly
The people, who had been accustomed to
livelihood by mining, knew at once what
tbts meant, and stood around with blanch-
ed faces
Apprehensions of some fearful disaster
were confirmed In a little while,s with in
formation that the morning shift in tun-
mel No had been caught in an eXplo-
sion of fire damp
Between seventy and eighty men were
at work in the mine at the time.
The coal mines were those of the Car
hon Hill Coal Company, but they really
belong to the Northern Pacific Railway
Company The foreman in charge of the
shaft was ]. II. Davies. II is said that
seyenty-eight men were working under
him
Sixteen bodies. all mangled out of rec
ignition, have so far been taken out by
the relief CORDS.
Details Are Meager.
So far, details of the disaster are meager.
The number of men employed in the first
day shift was seventy-two. Their hours
are from a. m. to p. m. The explosion
occurred between 10 and IL o'clock a. m,
as near as can be ascertained.
Davies, the foreman, escaped unhurt,
and besides him, about twenty of the
Firms
Most of the men are Welsh, and several
OF the Welsh miners escaped, but they inn
mediately turned to and went back into
the mine in hope of being able to rescue
those still supposed to be alive.
The tunnel in which the explosion took
place is about one and one-quarter miles
in length on water level under the
southeast part of the town. There are
several air chutes running up to the sur
face at Wingate Hill. west of here.
The force of the explosion was such
that 1t knocked down John Ryan, so-call-
ed, Finn. who was working at the light
cross-cut, 122 feet above the water level
Rescued Men Badly Burned.
The depth of the mine varies from $50
to about LOCO feet, according to the con-
tour of the surface.
At 10 o'clock a number of men were
pulled through the timber chute near the
summit of Wngate hill, from a depth of
several hundred feet. They were picked
up from six of the levels near the water
level Three more were rescued through
the inclined tramway.
All of them were badly blackened and
burned and they were Immediately taken
to the cOmpany's hospital and wrapped in
cloths soaked in lnseed oil.
First bodies Brought Up.
The first five bodies to be brought up the
long incline were those of Watt Jones, Joe
Thomas, Evan Lewis, Richard Dare and
Daniel Davies. Watt Jones was the chief
starter. Daniel Davies was a son of the
foreman of the shift.
None of the bodies were at first recogniz-
able, because the faces of the dead men
were charred beyond recognition. 1t was
only after they were conveyed to the
moTgue ana the corpses were washed that
they could be identified.
Inc Work Of rescuing the living was COM
pieted at O'clock. Men went down In par
ties Of two or more and searched for the
hying as fast as the deadly damp would
allow
Those who were brought to the surface
We're mutlted in sacking to protect their
purns until they could be hoisted to the
Top Of the incline and carried to the hos
pi'aA There were not many of these, but
me search was continued until all hope
o saving life was at an end
Many Cases of Heroism.
Many cases of heroism on the part of
tAe workers were brought to light. Men
would continue until overcome by gases.
IN rough building belonging to the
Miners Association, the blackened corpses
were washed and identified. The shreds
u clothing torn by the force of the explo-
SION and the personal effects of
,gacn We're placed in box and
Ihere are undoubtedly many bodies un-
uet the fallen rock and earth in different
parts OF the mine, but they win not be re-
covered for some time.
Nearly all of the men killed were smoth-
uel by the gases and damp, although
soHe may have died more easily from the
S1CcK OF the concussion or from being
po"n against the walls of the tunnel
me cause of the explosion is a mystery.
uly safety lamps were worn by the men
Ehen at work
me last estimate Supt. Davis made of
% gg number of dead is between thirty and
alive