Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-16
DISASTER IN A MINE
Thirteen Men Lose Their Lives by
an Explosion.
over 4 SCORE MORE MISSING
Accident Occurs at the Caledonia
at GIace Bay, c. B.
SEARCH FOR THE DEAD
over 4 SCORE MORE N
SEARCH FOR THE DEAD

NORTH SYDNEY, C. B., June 16.-The
most appalling disaster in the history Of
Cape Breton coal mining occurred at the
Caledonia mine at Glace Bay, the principal
colliery of the Dominion Coal Company, to-
day, when two explosions occurred, causing
the death of more than score of men, in
Guiding Thomas Johnson, the underground
manager of the works, and brother Of the
assistant manager of the Dominion Coal
Company. Up to noon thirteen bodies had
been recovered. The names of the victims
found up to that hour follow:
Thomas johnson, underground manager.
Neil Mcdonald of Pictou.
John Doyle, ST.
John Doyle, jr.
Stephen Mccormick of Sydney mine.
Alexander Mcdonald, Cape North.
Donald Martin.
William Simpson.
Malcolm McAuley.
Two men named GilliS, father and son.
Roy G. McDougall.
Arthur Grant.
Explosion in the West Pit.
The explosion occurred in the west pit
at depth of about three-quarters of
mile, and was caused by gas which had ac-
cumuiated in the old workings The full
force of men employed in the mine at night
is about 15O but the night shift had just
stopped work, and all but about sixty had
left the mine. There was scarcely an inter-
mission between the conclusions. The first
was a dull boom. Then there was a rum
bling noise like an earthquake, succeeded
by deafening, prolonged and awful roar,
which reverberated among the hills for
miles, and the shock of which shattered
glass in every direction in the immediate
Thn ir,or Of
the sound was well understood through the
mining district, and anxious people hooked
to the mine entrance. Before they arrived
suffocating volumes of coal smoke began to
pour out, showing that fire had followed
the explosion.
The officials of the mine were among the
first to reach the shaft.
A tale of the men showed that some
three score were missing; but moment
later number of the miners appeared,
having escaped by slope. There were
about twenty-five in the company who
We're able to report their presence to the
anxious friends at the shaft, but several
others who had managed to get out of
the slope had fallen overcome by exhaus-
ton or the fumes which they had inhaled
When these had been numbered it was
evident that at least twenty men, and pos
sibly thirty, had been cut off by the ex-
plosion and persisted. Any who survived
the explosion would quickly have persisted
from suffocation.
Survivors Much Confused.
OF the incidents attending the explosion
the survivors were for a long time too con-
fused to give an intelligent account There
was no apparent danger at midnight nor
up to O'Clock, when the underground
manager, Thomas Johnson, now missing,
last reported.
Shortly after 4 o'clock the Waterman
smel1ed gas and burning wood, and Man
ager Thomas Brown was notified. lie
opened the shaft just the explosion oc-
Cured. The work of rescue was promptly
undertaken by Assistant General Manager
johnson and Daniel Merlin, underground
of the Hub colliery, with large
number of miners.
The resc party were confronted with
many difficulties Men, women and chill
dren hung about the opening of the slope,
weeping and distracted. Down below a
pltchy darkness prevailed, lighted by occa-
sional brilliant bursts of the confl4 grafton
raging through the pit. The lamps Of the
rescuinS party shed feeble CLEANS, and the
volunteers Gropec their way down llto the
them. After a brief time a body was
brought up. then another and another, I'M
til thirteen had come to the surface. None
OF them was mangled, but all Were black
ened. The bodies were laid side by side in
the large room in the office building. Men
and women crowded into the place, and the
were accompanied by most
pitifll scenes.
mouth of the shaft the unconscious form Of
Manager Brown brought to the sur
face. The opening of a door in one of the
passages was followed by an explosion,
and Mr.. Brown fell down, having been
made senseiess by the shock.
Fire Drove Rescuers Out.
In spite of the efforts of the rescuine
party, the proportions of the fire in the
pit soon forced them to give all attention
to hat 40
way, despite the utmost efforts to check
thar spread The work moreover had
to be stopped at frequent intervals, owing
to danger from fire damp, and, with each
retreat of the men the fire Travelled with
double fury. The wreck of the mine SEEM
ed beyond question: but later the atmos-
phere cleared somewhat ard the work of
fighting the fire was resumed.
AT noon news was sent to the surface
that it was believed the fire was under con-
troll, and further search for bodies soon
would be taken up, although at that time
the rescuers were 500 feet from the scene
of the explosion. The names of the men
still missing cannot now be obtained 1t
will be nearly night before the fire will
be subdued sufficiently to permit of a fur
Their advance in the mine.
1t has been ascertained that the coal in
the mine has not taken fire generally, but
that the umbering took fire.
The Caledonian was sold to the Dominion
Coal Company by Senator Mexican, the
present general manager of the company.
1t supplies coal for gas purposes, and has
been producing on an average of 1000 tons
per day. much of which was intended for
export for the Everett gas and coke works
in Massachusetts The mine was equipped
with the most modern machinery.
DR.. Gilpin, the deputy commission of
works and MINIS, who happened to be in
Cape Breton, is here, and will investigate
the cause of the disaster on behalf of the
province.