The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-05-05
It Is So Appalling that the People
Seem Utterly Unable to
Realize Its Extent.
OVER TWO HUNDRED LIVES WIPED OUT.
speculation Rife ms to the Cause of
the Explosion, ns the Mine wns
Considered One of the Hest ven-
tlInted and safest In the State
sad scenes at thr PIES Month.

nlosion of Mine No. 4 of the Pleasant
valley Coal Co., at Scofield, Utah. One
hundred and thirty-seven bodies have
already been recovered. The work of
rescue is still progressing, although
there is no hope that any of the men
who are accounted for have escaped
death.
Scene of the Disaster.
The scene of the disaster is just out-
ride this place, on the line of the Rio
Grande Western railroad. The explo-
sion, which occurred in the winter
quarters of the mine, is attributed by
some to the blowing up Of a number
OF kegs of blasting powder.
The company has two mines. known
as Nos. l and A. The explosion oc-
Cured in No. 4. A special train was
sent from Salt Lake bearing Supt.
Sharp Of the coal company, Supt. We'll
bv OF the railroad company, and some
doctors.
Recovering the bodies.
As fast as bodies are reached they
are taken to the boarding houses and
other buildings, where they are
dressed and prepared for the coroner's
inquest. These buildings are numer-
GUS, and in each are from ten to thir-
ty-fve bodies, which are laid in long
rows. To those which have been iden-
titled are attached tags with name and
address. These await the coming OF
relatives or friends.
Two hundred Collins.
Two hundred collins have been or
dered from local undertakers to be
sent at once to the scene of the dis
aster. A special train bearing the Sc
riously wounded has started from SEQ
field for Salt Lake.
The first news of the Scofield dis
aster received in Salt Lake gave the
list of killed at rs, but is was not until
evening that the full extent of the ire
mendous calamity was understood.
Many people of this city have friends
and relatives at the mines, and the
newspaper Offices and the coal COM
pany's offices were visited by num-
bers of anxious people, who feared
some of their friends or relatives
might be numbered among the vic
tins. =.
Anxiety
AS the list kept constantly growing,
the anxiety of the inquirers increased,
and many of them never went to bed.
The calamity was of, such size and so
unprecedented in the history of the
state, and even of the west, that the
at,1 I.1 not N fx hn ntl, ~
1t.
1t appears to be one of those acct
dents that are common to the very
best regulated mines, and against the
best endeavors of the most competent
superintendents.
The Pleasant Valley CoaI Co.
The Pleasant Valley Coal Co. dates
back 16 years. It's mines are at SEQ
field, where three are located; at Cas-
tie Gate, Snnnysides and Clear Creek,
the latter being but seven miles from
Scofield.
The state mine inspector is still
without data to lay blame on anyone.
Of course, an inquest will have to de-
termine just where the blame rests,
and perhaps it never can be fully de-
termined.
W.. c. Wilson'S story.
w. C.. Wilson was one of those for
tunate ones on the lower level of No.
/ who escaped. He tells his story as
follows:
There was a rumbling noise heard
In the distance, followed by a sort OF
wave that can hardly be described,
but that Is known to all who have been
In explosions, and 1 have been in sew
eral. l said to my partner that if gas
was known to exist in the mine ]
should say that IN explosion had DC.
Cured. ] advised that we run to the
tunnel, and with me came six men
working in that section. In the main
tunnel we mct the driver. and asked
hin if he had noticed the strange DC.
currance. He replied that he had al.
most been knocked off the car by the
rush of air.
Twas Indeed an Explosion.
/ was then convinced that it was in
deed an explosion, and advised my
comrades to hasten with me to the
mouth. We met two others further
on, and they proceeded with us. We
were none too soon, for the after
damp reached us some three or foul
minutes before we reached the oper
air, almost suffocating u.s."
Delayed by After Damp.
The after damp delayed the work Of
the rescuing party, but the magnitude
OF the disaster soon became apparent
All men on the raise known as pixies
Peak were lying in clusters. Johr
James, a county commissioner, was
found with his son, George. entwipet
IN loving embrace in each others arms
All these men had apparently real
lied that death was coming, for al
were found as though in attitudes o.
defense. Some had their cloaks abou.
them, others had tried to protec
themselves by burying their faces il
the ground floor of the mine, hoping
thus to escape the deadly gas hat wa.
n -