Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-05-10
HUNDREDS KILLED
Worst Mining Disaster in the His
tory Of the West.
An Explosion of Blasting Powder In
the Mines of ihe Pleasant valley
Coal Company at SchO4ield,
Utah More Than 200
COrpses Recovered.

Salt Lake, Utah. May "A terrific
explosion occurred Tuesday in the
winter quarters of the Pleasant Val
ley Co.'S coal mine ut Schotield, on
the Rio Grande Western railroad,
The cause of the explosion is attrib-
uted to the blowing up OF number
of kegs of blasting powder.
A special to the Tribune from SEQ
field, Utah, says: The English lam
guage cannot describe the appalling
disaster which occurred here Tuesday
morning by an explosion in mine No.
4 of the Pleasant Valley Coal Co. and
by which certainly 200 and upwards
have lost their lives. One hundred
and thirty-seyen bodies have been re-
covered and the work of rescue is still
progressing and will continue until
all the bodies are brought to the sur
face. There are willing hands at work
and as fast as bodies are reached they
are brought to the boarding houses
and other company buildings
Scofield, Utah, May 3.-The latest
estimate OF the number of the kill
ed in the terrible mine explosion here
Tuesday is 250, but the total death
list may vet reach 800. Relief work
by shifts OF men. The shift now in
the mine has 80 bodies ready TO bring
out and the number of corpses yet to
be reached is still uncertain. Arriving
trains are constantly bringing rel
atives of the victims from outside
points and the coal company has
designated committee to carry the
dead to Salt Lake, Ogden and other
cities. On account of gas, No. 4
mine has been abandoned as a means
of rescue and bodies are arriving at
the mouth of No. mine by the car
load.
Every house in the town is house
of mourning. When the removal of
the bodies from the mine began hun
,dreds of men volunteered for the
purpose. The rescuers came from
other mines and towns surrounding
and worked necessarily to bring out
the burned and mangled remains of
the dead miners. The bodies were
taken to the company buildings and
We're there dressed and laid out
preparatory to the coroner's inquest
and for indentification.
Many of the rescuers came near
losing their lives from the fatal after
damp. but the work was continued
in the face of all danger, and most
of the brave fellows remained at theic
posts until they were almost ready
to drop from physical exhaustion ana
the deadly effects of the poisonous
fumes.
John kirton was the first man
brought to the surface He was still
alive, but presented a terrible sight.
In his horrible pain he cried out to
his companions, begging them to
end his misery by taking his life.
One theory is that some of the
Flnns recently imported secretly took
giant powder down into the mine to
assist them in their work. They were
exceedingly anxious to make a good
showing and make ar mach money as
possible. and it is thought this form
of explosive was used in order that
great bodies of coal could more easily
be dislodged. 1t is thought that when
the giaut powder was touched off,
il lgniled some of the dust of which
every coal mine has more or less.
inquiry among the miners disclosed
the fact that they entertained vari-
Gus opinions regarding the terrible
affair, some being exceedingly bitter
an their Qcnulcia ion of the cOmDanV