The Topeka state journal., 1900-05-02

numbers of anxious people who feared
some of their friends, or relatives might
be numbered among the victims. AS the
list kept constantly growing. the anxi-
ETY. of the inquirers increased and many
of them never went to bed
UNPRECEDENTED CALAMITY.
The calamity was of such size and
so unprecedented in the history of the
state and even of the west that the
mind did not seem to be able to fully
grasp it.
The Pleasant Valley Coal company
dates back 16 years. It's mines are at
Scofleld. where three are located at
Castle Gate, Sunny Side and Clear
Creek, the latter being but seven miles
from Scofeld.
1t appears to have been one of those
accidents that are common to the very
best regulated mines and against the
best endeavors of the most competent
superintendents, among whom is num-
bered, even in this terrible calamity,
superintendent Sharpe.
The state mine inspector is still with
out data to lay blame on any one. Of
course an inquest will have to de-
termine just where the blame rests and
perhaps it never can be fully determin-
ed.
A MINERS STORY.
w. c. Wilson was one of those fortu-
nate ones on the lower level of No. l,
who escaped. He tells his story as fol-
lows:
There was a low rumbling noise
heard in the distance, followed by sort
of wave that can hardly be described,
but that is known to all who have been
in explosions, and have been in sew
eraL I said to my partner that if gas
was known to exist in the mine
should say that an explosion had oc-
Cured I advised that we run to the
tunnel and with me came six men work.
ing in that section. In the main tunnel
we met the driver and asked him if he
had noticed the strange occurrence. He
replied that he had almost been knock
ed off the bar by the rush of air. I was
/ then convinced that 1t was indeed an
| explosion and advised my comrades to
| hasten with me to the mouth. We met
| two others further on and they proceed
! ed with US. We We're none too soon;
! for the after damp reached US some
! three or four minutes before We reach
| ed the open air, almost suffocating US. -
The after damp delayed the work Of
! the rescuing party, but the magnitude
! of the disaster soon became apparent.
I
! All men on the raise known as Piles
! Peal, were lying in clusters, John James
a county commissioner was found with
his son George, entwined in loving en-
| brace in each others arms.
| All these men had apparently realized
( that death was coming, for all We're
/ found as though in attitudes of defense
/ Some had their clOaks about them, 9th
| ers had tried to protect themselves by
| burying their faces in the ground floor
I nf no inc Crafr, to, 1 =
| deadly gas that was fast envelopina
them. They must have lived for some
time in prayerful expectation of rescue
| reaching them
Bernard DOugall, a promising and en-
terprising young engineer from Spring
vile, Utah, who had just entered the
mine a few minutes before with his as
| sistants, was found with his instrument
set, while he and his men lay deaC
around it. AS fast as the bodies were
removed they were carried to the com
pany barn across the canyon, where they
were washed and identified.
CHASTITY AND PATHETIC.
The scene was ghastIy yet most pa
thetic. Between the blackened and stal
wart lay ab1ut a dozen little lads wht
had been engaged as couplers and trap
pers. Some lay alongside of their faith
ers and elder brothers. 1t was a seen
that made many strong man turn
away in tears.
After the foul air cleared away from
No. 1 the work of rescue began her
and it was soon found that a grea
many of the miners of No. 1 had beel
suffocated. The men of the lower level
had been warned of the explosion ant
had made their escape before the gas
eous air had reached them.
Cars We're taken in and the dead Wer
loaded into them and brought to tn
mouth
Here the men, women and children
relatives of the dead miners, had begu
To Cra1F he
out and recognized by their respectiv
families, the lamentations We're mos
heart rending. The dead were all car
ried into the boarding house directl
opposite the mine and at midnight 13
stalwart men, nearly all heads of fam
lies were laid out
CAUSED BY GIANT POWDER.
| Bishop Thomas ParmIey, superfntend
a ent of the operations here, gives it as hi
opinion that the explosion was brough
about by giant powder which wa
l taken into the mine by some of tn
miners that exploded in some unaccount
able way, igniting the dust and thereb
f ! causing an explosion.
This mine has been worked for owe
1 twenty years and has the reputation
l | according to State Mine Inspecto
= ! Thomas, of being one of the best Ven
tilated and protected in the west. H
states that he inspected it less tha
five weeks ago and believed it entirel
safe at that time. 1t has never had ba
air and has always been free from ga!
. and as the coal is all loaded wit
shovels, there has not been a large ac
p emulation of dust
Nine-tenths of the men killed al
Americans and Welsh. The former com
S mostly from Utah, with a small numbe
e from Tennessee and Colorado.
Several experienced undertakers wei
; sent down this morning and the coffiT
will go down as soon as they can /
shipped.
The special train bearing four of II
f injured men arrived at the Rio GranC
Western depot this morning
HARRY TAYLOR'S STORY.
Harry Taylor, one OF the injured me
o said he remembers the moment of II
awful explosion and he told of it, a fe
words at a time, when all his energ
Il was not utilized in bearing up und.
the attacks of pain.
- I was repairing some track out c