Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-02

Salt Lake, Utah, May 1.-TWO hum
dred or more lives were lost. in the eex-
plosion in mine No. 4, of the Pleasant
Valley Coal Company at Scofield, Utah.
One hundred and thirty y-seven bodies
have already been recovered. The work
OF rescue is still progressing. althoi
there Is no hope that any of the men
!; who are unaccountel for escaped
aeatt.
The scene of the disaster is just out
side OF this place on the line OF the
i Rio Grande & Western railroad. The
explosion. 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 COM
pany has two mines, known as Nos. y
and 4. The explosion occurred IN No. 4.
The first news of the disaster res
ceived in Salt Lake gave the list of
killed as about twenty-five, but not
until evening was the fun extent of the
calamity understood. Many OF the.
people OF this city have friends and
Il relatives at the mines and the news
paper offices and the coal company's
otfices were visited by numbers of
anxious people, who feared some of
their friends or relatives might be
numbered among the victims.
The Pleasant Valley Coal Company
hates back sixteen years. Its mines
are at Scofield. Where three are locat-
I'd; 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 common to
The very best regulated mines and
against the endeayors OF the most COM
petent superintendent.
Nv. C. Wilson was one of those fortu-
n nate ones who was on the lower level of
& MOL, who escaped. He tells his story
ls follows:
There was low rumbling noise
heard in the distance, followed by a
tort of wave that can hardly be de-
,cribed, but that is known to al. who
have been In an explosion. and have
been In several. said TO my partner
that Il gas was known to8exist In the
mine should say an explosion occurred
Z advised that we run to a tunnel, ant
with me came six men working In thai
Iection. In the main tunnel we met 9
driver and asked hin, II he noticed tht
strange occurrence. He replied he hat
almost been knocked OFF the bar by tn.
r,lsi1sof air. was then conyincedit 1t wa.
Indeed an explosion and advised m,
comrades to hasten with me to th'
mouth. We met two others further on
and they proceeded with us. We wer
none too soon, for the after-damp reach
ed us some three or four minutes befor
ne reached the open air, almost SUMO
eating U.S.
After-damp delayed the work of tn
re1cuing party. but the magnitude 9
the disaster soon became apparent. Al
the men on the raise known as Pike
Peak were lying in clusters. Joh
James. county commissioner, was foun
with his son George. entwined in iovin
embrace IN each others arms. All thes
JIlHu Su6kU AGt1AlLGAsl lAul8uG1l
q was coming. for ali were found as tn
In an attitude Of defense. Some ha
their cloaks about them and others trie
TO protect themselves by burying thei
faces In the ground floor OF the min,
N hoping thus to escape the deadly 50
a that was fast enveloping them.
They must have lived some time
prayerful expectation OF rescue reach
ing them. Bernard Dougall. promi.
ing and enterprising young enginet
from Springyille, Utah. who had ju!
entered the mine a few minutes befol
with his ASSISTANTS, was found with h
Instrument set While he and his me
lay dead around 1t.
As fast as the bodies were remove
they were carried to the company bar,
across the canyon, where they We
washed and identified.
The scene was CHASTITY. yet most p,
thetic. Between the bIackened AZ
stalwart men lay little lads who we
engaged as couplers and 3trappers. Son
lay alongside their fathers and eld
brothers. It was a scene that MAJ
many strong men turn away In tears.
After the foul air had cleared awe
frc.n No. the work OF rescue begs
here and 1t was soon found a gre
many miners OF No. j had been sun
Gated. The men Of the lower leNe
had been warned of the explosion al
made their escape before the gaseousa q
reached them. Cars were taken In al
the dead loaded into them and broug
TO the mouth. Here was a scene tn
beggared all description, for men. wor
S; II en-, children and relatives OF the de,
81 lniner1 began to gather and as the hO