The sun., 1900-05-03

u Dy of the railroad company ana some
ysdoctors. Two hundred collins have been
kordered through local undertakerS to be
Esent at once to the scene of the disaster.
~ The first news of the disaster received
in Salt Lake City gave the list Of killed
as p, and it was not for hours that the
/ full extent of th" calamity was UNDER
stood. 1t appears to have heen one of
tlGSc accidents that are incident to the
most carefully regulated mines and III
spite of the best cndeaylrS of the most
competent superintendentS. The state
mine Inspector is still without data 10
/ place the blame.
tM w. G. Wilson was one Of the fortunate
ones on the lower level Of No. | who es-
capped. He said:
M"'Fherc w?s Il low 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 ex-
bplosions. and have been in several.
said to my partner that if gas was known
to exist in the mine ! should say that an
explosion had occurred. advised that
we run to the tunnel, and with me came
six men working in that section"
Clusters of Dead.
All men ON the raise known as "Pike's
peak" were lying in clusters. John
James, Il county commissioner, was
found with his son. George, intwined in
each others arms. These men apparent
ly had realized that death was coming,
for all We're found as though in attitudes
of defense. Some had their cloaks about
them; others had tried to protect them
selves by burying their faces in the
ground floor of the mine. hoping thus to
escape the deadly gas that was fast en-
velopng them. They must have lived for
some time in expectation of rescue.
Bernard Dougal, II young engineer
from Springville, Utah, who had entered
the mine a few minutes before with his
assistants. was found with his instru-
ment set, while he and his men lay dead
around it. As fast as the bodies were re-
moved they We're carried to the company
barn across the canyon, where they were
prepared for identification.
n The scene was ghaStly, vet most ma
thetic. Between the blackened and stall
wart men lay about Il dozen lads who had
E,r" employed as couplerS and trappers.
M9' lay alongside of their fathers and
elE brothers.
After the foul mir cleared away from
no. the work of rescue began, and il
bwas soon found that many of the miners
pf No. 1 had been suffocated. The men
lof the lower levels had been warned of
'the- explosion and had made their escape
before the gaseous air had reached them.
Cars were taken in, and the dead were
brought to the mouth of the mine.
Here men, women and children, rela-
hves of the dead miners, had begun to
gather, and as the bodies were brought
ont and recognized by their families their
lamentations were heartrending. The
dead We're all carried into the boarding
houses directly opposite the mine, and at
midnight 1877 men, nearly all heads of
families, were laid out.
M Mines Good Reputation.
This mine has been worked for over
~ years and has the reputation, accord |
ing to State Mine Inspector Thomas, of
being one of the best ventilated and pro-
acted in the west. He states that he in
pected it less than five weeks ago and |
= elieved it entirely safe at that time. 1t |
MS never had bad air and has always