The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-03

state, and even Of the west. that the
mind dld not geem 10 be able to fully
grasp H.
The Pleasant Valley Coal Company
dates back sixteen years. It's mines
are At schofeld, where three are To-
Gated; at castlegate. sunnyside and
Cedar Creek, the latter being but sew
en- miles from scholeld.
II apears TO have been one Of those
accidents that are common 70 the very
best regulated mines and against the
best endeayors Of the most competent
superlnten1ents. among whom is num-
bcred Superintendent Sharp. The
state mine Inspector is still without
data 10 lay the blame on any one. OF
course an inquest VIII have TO deter
mine Just where the blame rests. and
perhaps II can never be fully UNDER
stood.
w. G. Wilson was one Of those for
lunate ones on the lower level Of No l
who escaped, lie tells his story as
follows: There was a low rumbllng
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 | have
been IN several. said TO my partner
that II gas was known TO exist In the
mine, / she uld say that an explosion
had occurred. advised that We run
TO the mouth Of the tunnel. and with
me came FIX men working in that
section. In the main tunnel We met
the driver and asked him II he had no.
tlced the strange occurrence.
He replied that he had almost been
knocked on the bar by the rush Of air.
was then convinced that II 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 four minutes
before we reached the open air. almost
suftocating u.s..
The afterdamp delayed the work Of
the rescuins party but the magnitude
OF the disaster soon became apparent.
All the men on the raise known as
Pixies Peak. were lying In clusters.
John James, a county commissioner.
was found with his son, George, en-
twined In loving embrace In each 9TH
er's s.AlI these men had apparent
ly realized that death was coming, for
all were found as though in attitude OF
defense. Some had their claoks about
them. others had tried 70 protect them
selves by burying their faces in the
ground floor Of TIE mine, hoping thus
TO escape the deadly gas that was fast
enveloplng them. They must have
liyei for sometime in prayerful expec-
tation of rescue reaching them.
Bernard Douga!l. promising and
enterprlsing young engineer, from
sprlngville, Utah, who had only just
entered the mine few minutes before
with his assistants, was found with
his instrument set. while he and his
men lay dead around IT,
AS fast as the bodies were removed
they We're carried to the company's
barn across the canyon, where they
were washed and Identified. The scene
was ghastly. yet most pathetic, Be-
tween the blackened and stalwart men
lay about a dozen little lads, who had
been engaged as couplers and trappers.
Some lay along side Of their fathers
and elder brothers. 1t wa $ a scene
that made many a strong man turn
away in tears.
After the foul air cleared away from
No. /. the work Of rescue began here
and 1t was soon found that a great
many Of the miners of No. had been
sufIocated. The men OF the lower lev
els had been warned of the explosion
and had made their escape before the
deadly gas reached them. Cars were
taken in and the dead loaded into them
and brought to the mouth.
Here the scene beggared all descrip-
ton, for men, women and children,
relatives of the dead miners, had be-
gun to gather. and as the dead bodies
were brought out and recognized by
their respective families, the lamen-
tations were most heartrending. The
dead were all carried into the lodging
house directly opposite the mine, and
at midnight 1S7 stalwart men, nearly
all heads of fe lilies, were laid out in
the cold embrace of death. Bishop
Thomas Parmlee, superintendent of the
operations here, gives 1t as his opinion
that the explosion was brought about
by giant powder which was taken in
to the mine by some of the miners and
exploded in some unaccountable way,
ignlting the dust and thereby causing
an explosion.
This mine has been worked for over
twenty years and had the reputation,