The Forrest City times., 1900-05-04
1HE UTAH MINE DISASTER.
1t is So Appalling that the People
 Seem Utterly Unable to Realize Its Extent. 9 !
OVER TWO HUNDRED LIVES WIPED OUT.
Speculation Rife as ts the Cause of the Explosion. as the Mine was Considered One of the Rest ven- ti1nted and Safest in the State Sod Scenes at the Pits omth.

| tilnted and Safest in the State Sod Scenes at the Pits omth. | Salt Lake, Utah, May 3.-Two hun dred or more lives were lost in the ex- plosion of Mine No. of the Pleasant Valley Coal Co., at Scofeld, Utah. One hundred and thirty-seven bodies have already been recovered. The work of rescue is still progressing, although there is no hope that any of the men who are accounted for have escaped | death.
 Scene of the Dismster. The scene of the disaster is just out side this place. on the line of the Rio | Grande Western railroad. The explo- sion, which occurred in the winter quarters of the mine. is attributed by some to the blowing up of number of kegs of blasting powder. | The company has two mines. known as Nos l and 4. The explosion oc- cured in No. 4. special train was sent from Salt Lake bearing Supt. Sharp of the coal company. Supt. Well by of the railroad company, and some doctors. k
 Recovering the Bodtcs. 1 As fast as bodies are reached they are taken to the boarding houses and other buildings, where they arc dressed and prepared for the coroner $ inquest. These buildings are numer- ous, and in each are from ten to thir- | ty-five bodies, which are laid in long rows. To those which have been iden- tified are attached tags with name and address. These await the coming of relatives or friends.
 1 Two Hundred Collins.
 Two hundred collins have been or | dered from local undertakers to be sent at once to the scene of the dis aster. A special train bearing the se- riously wounded has started from Sco- l field for Salt Lake. faa
 The first news of the Scofeld dis aster received in Salt Lake gave the list of killed at 25, but is was not until evening that the full extent of the tre- mendous calamity was understood. Many people of this city have friends and relatives attfhe mines. and the | new Spaper offices and the coal com pany's offices were visited by num- bers of anxious pc le, who feared some of their frieu or relatives might be numbered among the vic | tims. E Anxiety Increased.
 As the list kept constantly growing, the anxiety of the inquirers Increased, and many of them never went to bed. | 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 grasp | it.
 Ii appears to be one of those acci. dents that are common to the very best regulated mines, and against the best endeavors of the most competent superintendents.
 The Pleasant Valley Coal Co.
 The Pleasant Valley Coal Co., dates back 16 years. It's mines are at Sec, field, where three are located; at Gas tie Gate, Snnnysides and Clear Creek, | the latter being but seven miles from l Scofield.
 The state mine inspector is still without data to lay blame on anyone Of course, an inquest will have to de- termine just where the blame rests, and perhaps it never can be fully de- termined.
 w. C. Wilson's story.
 ". C.. Wilson was one of those for tunate ones on the lower level of No. who escaped. He tells his story as follows:
 "1here was rumbling noise heard in the distance, followed by sort of wave that car hardly be described, hut that is known to all who have been in explosions. and I have been in sev- eral. l said to my partner that if gas was known to exist in the mine I should say that an explosion had oc- cured I advised that we run to the tunnel, and with Ire came six men | working in thaJ section. In the main tunnel we met the driver, and asked him if he had noticed the strange oc- entrance. He replied that he had al- most been knocked off the car by the rush of air.
 'Twax Indeed an Explosion. I was then convinced that it 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 sufiocating us" .s. | ss. Delayed by After Damp.
 The after damp delayed the work oi the rescuing party, but the magnitude of the disaster soon became apparent All men on the raise known as ''Pike's Peak" were lying in clusters. John James, county commissioner, was found with his son, George. entwiped in loving embrace in reach others arms
 All these men had apparently real ized that death was coming, for all were found as though in attitudes oi defense. Some had their cloaks about s.s,