The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1900-05-04
UTAH'S Mine HORROR
WORST EVER KNOWN
Over Two Hundred Bodies
Have Been Recovered.
CAUSE OF CATASTROPHE

Supposed to Have Been IYnited.
Work OF Rescue Progressing-Over
400 Bodies Recovered.
SALT LAKE. CITY, May "A special
10 Tho Desert News from Soofold at
1880 today says: At this hour POI bodies
have been recovered. 1t is now known
that between 300 and 400 men entered
tho mines and 1t is also known that
great majority of them have been killed.
SALT LAKE CITY, May 1.-TWO hun
Arsd or more lives were lost i'll the OK
plosion Of mine No. Of tho Pleasant
Valley Coal company ut Scoficld, Utah.
Ono hundred and thirty-sevcn bodies
have already been recovered. The work
Of rescue is still progressing, although
there Is no hope that any of the men not
accounted for escaped death.
The scene of the disaster is just out
dde this place on the line of the Rio
Grande Western railroad. The cxplo-
sion, which occurred III the interior por-
tion of the mines, is attributed by some
to the blowing up of 4 number of kegs
Of powder. The company has two mines
known as No. and No. 1. The cHplo-
sion occurred i'll No. 1.
A fast AZ bodies are reached they are
taken to the tOartlinghouSe and other
company buildings where they are
dressed and prepared for the coroner.
In each building are from 10 TO 30 bodies
which are laid upon long rows of
A special train bearing the seriously
wounded is run from Scofield for Salt
Lake.
News of the disaster received i'll Salt
Lake gave the list of killed ut %, but it
wns known i'll the evening that tn" full
extent of the disaster was far greater.
II appears to be one of those accidents
that are common to the very best rcgu-
lated mines and against the best en-
deavors of the most competent supcrin-
tendents.
Many Hayc Narrow Escape.
w. G. Woilson, mine owner, was III
the lower level. He said:
There was rumblinS noise i'll the
distance, followed by Il sort of wave that
can hardly bo described, but that is
known to all who have been i'll cNploS-
ions, and have been in several. told
my partner that an explosion had oc-
Cured. We ran to the tunnel with Sin
others. They had noticed the Strang'
occurrence. We We're none too soon III
leaving the mine, for the after damp
reached us some 3 or ( minutes before
we reached the open air, almost sutfo
eating u.s.
The after damp delayed the work OF
the rescuing party, but the magnitude
of the disaster soon became apparent.
All tho men OH the raise known as
"Pfke's Peak stood close together
One 'mnn elapsed his arms arc----'ras
SON The men reali,"-s- themselves by
coming api = ss~es i'll the dirt, hoping
deadly gas that was fast
aehveloping tlRm. Bernard Dougall, an
engineer from SsnSSingville, Utah, who
had just returned to toHHe HHe mips-1rfcW It fcW
minutes before, was found and his men
lay dead around him.
Work of Rescue Begins.
AS the foul air had cleared from No.
the work of rescue began and it was
soon seen that many of the miners of
NO. l had been sutfocated. The lower
level had been warned of the explosion
and made their escape before the gas
eOus air had reached them. Cars were
taken In and the dead were loaded into
them ana brought to the mouth. AS the
bodies were brought out and recognized
by their respective families the lamcnta-
tiOns were most hcartrcnding
IhiS mine has been worked for over
70 years and has the reputation of being
one OF the best ventilated and protected
In the west.
State Mine Inspector Thomas stated
that be inspected the mine three weeks
ago and believed it entirely safe mt that
time. 1t had never been in bad condi.
tiOn and was free from gas and as the
coal was loaded with shovels there has |
not been large accumulation of dust
Nine-tenthS of the men killed We're !
Americans and Welsh
Injured Mans story.
Henry Taylor, one of the injured mon
II was preparing some track out on
the dump when / started to the mouth !
or the tunnel to get some tools Sud
denly there was an awful report and at
the same time a black cloud filed with
rocks, bore down OH me like streak of
lightning. The next thing knew woke
up with man pouring brandy down |
my throat. and 1 saw the boys lying
all around me, moaning for balp.
j. NJ. Beattie of Scofield who is tbc
eompany's storekeepcr saiG on his ar
rival this morning that it was Thought
the shaft in No had been wiped ont
and many were killed in No |.
The scene around the mine was be-
yond description. Women, children and
frsends crowded around, weeping and
wailing, excited beyond control, waiting
70 see II the next body brought out was
their loved one
The financial loss TO the company can
not at present be estimated. This is re-.
8arded rs the worst disaster that has
over occurred in this part Of the conn
try. The nearest approach to it was the
Southern Pacific, Almy (Wy) explosion
hve years ago, when over 100 men were
killed.
Astronomers at ThOmaston