The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-22


Special Correspondence Post-rntelligencer.
1SSAQUAH, Aug. 2l.-Eive miners were
smothered to death at the Issaquah Coal
Company's mines at this place this fore
noon. A brush fire spread to the mouth
OF an air shaft. ignited the timbers and
was sucked down by the ventilation fan
into the workings where eighty men were
employed
All the miners who were near the exit
escaped, but Dominick Cassassas. Carlos
cassassas. c. ". Vowel. Ben Laws and
John Lind were in remote chamber and
were overcome by smoke and black damp.
Their bodies were recovered this after
noon.
Heroic Attempt to Rescue.
The story OF the mine disaster is SIM
pie but tragic tale. Nevertheless it con-
tains the elements of unseltish heroism,
which from the time men first began to
delye into the bowels of the earth for
coal have characterized such narratives.
John Lind and Ben Laws. two OF the
1--WE miners who tonight lie cold in death
In this little village are the heroes. who
may never in this world receive the hon.
or that is their due
vived to tell the story is A. r. Belsell
the foreman OF the mine.
Together the three took their lives in
their hands and went down into the foul
depths OF the soo-foot level for the pur-
pose of resculng three OF their comrades.
who failed to escape when the alarm OF
fire was given. As result Laws and
Lind fell victims to the deadly black
"A ~ tot. ~,
they attempted TO save. Beisell. after
trying In vain to give them assistance,
made his way to a place OF safety.
Lind and Laws were far inside the
mine when the smoke from the burning
coal and timbers began pouring down the
air shaft. and had made their way out
with their companions to tho puta air
when they met Foreman Beisell on his
way In. They volunteered TO accompany
him and thereby lost their lives in again
braVing the danger they had Just es-
capped.
Call for Volunteers
Beiseli was ON the surface when hs was
informed that the men under him were
in imminent peril He at once went down
into the mine. He found that the alarm
had already been given and that the ma
jority OF the miners were safe, Running
Gown the gangway. he met the last Of the
nceing miners at breast No. Z.
Where are Vowel and the Cassasxoa
poys ne cried. seeing that they were
not In the party. The three he knew had
been working In breasts i6s and ls7.
They were warned, wo dId uoi sac
them. Didn't they come out ahead of
ns2 was the answer and counter aues-
tion.
They are stIli I'm the miner shouted
Reiseil who win so hack with me ana
save Them
Laws and Lind threw down theIr coats
and dianer pals and stepped forward
Through ths dense smoke that rolled
slowly down the ganEway they hastoned
toward the breasts where the three rntss.
ing men were at work. AS they proceeded
the air moment by moment grew more
foul. BY the time they had gone quarter
of q mile the lamps on their caps began
20 burn low. showing that the black damp
was settling down NSom the upper work
inEs and nlling the EsnsNay
Al breast No, isl Laws became over
come with the deadly gas.
stop, boys it's no use. We can't get
any further Let us get ON, Of this" he
cried
you can Ra hack Beisell shouted I'VE
will SO on q little way" What followed Is
best told IN the words 0f Foreman Beiseli;
The Foreman's story.
eve went on down the ganEwsy." said
Beisell "hut We were hardly out % ssEAt
~ lAws when Lind also began 20 weaken.