The evening times., 1900-05-03
THE utah mine DISASTER
List of the Dead Likely, 10 Reach
-Four Hundred.
Difficulty Experienced in Recovering
the Victims Bodies-EnOrtx to BE
MADE TO Fix the Responsibility
for the Horror AT the Forthcoming
inquest-Citizens Furnish Relief.

SALT LAKE, Utah, May 3-Every home
in Scofeld is house Of sorrow. The mine
horror at the Pleasant Valley Coal Com
pany's pit grows. The dead, it is believed
viii number nearly 40O. Three hundred
and ninety eight men entered the mine fer
work Tuesday morning and several time
Keepers and inspectors went down later.
OF these over $50 have been brought out
dead, FIVE or six injured. and the others
are still somewhere in the workings ur-
foreground II is almost an impossiblliiy
that they can yet be alive Comparatively
few OF the men whose bodies have been
recovered were killed by the explosion.
The majority had no bruises or wounds
and evidently met their death BY the black
damp succeeding the explosion.
The eoneussiou. however, was SO great
that nve men working in the open ar
around the mouth Of the mine were Sc
verely hurt. One man was blown with
his horse a distance OF 200 yards across
the bottom Of the canyon. Forty dead were
found in one group.
Among the dead are about twenty young
boys who acted as eouplers and trap boys.
In the Hunter family alone seven are miss
Ing large number Of the dead were
married men.
Bernard Dougsll, a young engineer from
springyille, Utah. who had Just entered
the mines few minutes before with his
assistants. was found with his instrument
set, while he and his men lay dead around
IT,
Between the bIaekened and stalvart
mnn Law lad -
side OF their fathers and elder brothers.
The mine itself is a wreck and the loss f.
nanciaIly can hardly be estimated Sub
scription lists for the relief Of the widows
and orphans have been opened and the
public Is responding literally.
The work of recovering the bodies has
gone forward unremittingiy since the hour
OF the explosion. Men working in shifts.
however, can only labor an hour or two at
time on account Of the choke damp All
the fans were destroyed BY the explosion.
Two oeaths have indirectly resulted from
the explosion. Yesterday. VIII Clark
young miner. reached the scene OF the
trouble and was told that his brothers were
IN tunnel No. i. With rush be went into
the tunnel and was asphyxiated before help
could reach him Rescuers took the mans
body 10 the improyised morgUe. His sis
ter was called 10 identify il She raised
the clothes that covered the body. looked
Tor minute on the dead face Of her broth
sr and With q moan fell dead at his feet
Physicians SAY she died OF a broken heart.
This makes four deaths in the Clark fzmi-
"
No time has been set for the inquest
on the bodies. when an effort will be
made TO fix the responsibility for the dis
aster. The company has declared that IL
was caused By the explosion OF blasting
powder But old miners point out that
this theory Is untenable.
Il is declared that Capt. B. J. libby,
The noted coal mine expert, three months
ago warned the eompany's officers that
aniess steps were taken TO free the mines
rom damp and dust a calamity would
occur. State Nine Inspector Thomas
claims that he inspected the property six |
weeks ago. and found it in good eondi- !
ion.
The salt Lake Herald" yesterday |
opened subscription list for the fami-
les OF the miners Citizens before night /
-aised 5000. Mayor Thompson, OF Salt |
AXE City. has appointed a committee of /
,itiZenS 10 raise more money. and the /
und is growing rapidly. Today the local /
merchants are coming forward with ocers |
II clothing and food. and sufferers by the /
iisaster are well taken care Of