The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-02-19
MINERS MEET
AWFUL FATE
ENTOMBED IN BURNING COAL
MINE.
FRICHTFUL LOSS OF. LIFE
Workings Wrecked by Explosion
and Fire-Heroic Attempts
at Rescue.
LOSS OF. LIFE

Victoria, B. G., Feb. 15-An explo-
sion that it is feared will be one of the
most horrible mine accidents in the
history of the dominion, occurred this
forenoon at the Union mines, owned
by the Wellington Gallery company of
which James Dunsmuir, premier of
the province, is the principal share
holder.
Telegraphic advices received SO far
give no complete story of the accident,
but newspaper correspondents are now
hurrying by steamers and tug boats to
the scene and full facts will shortly be
obtainable.
AS near os can be gathered the ex-
plosion took place at about II O'Clock
this forenoon in No. 6 shaft, one of
the workings of the big coal mine
there. This particular shaft is situated
in the village of Cumberland. There
were 60 men in the mine when the ex
plosion took place and not one of
them escaped.
The explosion ignited the mine,
wrecking the shaft from midway
down to the bottom and filling it with
a solid mass of rocks, earth and tim
bers. The first explosion was fol-
lowed by several more, while the dense
volume of smoke issuing from the
vent holes indicated only too truly
that fire as we'll as gas was doing its
destructive work below. 9
AS soon as possible after the acct
don't tho man ~ +ho rno,rp;ru chif% ~,
No. 5 shaft organized a rescuing party.
No. 5 is situated about a mile from
No. 6, but the two workings are con-
nected' by tunnel and through this
channel an attempt was made to help
the unfortunate fellows in the wrecked
shaft.
They had not cut their way many
yards through the debris, when they
encountered fire, which rendered the
place untenable and obliged the party
to desist for the time. They soon re-
turned to their apparently hopeless
task and labored heroically until, over
come at last by gas and smoke, they
reluctantly withdrew from No. 5 and
Lcommenced work or the long cut from
No. 4, the only other means of reach
ing the men. Work on this was prose-
cuted with the greatest vigor until
abatement of the fire in No. 5 enabled
them once more to return there.
Later news is somewhat more en-
couraging, it being stated that the
fans are again working and that the
cage has got down IT'S feet and is still
going down in No. 5 shaft.
Immediately upon receipt of the
news today at the head office of the
Dunsmuir company here a special train
was made up and proceeded at 1:15
O'Clock to Nanaimo.
Premier Dunsmuir is not home from
Ottawa, but his confidential represent
alive, A. L. Linsday, his son, Robert
Dunsmuir, Mr. Little, superintendent
of the mine, and Inspector of Mines
Morgan left on this special. At
Nanaimo, which was reached this
evening, the Dunsmuir steamer Joan
awaited them and on her they will
proceed so miles by water to Union
bay, the remaining six miles by land
to Cumberland to be made on the
Dunsmuir colliery railway. The scene
of the accident will be reached by
midnight. DR.. Walkem, colliery sur
geon, will join the party of officials at
Nanaimo and will accompany them to
the mine.
Even should the rescuing party reach
the interior of the wrecked workings
tonight, there is little hope for any of
the men locked up in the shaft.
John Byrnes, ex-member of parlia-
ment and brother-in-law of the pre-
mier and ex-manager Of the Dunsmuir
mining business, said that scarcely
any hope could be held out for the
men. The only way by which any of
them could escape would be by reach
ing some remote portions of the mine
to which the fatal gas and smoke could
not penetrate.
Gas in a coal mine, he said, did it's
work in a few minutes. Hence the
hopelessness of the task Of saving the
men who had been in it for hours.
The last report of the inspector of
mines reported the shaft as complying
with the regulations governing coal
mines.