The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-16
DEATH N A GOAL MINI
PROBABLE LOSS OF SIXTY LIVES
IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
COLLIERY
FIRE FOLLOWED EXPLOSION
WRECKING OF THE SHAFT LEFT
THE MEN NO CHANCE OF
ESCAPE
HEROIC EFFORTS AT RESCUE
At Last Accounts Those Trying to
Save Their Fellow Workers
Were Still Bamed by
the Flames.

VICTORIA, B. c., Feb 15-An explo-
sion that it is feared will be one of the
most horrible mine accidents in the his
tory of the dominion occurred this fore
noon at the Union mines, owned bv the
Wellington Colliery company, vof which
James Dunsmuir, the premier of the
province, is the principal shareholder.
Teiegraphic ddViceS received so far give
no complete story of the accident, but
newspaper correspondents are now hur.
rying by steamers and tug boats to the
scene and the full facts will shortly
be obtainable. AS near as can be gath
cred, the explosion took place 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 sixty men in it when the explosion
took place and not one of them escaped
The explosion
IGNITED THE MINE,
wrecking the shaft from midway down
to the bottom and filing it with a solid
mass of rocks, earth and timbers The
first explosion was followed by several
more, while the dense volume Of smoke
issuing from the vent-holes indicated OH
ly too truly that fire as well as gas was
doing its destructive work below. AS
soon as practicable after the accident
the men of the morning shift in No. 5
organized a reScuing party. No. 5 is Situ-
ated about mile from No. &, but the two
workings are connected 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 rem
dered the place untenabe and obliged the
party to desist for time. They soon
returned to their apparently hopeless task
and labored heroiCally until, overcome at
last by gas and smoke, they reluctantly
withdrew from No. and commenced
work on long cut from No. 4. the only
other means of reaching the men. Work
on this was prosecuted with the greatest
vigor until abatement of the fire in No
5 enabled them once more to return
there.
SOME MAY BE SAVED.
Later news is somewhat more encour-
aging it being stated that the fans are
again working, that the cage has got us
feet and is still going down in NO 4
shaft.
Immediately upon receipt of the news
today at the head office of the Duns-
muir 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 rep>
resentative, A. L. Lindsday, his son, Rob
ert Dunsmuir; Mr.. Little. the superin-
tendent of the mine. and Inspector of
Mines Morgan left on this special. At
Nanaimo, which was reached this even
ing. the Dunsmuir steamer Joan await
ed them, and on her they will proceed
sixty miles by water to Union bay, tho
remaining six miles by land to Cumber,
land to be made on the Dunsmuir cOlliery
railway.
The scene of the accident will be reach
ed by midnight.
DIR. Walkem, the collierv surgeon. will
join the party of officials at NarairoT
and will accompany them to the mine.
Even should the rescuinss party reanh
the interior of the wrecked workings
tonight there is little hope for any of
the men locked up in the shaft
brother-in-law of the premier and eI-
manager of the Dunsmuir mining bust
ness, said that scarcely any hope coul1
he held out for the men. The only way
by which any of them could escape
would be by reaching some of the remote
portions of the mine to which the fatal
gas and smoke could net penetrate The
gas in a coal mine. he said, did it's work
in a few minutes Hence the hopelessness
of the task of saving 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.