The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-02-17
THE SHAFT is WRECKED
Rescuing Party Enter the Mine by a
Tunnel
THEY ARE MET BY FIRE AND DRIVEN BACK
With the Abatement Of the Fire They Return,
Blu, it is Feared That the imprisoned
Men Are Now Beyond All
Human Aid
Human Aid.
(By the Associated Press

Seattle. Wash, Feb. IA special to
the Post-Inteillgencer from Victoria
says:
What it is feared will prove one OF
the most horrible mine accidents in the
history of the dominion look place today
at The Union Mines owned by the yelling
Colliery Company, of which James Duns-
muir, the Premier of the Province. is the
principal shareholder.
Newspaper correspondents are now
hurryng by steamers and tug boats to the
scene. AS near as can be gathered the
explosion took place at about IL o'clock
this forenoon in No. shaft 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 solid mass of rocks,
earth and tilnbers. The first explosion
was followed by several more while a
dense volume of smoke pouring from the
vent holes Indicated that fire as well as
gas was doing destructive work below
Men of the morning shift in No. .
| shaft organized q rescue party. No. >
| and No. are connected BY a tunnel, and
through this channel the attempt was
made.
"They had not cut their way many
Yards through the debris when they en-
| countered FIRE which rendered the place
untenablc and obliged the party to de-
sist
THE message came back by telephone
| to The surface conveying the heart
| breaking news TO the relatives of the
| imprisonea men. whose urging was not
| necessary to induce the relief party to re-
| turn 10 their apparently hopeless task.
| Overcome at last by gas and smoke they
| reluctantly withdrew from No. and
| commenced work On long cut from No.
| T. the only other means OF reaching the
| men Work on this was prosecuted with
| the greatest yigor until abatement Of the
| fire in No. enabled them TO once more
| return there
THE fans now are again working, the
cage has been sent down f75 feet and
is still going down in No. 4 shaft.
Many of the men are married and
have large families.
From the head of the office of the
| Dunmuir Company here a special traiT
| proceeded at 1:l5 o'clock ia Manaimo
| Premier Dunsmuir's personal represen-
| tative A. L. Lindsey, his son Robert
| Dunsmur, Mr.. Little, the superintendent
| of the mine. and Inspector of Mines Nor
gan left on this special. Al Nanaimo
which was reached this evening, the
Dunsmuir steamer Joan awaited them
and on her they will proceed sixty miles
by water to Union Bay, the remaining
six miles by land to Cumberland to b'
made on the Dunsmuir Colliery Railway
THE scene of the accident will be-
reached by midnight.
Mr. Walkem, the colliery surgeon, viii
Join the party Of officials at Nanaimo anC
will accompany them to the mine.
Even should the rescuing party reacf
the interior OF the mrecked working
tonight there is little hope for any o
the men locked up in the shaft.
The only possible escape would be b!
reaching some remote portion of thu
workings to which the fatal gases AM
smoke could not penetrate. The gas il
a coal mine, the PTemier's brotherin
/, law said tonight, did its work in a few
minutes Hence the hopelessness of tn
task of saving men who had been il
it for hours.
THE last report of the inspector o
| mines pronounced the shaft as comply
ing with the regulations governing Goa
mines"