The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-10-02
SEVENTEEN MINERS
LOST THEIR LIVES
=-=s---=
Details Of the Fire in Extension
Mine at NanaimO.
MANY THRILLING ESCAPES
Victims Raa to Their Death Ia Attempting to
10 Escape BY the Accustomed Way
List Of the Dead Toe
Fire SHn Ragias.

VICTORIA. b. c. Oct IA Dispatch
from Extension. b. c giving details Of
the Ere in No, slope of the Duns-
mure mine, says:
Seventeen men are dead as the result
OF a FIRE ami explosion In Extension
mine No. .. belonging 10 Wellington
coHIery Company. The flames started
from a curtain which caught fire from
a miners lamp.
The fire broke out at the bottom Of
level No 5 and was communicated
across the stope by one Os the curtains.
In half an hour the whole stope was on
fire. Rescue parties flooded the mine
and reached the place where the miners
had been at work. bu, the men had
gone running with the fresh air instead
Of against Il in an attempt 20 get out
by the accustomed route. thus meeting
death half way. While the resuers
were at work the mine exploited. block
ing them, and explosions continued all
afternoon and evening When It was
realized that the men could not be
saved a strong force started to choke
the mine, but their work was undOne
by a terrific explosion which blew down
the barricade. At o'clock the fan
house was burning.
Here Is correct list Of dead re-
eeived from Extension at 1:SO a. m:
George Southeomb. timber man. mar
ried. with family. resided a; Ladysmith:
about 26 years OF age. a native OF Au-
straIia. worked here about two years.
Eugene Griffin. timber man, married;
family resides at Ladysmlth.
Welsh. manager Of the Ladysmith
baseball club.
John Patterson. miner. married: re-
sided at LAdysmith.
James Watson. miner aged So mar
ried; resided at Ladysmith.
Michael Dolan. miner. aged Is, mar
ried: resides at Ladysmlth.
william Pollock. miner. aged q, sin
gle; resided al Extension.
f l. Lind, miner. aged 30, married:
resided at Ladysmi,h.
John McCalum, married; resided at
Extension.
]. Blackley, miner. aged o; single.
E. Hazel, miner. single; recently
came from Idaho
Frank Mottishaw. pusher, single. Of
Nanaimo.
Charles NOye, pusher. single; resided
at Ladysmlth.
Archibald Reeves. pusher, married;
resided at Ladysmith.
- Boyd, pusher; resided a: Extension.
Hamilton. pusher single; resided
at Extension.
Antonio Pescetteili, miner. single, re-
sided al Extension.
Pescet,eIi. worked alone in No
level and there was no hope whatever
for him. His escape was Immediately
cut of when the fire started.
James Thomas, a rope rider. had
the slope. and seeing the fire coming
jumped of the car and ran. George
Southcomb and Eugene Griffith. timber
men. called to him to follow them. but
he ran on up the slope for one thousand
feet to its mouth and barely escaped
with his life The other men Nwere
over,akn by the flames ami perished.
A miner running from No. work.
Ings fell exhausted and. in falling.
knocked open a door in.o another gal
lery and thus escaped.
A Sad case Is that Of Mrs. William
Blakely. Her husband and her father.
John McCallum. are both In the nine,
and the woman. who is in delicate
health is distracted Her condition Is
considered dangerous.
The fire is still raging bu; {, is hop
ed 10 extingulsh {. withou. flooding the
mine.