Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-11-21
SMUGGL ER-UNION
MINE DISASTER.
lWenty-three Men Known to Have Lost
Their LiyeS-TOtal Number OF Dead
Not Yet AsCertained.

lion tunnel dld not possess one Of the
these safeguards,
1t appears that much OF the stupefy-
ing effect VI the IRE was due TO the
names I'm the converter house, which
was saturatcu with oil and which emit
ted The darkest smoke imaginable.
The tunnel Is situated about midway
between the top or apex OF the mine
and the ninth level. 1t Is an lnterme-
diate working tunnel The seventh
level IL 1,IjO feet below the surface,
and the nln.h level, where between IS
ana W miners We're working When the
ilre occurfl Is 1000 feet below the sur
race AT last accounts all attempts 10
explore this level have been frustrated
by the smoke. Seventeen Of the TWEEN
ty-two bodies recovered were found Iu
the seventh level, The fire ala not pene.
trate the mine workings and the fright
ful loss Of life was due entirely 10
smoke.
OWNERSHIP or MINE.
The mine was originally owned by
company Of which John Porter, Of this
city was the president, and A. IL.
Fowler, secretary and treasurer. About
Two years ago the mine, with a number
OF others IN the same locality, was alb
sorbed BY the New England Explora.
tlon company Of which j, Is. Lawrence
" now the head and one of the prin-
clpal stockholders. The New England
company Is controlled by Boston capt.
talists.
Mr.. Lawrence went to New York
about a week ago. Arthur Collins.
manager of the mine, il also absent on
a trip to Mexico. Jacob Films, attor-
neg for the company, left for Telluride
'ast night to make an investigation.
MINERS FEDERATION DISCUSS 1T.
The executive board Of the Western
Federation Of Miners, now In session
N THIS city, discussed the disaster at
tnelr meeting today. They ayerred
that agitation would commence In la
hor circles TO procure legislation which
would remedy the evils which caused
the ire at the Smuggler- Union mine.
IN 1879 anowslide occurred lust
above Bullion tunnel IN which twenty
seven people lost their lives and 1t was
here on July last that the lighting,
consequent upon the miners strike, oc-
cured
REsCUING DEAD BODIES.
Denver Colo, Nov. 2i-A speclal to
the Post from Telluride, Colo, says:
The work Of resCuing bodies OF miners
who were suffocated to death In the
smuggler-Jnion mine yesterday morn
Ing WAS resumed az 9 o. clock this morn.
ing. The searching parties were unable
to work last night owing 10 the dense
volumes OF SULPHUR gas which per-
meatcd every portion of the Is miles
of underground workings, II Is not ex-
pected that all OF the bodies will be
recovered before midnight tonight and
IL may even be longer. How many bod
les remain In the mine Is simply mat
ter OF conjecture and full number OF
dead viii not be known until COM
plete roster OF the employees has been
secured and those who escaped ac-
counted for There may be so more bod
les In the mine, II Is certain that every
man who was imprisoned In the mine Is
dead; no living being could exist In this
awful sulphur fumes for more than a
few minutes.
BRINGING BODIES DOWN.
The work Of bring down the bodies OF
the victims was slow and laborlous, the
steep trail making II very difficult to
carry the bodies The bodies were
placed upon improyised stretchers and
then raised upon the shoulders Of
twelve stalwart miners and brought TO
the coroner's office, where they were
laid out In rows. From 100 TO goo men
xrava aVorauaI In tltio ,UorL
Shift Bosses Horgelson and Barley
sacrificed their lives In vain attempt
TO save the lives OF their mine assoc
clates, They had ample warning 81 the
fire and could easily have escaped from
the tunnel. Instead they went back In
TO the workings to spread the alarm.
They succeeded probably In warning
only a very few of the men In the mine
before they themselves were overcome
by the deadly sulphur fumes.
The coroner will hold an inquest upon
but one body, the verdict In this case
being deemed sufficient to cover all Of
the casualties
VOLUNTEERS PLENTIFUL.
A large crowd began gathering at the
Smuggier- Union mine early this morn
ing. every man volunteering to Join
the rescue parties. Only the most ex-
perienced miners have been chosen for
this dangerous work and up to o'clock
those selected were busy making pre-
paratlons to safeguard themselves In
case large bodies OF smoke and sulphur
gas should be encountered IN the work.
ings as the search FOR the dead pro-
crossed. At that hour the first rescue
party entered the workings. Their
progress Is slow and It win be several
hours, II Is thought, before any more
bodies are encountered.
Many Of the victims were married
men and several left families There
IS already talk Of raising relief fund
for the widows and orphans, and IL Is
quite likely that the state VIII be asked
70 assist the people OF Telluride in car
ing FOR those who have so suddenly been
bereft OF their support,
Up to p. m. % bodies, all told, had
been recovered. Az 2 .. m. an attempt
was made 20 enter the ninth level north
but on account Of the density OF smoke
Il was impossible 20 DO so. II Is stated
by one OF the officers OF the company
that there are only three or four men
missing and that the total Number OF
the dead will not exceed rs.