Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-02-16
SHV'fve Are imprisoned in the
Cumberland Coal Mine,
ESCAPE QUITE IMPOSSIBLE.
WINE IL Situated on Vancouver Island
An Explosion Caused The Trouble
Aid Sent Immediately.

miners are Imprisoned in No. shaft Of
the Cumberland coal mine on Van.
couyer island.
The only exit is the mouth OF the
shaft, which is filled with huge vol.
ume Of flames.
there is considered to be no posi-
billty for the unfortunates to escape.
Details of the disaster are meagre.
The Cumberland mine is in the village
of Union about sixty miles north Of
the town Of Nanalmo The only tele.
graphic communication from Union ia
by single government wire and little
Is known Of the tragedy in the mine
except that a terrible explosion occurred
in No. shaft Of the Cumberland about
II o'clock this morning
The explosion Ignited the mine,
wrecking the shaft from midway down
to the bottom and filling It with
solid mass Of rocks, earth and timber.
The first explosion was followed by sew
eral more, while the dense volumes Of
smoke issuing from the vent holes
Indicated only too truly that fire as
we'll as gas was doing It's destructive
work below
AS soon as practicable after the ac-
cident the men Of the morning shift in
No. shaft organized a rescue party.
No. 8 IL situated about mile from No,
., but the two workings are connected
by a tunnel, and through this tunnel
an attempt was made TO reach the un-
fortunate fellows in the wrecked shaft,
They had not cut their way many
yards through the debris when they en-
countered fire which rendered the place
untenable, and obliged the party to
desist The hopeless message came
back by telephone to the surface con-
veying the heart breaking news to
anxious relatives Of the imprisoned men,
whose urging was not necessary to IN
duce the relief party TO return to their
apparently hopeless task. Overcome at
last by gas and smoke they reluctantly
Withdrew from No. and commenced
work on long cut from NO. I, the
only other means of reaching the men
Work on this was prosecuted with
the greatest yig0r until an abatement
Of the fire in No. enabled them once
more To return there.
The latest news Is somewhat encour-
aging, IL being stated that the fans are
again working, that the cage has got
115 feet and is still going down IN NO.
shaft,
A second explosion occurred in No. 8
shaft at Union colliery tonight, but IL
had been expected, and all the men
had left the workings This explosion
prevents any further efforts being made
10 rescue the entombed miners through
No. shaft.
A partial list Of the entombed miners
follows.
W b. walker Oyerman married:
leaves wife and two daughters ms TWO
sons. George and William being also
killed 80.
John White. miner married, leaves
wife and four children,
Thomas Lord, miner, single
James Halliday. miner, single
II Dupnean Munro. married; leaves
n wife and large family.
W Snedden, miner; leaves VIE ana
large family
peter Bardeson. miner, married;
leaves wife ana two chPdfeh'
-. Bohoe. single,
Il. FlpCk. married.
/. Simondi, married.
Andrew Smith, single.
y. NJ. Davis. single.
A Maffee.
ID. McGnnis
Jim Crosctte single.
Joseph Allison, driver first shift; sim
gle.
George and William Walker, drivers
George Turnbul tlmberman; leaves
wife
Robert Steel
Immediately on receipt " the news
today at the head Office " the Weillhg-
ton colllery special train was mace
M and proceeded az lis O'Clock 10
Nanaimo. a..
Premier James Dunsmulr president
Of the company. Is not yet home rom
Ottawa, but his confidential representa-
tive. 4. l. Llndsa. his son. RoDuln
Dunsmulr Mr. Little, the superlnteh.
dent of the mine and Inspector on
Mines Morgan left on this special ~
NanaIun which was reached THIS eve
ming me Dunsmuir steamer Joan
awaited them. and on her they VIII pro-
coed sixty miles by water 10 mon
hav the remaining six miles by land to
Cumberland. Ia be made on me Duhs-
muir ColUerv railway and the scene
~ 'ha accident viii be reached by MD
niohf.
Fvgr should the rescung party reach
the Interior ~ the wrecked workings 20
NIGHT there o. little hope for ony o. the
mon locked MP I'm the shaft John
pryn0n cy-M r.. hrother-ln-law OF
the premier and ex-maneger oi the
mining portion of the Dunsmuir mining
business said tonight that scarcely any
hone could be- held out tor the men
The only way In which any NJ them
could escape would DE by reaching some
remote portion OF the working 10 when
thta fatal gases and smoke could nor
penetrate The gas NJ a coal mine. ne
s1ld. docs its work IN "a few minutes.
Hence tho hopelpesness n the task or
saving men who had been IN II ior
hours ...
The last report Of the inspector 81
mines pronounced the shaft as comply,
ing with the regulations governing co"l
mines ,,.l,t
Dr Walkem the collery surgeon, WIN
io.n the party of officials at Nanoimo
and win accompany them 10 The scene
The Cumberland mine has been s'nsu-
larry fortunate heretofore In immunity
from disaster. and was counted an csc
nccially safe mine 90 work In ov reafo,n
~ the character OF the formation y
IN which the coal Is found there. ano
the manner IN which u had been opened
nm No shaft the scene ~ the dlsas.
Ter was bottomed in October lSss AZ
n aenth ~ Sii feet II Is well construct