Gilpin observer., 1901-02-21
ENTOMBEDIN A MINE
BODIES OF sIxTY-oNE MINERS NOT
YET RECOVERED.

Rescue Party Fails to Reach the Impris-
oned Men Owing to Fire and Wreckage.
Union Mine No @ at Cumberland the
Scene of Disaster.
Victoria, B. c., Feb. 1G.-News of
what Is feared to be one of the most
horrible mine accidents of not only the
province, but of the dominion, took
place yesterday at the Union mines,
owned by the wellington Colliery COM
pany, Of which James Dunsmuir, the
premier of the province, is the princl-
pal shareholder.
The explosion took place about II
o'clock in No. 6 Shaft. This particular
Shaft is situated in the village of Cum
berland. There were 60 men in it when
the explosion took place. and not one OF
them escaped. The explosion wrecked
the mine, destroying the shaft from
midway down, and filling it with a
solid mass of rocks, timbeTS and earth.
The first explosion was followed by
several more, while the dense volume
Of smoke issuing from the vent holes
indicated only too truly that fire as
well as gas was doing its destructive
work below. AS soon rs practical after
the accident the men in No. ; shaft Or
ganiZed rescue party. No. : is sit
uated about a mile from No 6. but the
two workings are connected by tur-
mel, and through this channel an at
tempt was made to help the unfortu-
nate fellows in the wrecked shaft.
They had not cut their way many yards
through the debris when they cncoun-
tered fire. which rendered the place
untenable and obliged the party to de-
sist. The hopeless message came back
by telephone to the surface, conveying
the heartbreaking news to the reia-
tives of the imprisoned men. whose
urging was not necessary to induce the
relief party to return to their appar-
emily hopeless task. The latest news
is somewhat encouraging. it being
stated that the fans are again working
and that the cage has got 1I5 feet and
is still going down in No. shaft.
Even should the rescuing party reach
the interior of the wrecked workings
there is little hope for any of the men
locked up In the shaft.
OF the GO imprisoned in the mine the
names of the following are obtainabie:
- Walker and two sons. John White,
Thomas Lord. Robert Steel. George
Turnbull. Many of tine men are mar
ried and have large families.
Immediately on receipt of the news
yesterday at the head offices of the
Dunsmuir company here II special train
was made up and proceeded to Nan.
aimo.
Vancouver, Feb. 1S.-Additionnl de-
tails continue to come from the Union
mines on Vancouver Island, where
the horrible fatality occurred Friday
The accident has thrown the towns or
Cumberland and Nanaimo into state
of gloom. The latest news from No.
9 shaft was that the flooding process
was still being continued. The fire
was still burning. although not so
fiercely ns during the preceding SO
hours. The tremendous volume of
water pouring into the mines from the
continuous supply furnished by an g.
inch main was gradually performing
the desired service and by tomorrow
1t Is confidently expected the fire will
be extinguished. 1t will be several
days before the bodies of the 81 ell
tombed miners can be recovered, be-
cause after the fire has been COM
pletely put out, it will be necessary to
pump the water out of the mine be-
fore rescuing party can hope to re-
move the corpses now lying ut the bot
tom of the shaft. The steamer Joan
having on board Premier james Dun..
muir of. the British Columbia govern
ment. who is also partial owner of the
Cumberland mines, arrived ut Union
YESTERDAY