The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-27
ARE EN|OMBED IN FLAMES !
SCORE OF MINERS MEETS SUDDEN
AND TERRIBLE DEATH AT
DIAMONDvILLE, wYO.
EFFORTS AT RESCUE FUTILE
With the Certainty of the Death of
Every Imprisoned Man, Work
Was Directed to Saving the
Rest of the Mine.

CHEYENNE Wyo, Feb. 26.-The
worst disaster in the history of coal
mining in Wyoming since the Almy hor-
ror, eight years age occurred at Dia-
nionGville last night. Thirty-five men
are believed to have persisted in a fire
which started II Nine No. J, of the
Diamondville Coal and Coke company.
The blaze was first discovered shortly
after the night shift commenced work. It
is thought to have originated from a
careless miners lamp in the oil room.
The flames mad. such rapid progress
that only one man escaped from the
two entries in which It was confined
His name is Jehn Anderson and he was
frightfIilly burned in running the gaunt-
let ot the flames He was suddenly con-
fronted by wall of fife ana smoke and
wrapping his head in an oyercoat. he
ran in the direction Of the main en-
trance. The FIRST ir,tin aticn the miners
IN the other entries had &c a fire was
when Anderson came rushing into the
upper level, his clothing i'll flames. He
fell unconscious ana was carried to the
mouth of the mine. The alarm was
sounded and hundreds of miners at work
IN the mines and on the outside rushed
to the rescue of their imperiled com
rades. The fire had by this time made
such progress that it was impossible TO
enter the rooms of flames The entire
night was spent in combining the fire to
the two entries and this morning it was
necessary to seal them up to prevent
the flames from spreading to other parts
Of the mine.
ALL HOPE ABANDONED.
This step was only decided upon after
all hope of saving the lives of the men
had been abandoned. Nothing could live
five minutes in the fire which was in.
creasing in fierceness every minute The
plugging of the two entries will smother
the fire, but it may be several days be-
for the barHicades can be removed and
the chambers explored The exact total
OF men entombed is not yet known as
number are missing, some on sick
leave and others in the hospital suffer-
ing from burns received while fighting
the flames, SO that an accurate count
is at present impossible
The scenes at the mouth of the mine
during the night and today were heart
rendine. Relatives and friends of the
entombed miners rushed to the mine.
frantically waving their hands and cry
ing to the mine officials and miners to
save their dear ones
Many OF the women and children were
Slightly injured in the crowd and by
falling over obstacles in the darkness.
Diamondville has been the scene of a
number of disastrous fires since the coal
mines were opened there. ten Years a go
but the conftagrations We're never at,
tended with serious loss of life The
mine is owned by the Oregon Short Line
railroad. Its output is about IT'S 900 tons
or coal per year, and upward of 700
miners are employed.
FIRE NOW UNDER CONTROL,
KEMMERER, Wyo., Feb. 26.-It is Civ
en- out by Supt. Thomas sheldon and
confirmed by others familiar with the
conditions that the lives of all the men
were certainly .extinguished within three
minutes of the fire gaining the ascendan-
cy.
At this writing. 6 p. M, the fire is fully
under control, and Supt. Sheldon an
nounces that he will open the mine to-
morrow for the recovery of the bodies.
An additional tragedy followed the main
one today. Thomas Simpson, with his
young son, who are among the victims,
came to Diamondville from Alabama,
but six weeks ago, bringing his wife, in
the hope that the change of climate
would benefit her health. The shock of
last nights tragedy was too great for
Mrs Simpsons health and today she
died. Thus every member of this fam
lily is a victim of the disaster.
The prompt action of Supt. Sheldon
in closing the mine and thus combining
the fire and ultimately extinguishing it
has prevented vast property loss and
will make it possible for the company to
resume operations without much loss Of
time, in fact, Mr.. Sheldon has advised
the Oregon Short Line officials that
the shutdown resulting from the fire will
be temporary and that he will resume
work beforezthe close Of this week.
The experience of the company in the
fire in the same mine two years ago,
when the mine was closed for many
months and vast property loss entailed,
is not to be repeated. Ever since the last
fire was brought under control the COM
pany has beenz preparing for repeti-
ton False bulkheads were put in on
every level, with the necessary material
at hand BY this means, any portion OF
the mine could be quickly and effectually
converted into an alright and freight
compartment These conditions prevailed
last night and when the hopelessness Of
recovering any dives became apparent
Mr.. Sheldon promptly sealed UP the por-
ton of the mine afire.
OF the men imprisoned in the working,
only two are supposed to be Americans
the balance being Italians and Firms.