Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-02-23
BURIED IN A
BURNING MINE
Sixty Canadian Miners Entombed
by an Explosion Near
Victoria.
ALL ARE BELIEVED TO BE DEAD
Slim Chance Of Escape for any Of
the Imprisoned Work
men,
ALL ARE BELIEVED TO BE DEAD
FIRE PREVENTS THEIR RESCUE
Heroic Efforts Being Made to Reach the
Entombed Men, But 1t Seems Hope
less-Intcrlor Badly Wrecked
by Explosion.

Victoria, B. c., Feb. 1s.-what is
feared will be one OF the most horrible
mine accidents in the history OF the
Dominion took place yesterday fore
noon at the Union mines, owned by the
yelling C~olliery company, of which
James Dunsmuir. the premier of the
province, is the principal shareholder.
The te~legraphic advices received so
far give no complete history of the in
cident, but newspaper correspondents
are now hurrying by steamers and tug
boats to the scene, the full facts
Will shortly be obtainable.
AS near as can be gathered, the ex-
plosion took place at about IL o'clock
yesterday in No. 6 shaft, situated In
the village OF Cumberland. There were
sixty men In 1t when the explosion
took place, and not one of them es-
capped. The explosion ignited the mine,
wrecking the shaft from midway down
to the bottom, and filling 1t with a
solid mass of rocks, earth and timbers.
The first explosion was followed by
ceveral more, while the dense volume
of mok issuing from the vent holes
indicated hat fire, as we'll as gas, was
LOlll6 L utSllu CllNS "OTh DGlON.
AS soon as practicable after the ac-
cident the men of the morning shift
organized a rescue party. No. 8 is sit
uated about a mile from No. 6, but
the two workings are connected by a
unnel and through this tunnel an at
tempt was made to help the unfortun-
ste men 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 compelled the
party to desist.
The hopeless message came back by
telephone to the surface. Overcome at
last by gas and smoke, they reluctant
ly withdrew from No. 5 and commenced
work in a long cut from Nc. 4, the only
other means of reaching the men. Work
on this was prosecuted with the great
est vigor until abatment Of the fire in
No. s enabled them to once more re-
turn there.
The latest news is somewhat encour-
aging, 1t being stated that the fans are
again working, and hat h cage has
penetrated 175 feet and is still going
down in No. 8 shaft.
Ever 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.
A second explosion occurred In No. {
shaft at Union colliery last night, but 1t
had been expected and al 1.-THE men had
left the workings. This explosion pre-
vents any further attempts being made
to rescue the entombed miners through
No. 5 shaft.
A partial list OF the entombed men
follows:
w. b.. WALKER, leaves a wife and
two children, ais two son George and
William, being also killed.
JOHN WHITE, miner, leaves a wife
and four children.
THOMAS LORD, miner, single.
JAMES HALLIDAY, miner, single.
DUNNENAN MUNRO, leaves a wife
and large family.
w. S. NEDDEN, miner, leaves a wife
and large family.
PETER BARDESON, leaves q wife
and two children.
- BONO, single.
r. FLICK, married.
ANDREW SMITH, single.
d. M. DAVIS, single.
A. MAFFEE.
d. M'GINNIS.
JIM CROSETTE. single.
JOSEPH ALLISON, driver, single.
GEORGE and WILLIAM WALKER,
drivers.
- TURNBULL, timberman, leaves
xyifn