The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-16
so men BURIED.
Disastrous Mine Explosion at
Cumberland, B. C.

Seattle, Wash, Feb. ia special to
the Post-Intelhgencer from Victoria
says:
One of the most horrible mine acct
dents in the history of the Dominion
took place at the Union mines owned
by the Wellington Colliery company, of
which James Dunsmire, the premier OF
the province, is the principal share
holder, in No. shaft, one of the work
ings Of the big coal mine there. This
particular shaft is situated right in the
village of Cumberland. There were so
men in it when the explosion took place,
and not one Of them escaped. The ex-
plOsiOn ignited the mine, Wrecking the
shaft from midway down to the bot
tom and filing it with a solid mass of
rocks, earth and timber The first ex-
plosion was followed by several more,
while the dense volumes of smoke is
suing from the vent holes indicated that
fire as well as gas was doing its de-
Structive work below
AS soon as practicable after the acct
dent the men of the morning shift in
No. shaft organized a rescue party.
No. is situated about mile from No.
but the two workings are connected by
q tunnel, and through this channel an
attempt was made to help the unfor-
tunate fellows in the wrecked shaft.
They had not cut their way many yards
through the debris when they encOunt-
cred fire which rendered the place I'M
Sist. The hopeless message came back
by telephone to the surface conveying
the news to the relatives of the inn
priSOned men. whose urging was not
necessary to induce the relief party to
return to their apparently hopeless task
Overcome at last by gas and smoke they
reluctantly withdrew from No. S and
commenced work on a long cut from
No. A. the only other means of reaching
the men, Work on this was prosecuted
with the greatest vigor until abatement
of the fire in No. 5 enabled them to
once more return there.
Many of the men are married and
have large families
Immediately upon the receipt of the
news at the head office of theDunsInire
company here a special train was made
up and proceeded to Nanaimo. Premier
Dunsmuir is not yet home from Ottawa
but his confidential representative, A l.
Lindsey his son, Robert Dunsnnuir, Mr..
Lyle. the superintendent of the mine,
and Inspector of Mines Morgan left on
this special. At Nanaino the Dunsmuir
steamer Joan awaited them, and they
will proceed go miles by water to Union
Bay, the remaining six miles by land to
Cumberland to be made on the Duns-
muir colliery railway.
The Cumberland mine is one Of the
properties of the Union COlliery COM
pany, situated near Comox and
reached from Union Bay by the private
cOlliery railway crossing the Trent river
over which the memorable bridge dis
aster occurred a year or two ago. 1t
has been singularly fortunate heretofore
in immunity from disaster and was
counted an especially safe mine to work
in by reason of the character of the for
nation in which the coal is found there
and the manner in which it had been
opened up. No. 6 shaft. the scene of the
disaster. was bottomed in October. 1898, I
at a depth of 814 feet Tt is well con-
stucted and tin1bered with a mud wall,
the Dit being tirnbered with 12x1S sawn
hulks built solidly together Is feet wide
and II feet high. The shaft is located
close to the railway and ventilation Of
the mine is effected by a. IA by foot
Guibal fan. which when run to it's full /
gives 5000 cubic feet of air
circula ton per minute. The air enters
by the haulage slopes and is divided |
into separate splits. the main split be-
ing at the point where No. reaches
off the main slope.