The San Francisco call., 1901-10-01
F|RE-SWEPT
MINE HOLDS
FIFTEEN MEN
Flames in Possession of
a Colliery Near
Nanaimo.
Workmen Sent In to Com
bat Con1agration Fail
to Return.
Smoke Fills Every Drift and Tunnel
and Hope That the Unfor-
tunates Still Live Is
Abandoned.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NANAIMO B. c. Sept 3o.-Fire is
raging through the Extension mines and
in their recesses the bodies of fifteen men
lie beyond hope of rescue. The names
of the dead, as far as learned at this
time, follow:
MICHAEL DOLAN.
JAMES WATSON.
F. MOTTISHAW
ANTHONY IEISTELO.
GEORGE sOUTHCoMBE.
DAVID GRIFFITHS.
ARCHIE REEVES.
CHARLES NOY
EDWARD HAZEL.
j. McCALLUM.
TONY (an Italian).
WILLIAM BLAKELY
The fire was started by a curtain be-
ing ignited by a pit lamp at noon to-day.
Soon the woodwork was blazing and it
became evident that the safety of those
in the mines was endangered AS quickly
as possible every was got out
Twelve men then entered to fight .the
flames which were by this time extend
ing to No 8, all the slopes being con-
nected9 They never came back. Three
others followed and were not seen again.
Narrow Escape of Rescuers.
The next to descend were the man
ayers, Robert Dryden, Andrew. Dryden
and Alexander Fields, this time as
rescue party They returned dragging
Andrew Dryden unconscious to the sur
face, where, after some time, he recov-
cred. The attempt at rescue had been
found to be hopeless.
Several explosions occurred in No. 8
anu from all the outlets large volumes
OF smoke began 70 pos svhi1ssatl,e flames.
from No. arose 100 feet into the air
There was no water available and moth
ing could be done to subdue the con-
fagration except to close the mine and
smother it, a course which has not been
attempted as 1t was feared an explosion
would follow which would destroy the
mine. Hope for the men below was then
abandoned. The outlook for saving the
property is gloomy and several hundred
men are likely to be thrown out of work
James Dunsmuir, the Premier, presi-
dent of the wellington Coal Company,
which works the Mines has turned his
back upon the reception of the Duke of
Extension on a special train
Dunsmuir Starts for Scene.
VICTORIA, B. c., Sept. 3O.-Premier
Dunsmuir, president of the Wellington
Colliery Company, has received the fol-
lowing dispatch from Alexander Dryden,
manager of the Extension mines of that
company, situated near Ladysmith
Fire occurred in No 2 slope at No 8
level, which made such headway that in
half an hour it was half way up the
slope, spreading to the airways and WORK
ings of both No. and No. mines
was obliged to stop both of the mines
after the two explosions. Have lost some
men; cannot say how many.
Mr.. Dunsmuir left by special train this
evening with a staff of engineers.
More Victims Found
VICTORIA, B. c., Oct. IA dispatch
from Extension, B. c., says fire broke
out at the bottom of the level and was
communicated across the stope by one
of the curtains and in half an hour the
whole stope was on fire. Rescue parties
entered the mine and reached the place
where the miners had been at work. but
the men had gone, running with the fresh
air instead of against it, in an attempt to
meeting death half way. While the res
cuers were at work the mine exploded,
blocking them, and explosions occurred
all the afternoon and evening. When it
was realized that the men could not be
saved, a strong force started to choke the
mine. but their work was undone by
terrific explosion which blew down the
barricade. At o'clock the fan house
burned
t. &ol Ii1& i i
Extension at 1:3O a. M; George South
comb timberInan married, with family
resided at Ladysmith, about 26 years of
age, native OF Australia; Eugene Grit
fin, timberman, married, family reside at
Ladysmith; Welsh, manager of the Lady
smith Baseball Club; John Patterson
miner married, aged AZ, resided at Lady
smith; James Watson, miner aged So
married, family resided at Ladysmitll;
Michael Dolan, miner, aged 25, married,
with family residing at Ladysmith, son
of a well-known farmer of Nanaimo dis
trict; William Pollock, miner, aged 81
single resided at Extension; E. Lynd
miner aged 30. Russian Finn, newly
married. resided at Extension; John Nc
Callum, miner, married, family resided
at Extension; J. Blackly, miner, %
years of age, single, the stepson Of ].
McCallum, with whom he resided: E. Ha-
eel, miner, single, native of the Unit
ed States, recently came from Idaho;
Frank Mottishaw, pusher, single, son of
w. Mottishaw of Five Acre Lots Ma
naimo; Charles Noye, pusher single. re-
sided at Ladysmith; Archibald Reeves.
pusher, married, one son, resided at
Ladysmith; Boyd pusher native of
Nova Scotia, resided at Extension; Ham
ilton, pusher, single, just out from Scot
land; 1t was his first days pushing; re-
sided at Extension. Antonio Pescettelli
miner single, native of Brescia, Italy, re-
sided at Extension. Pescettelli worked
alone in number l level. and there was
no hope whatever for him.. His escape
was immediately cut off when the fire
To- IF cd