Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-07-24
A NINE DISASTER.
A Terrible Explosion Took Place
at Park City, Utah.
THIR1Y.FIyE MINERS MEET DEATH.


Park City, Utah, July 17.-This city
and camp are plunged in the deepest
grief that they have ever expert
enced. The cause Of their sorrow is
an accident that occurred Tuesday
night in the Daly-West and Ontario
mines-an accident that brought
death to IS men, 80 in the Daly-West
and six in the Ontario.
The disaster was the result of an
explosion occasioned by John Burgy,
a miner, going into one Of the maya
zines Of the Daly-West with a
lighted candle. His act cost him his
life and the lives of many other min
ers beside. His own body was blown
to atoms. Not fragment Of his re-
mains have been found. All Of the
ether victims are recognizable, their
faces being easily identified by rela-
tives and friends.
The explosion occurred at 11:2o
Tuesday night and in twinkling
the most deadly gas was being gen.
Grated throughout the mines. It
crept through every tunnel, shaft
and incline, and in very short space
Of time scores of miners found them
selves face to face with death. It is
not known how much powder was
exploded, but whatever amount there
was 1t went off in a terrible concus-
sion. The shock was something ter
rife and was heard a long way, al
though it was nearly two o'clock be-
fore it was known in Park City, q
distance Of three miles.
When it is stated that q horse was
killed at the mouth of the Ontario
tunnel, two miles away, some idea Of
the force of the explosion may be
had. The animal was in use at the
entrance to this part Of the mine
and was hurled against the wall and
with such violence as to
be killed outright. Two other horses
we're also killed, the latter in the On
tario almost as great distance
away. That the loss Of life was not
lar greater than it Is, seems mar.
gelous.
The work Of rescuing the imper-
led and dead was quickly and heroic
lily undertaken. Men were brought
70 the surface just as fast as the dis.
lbled machinery would permit. The
7ictllns had to be brought up the
shaft in one compartment cage,
me Of the compartments having
been wrecked by the explosion.
every man who went down with the
irst rescuing party was overcome
" the deadly gas and it was with
he utmost difficulty that the ma
'hinery was kept in notion
Over in the Ontario, which is con-
lected with the Daly-West, six men
re dead. Eight escaped by the way
IT the Anchor tunnel. Two Of the
lead are rescuers, John Mclaughlin
nd John Eckstrom. The body Of
he latter is still in the mine.
When 1t was apparent that all re-
naming men were dead and that
urther rescue work would be futile.
was stopped for the time being
nd at present nothing is being done
r hat direction until after some ct
he deadly gas generated by the ex-
'losion has passed ont of the mine.
AS the dead were hoisted to the
urface and laid out they were
uickly identified by relatives, COM
rising wives, children, brothers,
listers and friends. The grief was
awful to behold and an.
'uish was written on every face.
The bodies as they lay in the night
ir presented an uncanny and grue-
ONE spectacle, and, altogether,
here was an appearance Of great
harnel house into and out Of which
undrcds of excited and sorrowing
eople ran hither and thither like
pectrcs in the night.