The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-07-19

IL.
They found Mclaughlin several rods
away from the shaft, unconscious. He
was brought to the surface, and al
though the doctors turned their atten-
ton to him at once and did everything
possible, he expired in less than quar-
ter of an hour.
During the day the refusal of Fore
man Nimo to permit McBaughlin's
friends to go into the mine after him
oNershadowed every other feature of
the disaster in the talk on the street.
He was condemned almost universally,
ana even threats of violence were
heard. He explained his course just as
he did when the order was issued 1t
was perilous to allow anybody in the
mine at that time he said, although
nobody felt more aggrieved over the
affair than he.
When the word of young McLaugh-
Inns tragic death was carried to his
folks, they were simply crazed with
grief, which finally took the form of
loud denunciation. Among his friends
IN the Elks lodge the same sentiments
We're heard, and the upshot of the mat
ter was a demand upon County Attor-
ney Calls for special inquest, which
will in all probability be granted.
Richard Dillon, who came here from
Ireland two weeks ago, is also among
the heroic dead. He was at work on the
900 level, where the men stood debating
as to whether or not there had been an
explosion. Surmising that if an acct
dent had occurred, the men below
would be imperiled by the fumes, Dill
lon and Dick Harlon rushed for the
ladders and descended for the purpose
of showing the entTapped victims a
way out of danger onto the level above.
Unconsciously. the two men leaped into
the mouth of death. Both went on,
shouting to the ehtombed miners, but
gradually the fumes overcame them
and they fell in their tracks.
John ellis was at work alone in the
/, 400-foo level. At the time of the eX-
plosion he was hurled to the ground,
but recovering, rushed toward the shaft
and Joined the party of eight who es
capped through the Anchor mine. While
in the 1,290-foot level he heard his
named called, and, turning, found two
bodies piled together. One he
thought was dead, but the 9TH
er, Richard Dillon, who was still
alive, begged and pleaded to be
carried from the tomb. He was carried
200 feet by ellis, who sank exhausted.
Realizing that he would sacrifice his
own life if he attempted further to take
the man from the level, ellis was
forced to leave Dillon to his fate, and
barely escaped with his own life.
Some minutes later Dick StatZ, an
other Of the heroes, came across Har-
Ions PROSTATE form, and with super
human strength carried him UP the
perpendicular ladders the entire dis
lance of 300 feet to the 800 level. Upon
reaching the surface, Harlon was re-
suscitated. Dillon's dead body was
found hours safterward by a rescuing
party. Only a couple of weeks ago
Dillon's father was crushed in cave
at the Daly-West, and he is now in a
Salt Lake hospital Slowly recovering.
John Eckstrom entered the mine with
party of rescuers during the morn
ing. His dead body is somewhere utl-
derground, for he never returned to
the surface.
A young man by the name of George
Richardson, not miner, was with a
rescuing party on the cage, and that is
the last seen of him. For a time it
was thought that he had come up and
would return home in due time, but as
the hours wore away and not a trace of
him was discovered his heart broken
parents came to the inevitable conclu-
sion Tonight his body was found in
the stump.
Gas Affected All.
Scarcely one took part in the rescue
work but was overcome either while in
the mine or after coming out. AS they
describe it, it is impossible to detect
the poisonous gas either by. sight or
odor, and until they feel themselves
falling have no realization that it is
affecting them. The sensation is much
the same as falling asleep. This ex-
plains why SO many were overcome.
Up at the Ontario one of the rescuers
lost his reason, temporarily, under the
effects of the gas. He insisted upon
remaining in the NINE and when his
fellows tried to take him out, threat
ened to kill them. once he broke away
and ran into some obscure spot in the
winZe, sat down and wrote a letter to
his wife, who was at the top of the
shaft, saying he felt great and didn't
expect to be home, but urging her not
to worry. Every time the rescuing
party would attempt to get close to
him, he would run farther into the
mine He was there over an hour be-
fore friends induced him to come out
and then he was put to bed, very SICK
man.
The death list would have been great
er but for the systematic way in which
at the Daly-West and Ontario shafts.
At the former four men were selected
at time from among the numberless
volunteers, and after they had come
up with a body, staggering and deathly
pale. four others would step into their
places. without a thought of the dan
ger and go down into the mine Had
young Mclaughlin not been SO persist
emit in his courageous work, he would
/ have escaped the awful fate. He could
not however, be restrained from en-
| tering the mine too often.
At the Ontario the rescue work was
under the direction of superintendent
Matt Connolly, whose PRACTICAL sense
and thoughtfulness saved much sut1er-
ing, if not life itself.
The gas was so bad that it was over
coming the engineers as fast as they
were changed, although they were
working thirty minute shifts.
KNOCK out those windows" ordered
Connolly, "and give them air. I'm go
ing down now, but see here, you fei-
lows, if that isn't enough, tear out the
side of the shaft house. This thing
has got to keep up
At another exciting moment, Connel-
" ordered the rescuers in, no uncertain
terms to leave the dead bodies alone as
long as there were men alive in the
mine. This command was responsible,
perhaps, for the saving of several lives,
for it was obeyed to the letter. Mr..
Connolly allowed none but stalwart
men, and as a rule. unmarried men, to
enter the shaft.
All the mines in Park City have sus-
pended and their men are assisting in
the rescue work. No attempt will be
made to resume until after the funerals
of the victims take place.
]. E. BAMBERGER MAKES
AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT.
81 LIZ 1e M M ger / z