Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1902-08-02

hossland, B. c., July 2S-
Dunkle, superintendent of ~ us
NINE was instantly killed hv ae Rol
III ON the 6OO-foot level Of tho a ave
Two tlmbermen, William 7 MINI N.Y. mine
and Daniel Gum, were buriaa IDOnald
same mass of rock. bur wo ~ ~ the
Gated alive and practicallv s 80, extn
lheir escape was miraculous "nuurl
the incidents attending tba ....
are or the most sensational a'sllts
ana the terrible event has can uasa'e
gloom throughout the city thai =
most unprecedented. At tbo = a.
a connection was being made hot e NO
the 700 and the 600 foot levels ss"eel
men were removing the sill floor ~ ~ -
'oo level. The work had been uns ~
way for several days, but tho ro anusr
were unsatisfactory. The stona~ 'ulS
the 600 foot level were fuod ~
thousands of tons of loose waste r VIM
lett after the ore had been extr.otoa
and this was bearing down unor ~, ~
tlmoering of the floors beneath n -
omlnous manner, causing the timbor.
to slew and shift. ''''
instructions were issued IN hn,h,.,
at close intervals, but even tbiC as
not appear to have the desired AtaO,
IL was essential in order to save tbs
ore yet unstoped on the 700 foot lavol
that the sill floor should be maintainod
intact, and Superintendent Dunkla bod
been underground for many hours mar.
sonally looking after the placing IN
position of timbers. At an early hon,
this morning he was on the sill floor
of the 700 foot level with three msn
while a gang of Is men were doing
similar work on the twelfth Aoor
about 20 feet below. Despite the tim.
bering, it became evident that the foo,
would not hold, and as last resort an
effort was made to blast an opening
that would permit the vast to escape
through the waste shoot into lower
levels, thus relieving the weight above
and Strengthening the supports be.
meath. The shoot became choked and
a shot was placed to dislodge the bout.
ders and tfmbers forming the obtsurc.
ton. The shot failed to explode, and
Mr.. Dunkle went back with his two
men to relight the fuse, stating that Il
1t failed to relieve the situation he
would abandon the effort to save the
level.
While the trio were within the dan.
ger zone the floor gave way and cata
clysm of rock, timbers and debris
poured in upon them with roar and
a crash that resounded through the
miles of mine workings. The mass
was not less than 100 feet long and
contained thousands of tons of ma
terial, the aggregation of years Of
work in the upper levels.
The men were at the center OF the
slide, and Mr.. Dunkle was caught IN
the avalanche and crushed to death
Mcdonald and Gum escaped practical
ly unhurt.
The men in the floors beneath heard
the crash, and the thrush OF air al
most blew them out to the station
They Immediately left the workings
fearing that the straining and cracKlns
timbers above augured further cave
in. When it was seen that the tlmpe'
would stand the weight, they returnea
and plans for a rescue were lmmeu
ately formed. Manager MachenA'
was summoned, and Shift Bosses ~
Thorne and Fred Whitman headed NV
relief party. They set to work amiu'.
the grinding mass, not knowing wn.'
instant another and even more ol'''
trous avalanche would occur.
Manager Mackenzie discovereu
small aperture near the footwall OF y.
stope, and wormed his way In untli !.
heard a shout from the center o. VI
great mass. Stimulated by the Ano
edge that at least two of the men WelI
alive, the rescuers labored IKE ip ,so,
men, and three and half hours o..
the slide they took out McDonaii ' -
Gum. The men we're pinned iowh
great timbers, several 10inch nous I.
curing to be sawn through at inc ~.
minent risk of the rescuers lives
Their man was seriously injured lbs
Half an hour later Mr. DuiNS
body was discovered, but II ond
elapsed before it could be reacneu h
released. Death must have peV ~
Simultaneous, from the nature u