The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-01-09
MOST DISTRESSING ACCIDENT IN.
YEARS OCCURS AT NEGAu.
- M,
f.. NEE, MICH. u.
THE RESULT OF "A CAVE.IN
Number Of Dead Placed at From Thir-
= teen to seventeen-WhiIe Eating.
Their, Dinner Thousands, q Tons Of
Ore Fell, on the Unfortunate Men
Without Warning-Little Hope of
49, t..ti| - ~
Rescuing Them. ,aL
Rescuing]'T hem.

|
Negaunee,: Mich, Jan. 8.-The most
distressing accident occurring in this
county for years took place at the Ne.
gaunee mine at noon, by which from
l3 to II miners are thought to have
lost their lives. The accident was the
result Of a cave-in at the bottom Of
the old shaft and had it occurred half
an hour sooner about $50 men would
have been killed. The names of the
dead SO far as known are: William
Williams, John Sullivan, John Pascoe.
John Pearce and Jacob Hunlalla.
Thus far but two bodies have been
taken out, Hunlalla's and an Italian.
Dominic Basso, alive. Basso's story is
as follows:
1--WE were sitting around the pump
at the bottom of the shaft when with
out any warning thousands of tons of
ore came down. I remembered no
more until heard the sound of picks
and shovels in the hands of rescuers
and their shouts. I was in total dark
ness and my feelings cannot be de-
scrlbed. What seemed ages to me
was but minutes. When rescuers
found me was Is feet from the place
where was sitting and found myself
in drift. How I got there is a mys-
terry; but can only be accounted for
by the conclusion of the wind" Is
Hundreds of men are at the mine
but it is thought the other bodies can
| q will 7,
From the condition of the shaft it
would seem that the men are SUR
rounded by large mass of dirt and
broken timber. The lower portion of
the shaft is so badly twisted that the
cage will not operate within 100 feet
OF where the men are entombed. A
rescuing party of about Is of the most
sHllful miners at the mine was or.
ganized Immediately
thirty men were working on the
level during the morning, but the ma
jority of them went to the surface to
eat their dinners, those later 20
Caught Under the Debris
having taken their lunch with them.
"A dull roar and sound of crashing
timbers gave to the men on the sur
face the first Indication of the disaster
being enacted nearly 500 feet under
ground A rush was made for the
shaft and when all@had quieted down;
volunteers under the lead of Captain
James Piper descended in the cage, in
an attempt at rescue. It was found
however, that the shaft was badly
damaged, it being impossible to get
within 80 feet of the level in which
the men were buried.
Cries for help were heard at the
lowest point reached, and the removal
of the timbers which blocked the way
found man who shortly before the
cave-in had started for the surface.
He was uninjured, but was drenched
to the skin and suffereing greatly with
the cold. The man could throw no
light on the fate of his associates, the
majority of whom are thought to be
Italians and Finlanders 8
The steam pipes leading to the un-
derground pumps were so damaged
that 1t would be impossible to operate
pumps even If possible to reach them
and as the mine is wettest in the iron
country the shaft is making water
very fast. The force of mechanics en-
ployed at the various mines of the
steel trust are getting other pumps in
condition for operation but it is prob
lematical whether these can be put
into commission soon enough to pre-
vent the water from flooding the mine.
A big force of rescuers working in
relays is making desperate attempts
to get to the damaged level before the
water reaches it.
If the workmen are not rescued
within the next 10 or IL hours all
hope Of getting them out alive will be
abandoned. -"
The officials would not make a
statement for publication as to the
condition of the mine or the number
OF men underground. In fact they
will not be able to tell just how many
there are until all of the other work
men who were in the level report at
the Office.
FEAR A LYNCHING, ~