Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-01-09
STINClNC REBUkE AR0USES
IRE OF THE, ENCLISHMAN

ten men and possibly twelve, under
ground.
Story of Horror.
The most distressing accident that
has ocurred in this county for years
took place at the Negaunee mine here,
by which twelve miners are thought
to have lost their lives. The accident
was the result of cavein at the bot
tom of the old shaft, and had it. oc
Cured half an hour sooner $50 men
would have been killed.
The Dead.
The names of the dead, so far as
known, are:
VIM. WILLIAMS, married.
JOHN SULLIVAN. single.
JOHN PASCO, single.
JOHN PEARCE, married.
JACOB HUNLALLA, married.
But Two Recovered.
Thus far but two bodies have been
Dominic Basso, alive.
Story of Survivor.
| Bassos story is as follows:
I'VE were sitting. around the pump
at the bottom of the shaft, when, with
out any warning, thousands of tons of
ore came down. ! remembered moth
! ing more until | heard The sound of
picks and shovels in the hands OF res
cuers and their shouts. was in total
4 darkness and my feelings cannot be
described. What seemed ages to me
were but minutes. When the rescuers
! found me | was secenty-five feet from
/ the place where | was sitting and
found myself in a drift. How | got
there is a mystery, but can only be ac-
counted for by the conclusion of the
wind"
Hundreds Help.
Hundreds of men are at the mine
eager to help in the work of rescue.
cannot be found within tweaty-four
hours.
Mine Is Unlucky.
The Negaunee mine is one of the
most unlucky properties in the Lake
Superior district. Much trouble has re
suited in sinking and drifting from
surplus water and Quicksands.
1t was at this mine that S1.000,000
was recently expended to sink shaft
to the ledge.
Situation of Entonbed Miners.
Firm the condition of the shaft i,
would seem that the men are surround
: ed by large mass of dirt and broken
, timber The lower portion of the shat
/ is so badly twisted that the cage viii
not operate within 1G0 feet of wherc
the men afe entombed. A rescuins
party OF about fifteen Of the most skill
Immediately.
Thirty Have Marrow Escape.
Thirty men were working on tn,
level during the morning, but the ma
jority of them went to the surface tt
eat their dinners, those later caugh
: under the debris having taken thei
!, lunch with them.
Roar Warns Top Men.
A dull roar and sound of crashing
timbers gave to the men on the SUI
> face the first indication of the dlsaste
, being enacted nearly 500 feet unde
ground. A rush was made for th
shaft and when all had quiated dow
volunteers. urGer the lead of Captain
James Piper, descended in the cage il
I an attempt to rescue.
d 1t was found, however, that the shat
e was badly damaged, it being impcss
bic to get within eighty feet of th
level in which the men were buried.
e Cries for Help.
i Cries for help were heard at tn
s lowest point reached, and upon the IT
t rloyal of timbers which blocked th
S way man was found who shortly b
o fore the cave in had started for tn
n surface. He was uninjured. The ma
s could throw no light on the fatetof hi
e associates, the majority of whoHfrag
,. thought to be Italians and Finlandef
0 The steam pipes leading to the u
S lerground pumps were SO damage
|. that it would be impossible to operat
le them even if possible to reach them.
The shaft made water very fast an
it is feared the pumps cannot be p,
in operation in time to prevent the w
ter from flooding the mine.
III A big force of rescuers working
relays is making desperate attempt
rt to get to the damaged level before II
;e water reaches it.
e. II the workmen are not rescued wit
id in the next ten or twelve hours q
o. hope of getting them out alive will
Id abandoned.
id The officials would not make a stat
1T ment for publication as to the cont
re tion of the mine nor the number
d. men underground.
of In fact they will not be able to te
ty until all the other workmen in tn
level report at the office. 1t is assul
ed that this will be done tomorrow.