The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-25
THE MINE A TOMB FOR
A HUNDRED AND
nine men
Terrific ExpIosionShuts Them
in. tarth's Black
Depths.
EIGHT BODIES FOUND
But Twenty -Four of the Number Down
in the Mine Known to Have
Escaped.
HURRYING FORWARD WORK OF RESCUE
The Fear General That the Mines May Catch
Fire Pr.yps Groui bless. All the
Bod Will Soon be
RI covered.
Re- covered.
(By the Associated Press.)

Vancouver, b. c., May 23.-One of the
most terrible mine disasters in the his
tory of the frequent accidents in British
Columbia, occurred last night in the
Crows Nest Coal Companys mines at
Fernie, B. C. Over 100 men are either
dead or imprisoned in the mine, and lit
tie hope is entertained of rescuing any
who may be alive. Fernie is 300 miles
cilities have not enabled complete de-
tails of the disaster to be sent out
special tonight from Fernie says
that the explosion took place last night
at 1880. The management has list of
133 men who are known to have been
in the mine and there We're probably
others. OF these only twenty four are
known to be safe 1t is feared that few,
if any, of the remaining 100 are now
alive.
What caused the explosion, has not
yet been definitely ascertained. Many of
the miners were ignorant foreigners, and
one of the mine shafts was always more
or less gaseous. 1t is reported in Fernie
this evening that the explosion resulted
from the use, by careless Italian, of
an open or naked lamp Another theory
is that miner struck match, explod-
ing the gas, which was almost always
present in No. shaft. The true cause
of the disaster will probably not be
positively aseertained, for it is doubtful
if any man who knows will ever reach
the outer air alive or be able to tell the
foIn r,;1
shaft of the mine, being repeated in
few seconds in No. 3, with which it was
connected.
The two shafts in which the explosion
occurred are situated on Coal Creek
about six miles from Fernie.y No 2 has
always been considered the more danger
Gus, being dry, dusty and gaseous. Re-
Gently the dangerous conditions which
had hitherto prevailed in No. 2 tunnel
had been greatly modified and improved
New fans were installed. furnishing an
exchange of air with 40 per cent reserve.
Fl all available sources assistance
is being rushed to the scene of the ca
1amity, but there is little hope for the
rescue of any of the entombed men. AL
ready the work of liberation has been be-
gun with such means as are at local COM
from the mine. The presence of coal
damp makes the work of rescue very dan
gerous and is seriously hindering the
workers.
In No. 2 tunnel in which the first ex-.
plosion occurred from 100 to 120 men and
boys are usually employed and in No.
tunnel to which the explosion extended,
about 80 men generally are at work. In
both mines there are many foreigners
and the difficulty of discipliEing these
men and impressing upon them the use
of unprotected lights has always been
very great The main road of No. tun-
rel is nine by five and one-half feet ready
and will be sufficient for reasonable ven
tilation, was it not that this was motor
working on the road which almost stop
ped the natural intake. When the men
were at work the liberation or gas heav-
lily charged the atmosphere and made 1T
dangerous to employ lights which were
not absolutely protected.
The explosion which occurred at aoout
1880 o'clock last evening was distinctly
heard in the village six miles away. A few
minutes later the alarming intelligence
bad spread like wild fire from one house
to another and quickly the population
was on the streets and hurrying towards
the scene of the disaster. All the avail
able men were at once organized for the
work of rescue and the labor of getting
at the entombed miners was began With
out delay. Great difficulty was ex-
perienced in keeping back the women
whose husbands, most of them foreign
ers. were known to have been employed
in the tunnels. With the passing hours
hope at Fernie for the safety of the five
score men entombed has gradually faded
away. The eighteen bodies already re-
covered were those of men who had been
engaged at work not great distance
from the mouth of the tunnel, and the
fact that these were overcome would
seem to indicate that there is little hope
for those further in the mine.
Ventilation is being gradually restored,
and it is expected that all the bodies
will be reached by tomorrow morning