The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-07-03

OAP
Hanna, Wyo., June 30.-Probably the
worst disaster in the history ofWyoming
occurred here today when a terrific ex-
plosion of fire damp in Union Pacific
mine No. 1 shut off the means of es-
cape of two hundred men who were
working in the pit. The fire which
started Immediately is defylng all eff
forts of the rescuers and there is slight
hope Of saving any of the men. Twen-
ty-eight bodies of those working near
the mouth of the mine have been
brought out, all of them horribly man
gled and some still showing slight evil
F, dences of life. The scenes at the mine
are h~eartrending. The Union Pacific
railroad company, which owns the
mines, has a large force working TO
reach the imprisoned men. The flames
seemed to be abatlng and there is hope
of getting most of the bodies out by
{ morning. So tense is the excitement
tina no one seems able to say how the
disaster occurred. The supposition is
! lIlu q olCICSS liz o1lO"NN 14S A3ip
to come IN contact with fire damp.
Hanna. Wyo., Inc 90.-Hanna was
the scene of a terrible disaster at 1870
a. M, when an explosion of fire damp
IN mine No. l of the Union Pacific Coal
Company snuffed out the lives of 234
! men, injured scores of others n cauS-
ed the destruction ola vast amount of
property.
The mine was not fired as vas stat
ed in the earlier reports, but the ex-
plosion was terrific and completely
shattered the timbers of the main
hiatt and numerous entrances filing
the workings with debris, and those of
the miners that were not killed out
: right by the explosion were buried
alive. The explosion was heard for
many miles around and attracted peO-
pie from the adjoining settlements.
Huge timbers and railroad iron were
hurled three hundred feet from the
mouth of the shaft. Superintendent
E. 5. Brooks and a large force of men
began the work of removing the debris
from the shaft that they might reach
the entombed miners. Their progress
into the mine was blocked by the foul
! gases and several times they were
forced to return to the surface.
All day the rescuing party worked,
the force being increased from time to
: time by the arrival of ranchmen and
others from near by settlements and
by those of a relief train sent out from
RaWlinS, which arrived at , o'clock in
the afternoon. About l o'clock this af-
ernOon four men We're taken out alive
and a half hour later they We're follow
ed by fOrty-tWO others. Many were
! unconscious and had to be carried from
the workings. Several are in a serious
! condition but it is believed all Will re-
! cover.
Two hundred and eighty-two men
went down in the NINE at Z O'Clock
this morning and up to a late hOur to-
night only 4S have been accounted for.
Of this number two are dead. 1t was
some time after the explosion occurred
hat the first man was brought to the
surface. He was FOLLOWED by others
until 3 o'clock when the last Of the
as was brought out. The reScuerS
were unable penetrate further into the
NINE as it was necessary to make an
other opening to permit fresh air to
to reach the lower levels.
Horses and craperS were put at
work hauling debris away from the
shaft. The work is progressing slowly,
owing to the narrow space in which
the reScuerS are compelled to operate.
but by daylight the mine should be
opened sufficiently to permit of deep
explorations and the rescue of the dead
bodies. Late tonight a party Of res
cuers reached fOu" mules that were
alive and this caused renewed hope.
1t is a faint hope, however. for eX-
perlenced mine bosses and miners say
hat when the imprisoned men are
reached, all Will be found dead. Some
Of the miners who escaped said they
saw twenty dead bodies in entry No
II. They reported that many Of the
men We're craZed by the explosion and
ran hither and thlther in the mine
Many of these could have escaped but
they lay down. buried their faces in
their hands and gave up the fight. OF
the 234 dead about Us were married
and leave large families. About 100
were F~inlanders. fifty We're colOred and
the rest We're Americans.
The Hanna mines are among the
best on the Union Pacific system be-
ing established in 1873. The town was
named for Senator Mark lama when
ne was a member OF the Union Pacific
COal Company. Min No. 1 IS practi-
cally a new property. 1t has twenty
six entries, fifteen miles of workings
and q main incline shaft of one and
one half miles IN length. The mine has
been recognized as a dangerous prop
erty for some time on account OF the
large amount of gas, but the system OF
ventilation has been SO good that an
accident was not anticipated.