The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-01
KILLED 1885,,
II anna Mine Horror Worse Than
First Reported.
Survivors Became Insane and
Fought the Rescuers.
BLACKENED BY FLAMES
Bodies Found Strewn About on
Piles of Debris.
Work of Rescue Much Retarded
by Smoke and Gas.

Hanna, Wyo., July 1.-Of the 2S2 men
who went into the Union Pacific Coal
company's No. 1 mine yesterday morn
ing z35 were killed by the explosion of
black damp that occurred at 10: 80 a. m.
yesterday. Most of the dead are Fin
landers and negroes.
Members of the rescuing parties tell
of Ditiful scenes about the seventeenth
level, as deep as it has been possible to
penetrate. Some of the survivors were
driven insane and fought like fiends
against the rescuers. Dazed, listless sur
vivors were found sitting on cars or ly-
ing on the floor, careless of whether
they lived or died. Near the seventeenth
level 20 bodies were found strewn over
a pile of debris which the meN had
striven to surmount before being over
come by the deadly fumes. Some were
scared and blackened by flames, but all
had died crawling toward fresh air. The
eleven rescuers, who penetrated this far,
were too weak to bring out body.
For hours the scene at the mouth of
the level was heart moving. With.
clothes and hair awry, mothers, wives,
sweethearts and children huddled to-
gether, weeping and wringing their
hands. Many sat on shattered timbers
blown from the mines mouth, insenSi-
bic to their surroundings. The most
frantic pushed to the edge of the gap
and tried to force a way into the slope.
An expert who went almost to the sew
enteenth level says the mine can not
possibly be cleared for a month 1t is
feared that men in the lower levels were
torn to pieces by the explosion which
hurled great timbers nigh over the town
and l,iOO feet beyond the mouth of the
slope Among the dead is Alfred Happ-
5000, who turned the first shovel OF dirt
in starting the slope. The fire bosses,
who had reported all safe before work.
ing time yesterday, met death while
making a second inspection.
$50 COFFINS SHIPPED.
Omaha, Neb., July 1.-Reports were
received at Union Pacific headquarters
this morning from Hanna. Wyo., Of the
progress of the rescue party in the
Hanna mines up to a. M. They state
that the Fescuers had penetrated quite
Z distance into the mine but had recov-
securing entrance to the mine was in
creased by smoke and gas, and il is
NOW thought that the matter of getting
air into the mine is the only hope of
rescuing any of the entombed men
alive.
An order was received in Omaha for
150 coffins which are being shipped to
Hanna. 1t was stated, howeve& that
this large number of caskets wa being
shipped to be used in case of necessity
and that no demand has yet arisen for
so large an order.
/ The mine was not fired as stated in
| the early reports, but the explosion was
4 terrific and completely shattered the
timbers of the main shaft and numerous
entrances, filled the workings with deb
ris. and those of the miners that were
not killed outright by the explosion
were buried alive. The explosion was
heard for many miles around, and at
| tracted people from the adjoining set
Elements Huge timbers and railroad
/ iron were hurled from the mouth of the
shaft a distance of two and three hun
dred feet.
1t was some time after the explosion
occurred that the first man was brought
to the surface. He was followed by
others until l o'clock when the rescuers
were unable to penetrate further into
the mine until additional openings had
been made to permit fresh air to reach
/ the lower levels and clear away the foul
gases.
Horses and scrapers were put at work
hauling debris away from the shaft
and cars were pushed down the incline,
loaded and hauled back up the tiple and
dumped. The work is progressing slow
". owing to the narrow space in which
the rescuers are compelled to operate
The Hanna mines are among the best
on the Union Pacific system being eS-
tablished in 1878. The town was named
for Senator Mark Hanna when he was
a member of the u. P. Coal company
Mine No. l is practically new prop
erty. 1t has 26 entries, 10 miles of works
and a main incline shaft of one and
one-half miles in length The mine has
| been recognized as 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
laccident was not anticipated.