The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-07-04
AS CONSEQUENCE OF EXPLOSION
IN COAL MINE.
Barrett Gets Job-Iowa Repub-
licans Hold State Convention
and Agree on Tariff
Plank Both Fac
tons Claim
Victory.

|
80 A. M today an explosion of fire
damp in mine No. / of the Union
Pacific Coal Company snuffed out
4 the lives of 236 men, and injured
scores of others, and caused the de-
struction of a vast amount of prop
4 erty. The mine was not fired, az
stated in the early reports, but the
explosion was terrific, and complete
i II shattered the timber of the
main shaft and numerous entran-
ces, filled the workings with debris,
and those of the miners that were
not killed outright by the explosion
were buried alive.
/ The explosion was heard for ma
ny miles around, and attracted peo-
pie from the adjoining settlement.
i Huge timbers and railroad iron
were hurled from the mouth of the
the shaft distance of 200 and 800
feet. Superintendent E. S. Brooks
and large force of men went to
work with will to remove the de-
i bris from the shaft and reach the
entombed miners. Their progress
into she mine was blocked by the
foul gases, and several times they
were forced to the surfase.
All day the rescuing party work
ed, the force being increased from
tims to time by the arrival of
ranchmen and others from ear-by
settlements, and by those of relief
train sent out from Rawiins, which
arrived about 2 o'clock in the after
noon.
About o'clock this afternoon
four men were taken cut alive, and
/ hals an hour later they were follow
ed BY AZ others. Many were I'M
conscious and had to be carried
from the workings. Some were
injured, but none fatally. Sew
eral are in a critical condition. But
litis believed all will recover.
Two hundred and eighty-two men
went down in the mine at Z o'clock
this morning, and up till a late
/ hour tonight only 48 have been ac-
counted for. Of this number two
are dead. 1t was some time after
the explosion occurred that the first
man was brought to the surface.
He was followed by others until /
o'clock, when the last were brought
out. The rescuers were unable to
penetrate further into the mine un-
til 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 tipple and dumped. The
work is progressing slowly, owing
to the narrow space in which the
Erescuers 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 party of rescuersl
reached four mules that were alive,
and this caused hopes to arise in
the breasts Of the tired workers and
the anxious women and children
gathered about the shaft It is faint
hope, however. for experienced
| mine bosses and miners say that
when the imprisoned men are reach
ed ali will be found dead. Some Of
| the miners that escaped said that
they saw twenty dead bodies in en-
try No. II.
They reported that many Of the
men were crazed by the explosion,
and ran hither and thither in the
mine. Many of these could have
escaped, but they laid down, buried
their faces in their hands and gave
up the fight.
OF the 243 dead about 175 we're
married and leave large families.
About 100 were Finlanders, SO were
colored and the remainder were
Americans.
The scenes at the mines are
heart-rending. Wives and children
of men who are known to have
been inside constantly hang about
the shaft, kept only by cooler heads
from plunging in to the dark abyss.
Washington, June 3O.-Jo ohm
Barrott, Of Portland, ex-minister to
Siam, is to be appointed minister.
Ito Argentina to succeed ex.Gover-
)