The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1903-02-07
FIRE N A REPUBLIC MINE
FOUR MEN WE'RE SEVERELY
BURNED.
Climbed . Ladder Through Blaze Of
Burning casoIIns--Aftsr the Fire
Men Re-entered and Were Caught In
Terrific ExpIosIon-one Man
Blown 40 Feet

Blown ~ rect.
Republic, Wash, Feb. -Four men
were severely burned in a fire followed
oy an explosion in Wine OF the San
Poll mine. Sam Kerr and Gus schager-
holm had a narrow escape for their
lives BY climbing up ladder through
a blaze Of burning gasoline and reach
ing safety in an exhausted condition.
Both were badly burned.
Engineer l. J. Chamberlain and HI.
LIS McCannon were caught by the ex.
piosion two hours later. McCannon
was blown 40 feet through the air, but
miraculously escaped serious injury.
Chamberlain saved himself by drop
ping fiat on his face just as the ex-
plosion occurred. The damage to the
mine has not been determined as no
examination was permitted until ali
danger is past Inc accidents were Of
most peculiar character.
Sam Kerr and Gus Schagerholm
were TO work getting the old skids out
Of the wines. The missing parts OF
the gasoline hoist had been adjusted,
but the windlass was still in use for
hosting out OF the winze. A Ave gal.
lon can Of gasoline was emptied into
the tank TO test the machine when q
leakage occurred and the gasoline ran
over the floor Of the station and drift.
ed down the footwall of the winze.
Five minutes after the gasoline had
been poured into the tank the men In
the winze smelled a strong odor OF
gasoline and concluded TO make an
exit. They firmly secured some old
skids to the bucket rope and began
climbing the ladder. The winze is 20
feet deep and they were less than one
half the way up. Kerr's candle was
in his candlestick and hung on the
footwall, but Schagerholm5s was in his
hand as he climbed the ladder.
When about 80 feet from the top
the gasoline ignited from his candle.
and in a second a streak OF IRE shot
up and down the winze. In an instant
voice from the station warned the
men to get down the winze and dip
in the water at the bottom.
Schagerholm rushed down in obey
ance. but Kerr hastily stepped from the
ladder to a stull and passed over to
the opposite end of the shaft. out Of
the way OF the fire.
But the gas was filling the wfnze,
and Kerr concluded to get out. He
rushed up the ladder through the
blaze. getting his hands and the lert
side Of his face badly burned and bis
tered. Schagerholm followed and was
somewhat more blistered from the IRE
than Kerr.
Dropped From Exhaustion.
During this time L ]. Chamberlain,
the engineer. was pouring water down
the Wine out of a bucket TO protect
the men. and droppeI exhausted to the
door of the drift as the last OF the pair
was dragged out.
William NJ. drummer, the superin-
tendent, stood by the Wine and grasp
ed each of the men firmly by the wrist
as they got to the top Of the ladder and
pulled them out Of present danger.
About L o'clock in the afternoon
Chamberlain and McCannon went back
into the mine to ascertain. il possible.
the condition of things. Both went as
far as the turnsheet when McCannon
proceeded to the station and took his
coat from where he had left 1t hanging,
while Chamberlain stepped a few feet
away and sat down under the upraise.
McCannon, after securing his coat, was
STOPPING to pick up pair Of shoes.
Explosion.
The gas smelled strong, and Cham.
berlain saw a spark crawling at the
winze and a momentary crawling Of a
small streak of fire. which was fol-
lowed in an instant by a violent ex-
plosion. Chamberlain instinctively
threw himself on his face. which dip
ped in the drain water, McCannon At
the same moment being blown 40 feet.
passing Chamberlain like q ball out
of a cannon. Both men scrambled out
Of the drift into the main tunnel. each
with hands slightly scratched and 9TH
er bruises.
McCannon said he thought the ex-
plosion occurred through q rope which
hung down the winEe catching IRE at
the start Of the accident and smould-
ering until sufficient gas haa gene
rated IN the winze for an explosion.
Statehood Bill.
Washington. Feb. 2.-The omnibus
statehood bill will continue for the
present to hold its place as the IN
finished business on the senate calen-
dar. but it seems quite probable that
the discussion OF the statehood bill
will come up in connection with the
appropriation bills. Senator Quay has
entirely changed his tactics during the
past week and after trying In vain to
secure a quorum for night sessions
on two different occasions has aban-
doned all efforts In that direction.
leaving the senators who oppose the
statehood bill TO take the RESPONSE
bility for delay. He now. apparently.
is the least concerned of all senators
to secure late sessions.