Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-04-05
Terrific Explosion Of Gas In the Coal
Property Of Joseph Letter at
Zeiqler.
FIFTY MINERS ARE ENToMeEu
Forty Of Them May be Dead-Ten
Bodies Have Already Been Recov.
ered-The Rescue Work.

A/cAleI Iuluc az ZelSleT, ny q tcrrlnC
explosion Of gas, and it is probable
that 80 or 40 of the buried men are
dead. Thus far four bodies have been
found. The explosion was due to the
fact that the Letter mines are not
worked on Sunday, thus allowing gas
to accumulate in the lower workings.
When between IS and 45 miners had
descended into the mine today to re-
sumo work, a terrific explosion blew
the timbers about the mouth of the
mine high into the ali. One of the
steel cages was blown to the surface
from the bottom of q 500 foot shaft.
The shock Of the explosion was felt
at Benton, IL miles distant.
One miner was killed and four were
severely injured at the mouth of the
shaft in which the explosion occurred.
The work of rescue was begun at once
by the miners who were arriving at
the time the explosion took place. but
the main shaft was so badly wrecked
that rescue work had to be carried
on through the air shafts. This has
hindered the work Of aiding the en-
tombed men to such an extent that
when darkness fell tonight only three
bodies and one injured man had been
brought to the surface.
These bodies were found 40 feet
from the bottom of the uir shaft, and
his is as far as the rescuers have
been able to penetrate the shaft.
A committee of union miners from
Duquoin and other neighb0ring min
ing towns, headed by District Presi.
dent Morris, hastened to Zeigler soon
after the explosion occurred. and of.
fered their aid.
The bodies of the dead are so black.
ened that they cannot at once be iden-
tilted. Rolly Campbell Is the injured
miner brought out OF the shaft, and
1t is said that he cannot live. Camp
bell is conscious, but he Is unable tt
give any explanation of the accident
Investigating the Cause.
There was much excitement among
the miners when the accident be-
came known, because there had beer
a strike of long duration, and many
conflicts had occurred between strik
ers and non-union miners. An all-day
investigation tends to show that the
catastrophe was due to the Academia
explosion OF accumulated gas.
Up to 10 o'clock tonight Is dead
bodies had been recovered. The wOrl
of rescue is made very difficult ani
dangerous by the foulness of the ali
/ IN nj tVuS ~ 70
found show marks of the explosion
death in the other cases having evi
IDENTIFY resulted from asphyxiation.
Zeigler tonight, although 1t was a
first reported that he was en- route tt
Europe. The rescue work will con
tinue all night.
Tonight 81 coffins accompanied by al
undertaken arrived at Zeigler.
Number Of Victims.
The number of dead is estimated
at "a; wounded, s. 1t tanspires tina
there were two explosions together
The first explosion took place in thu
air shaft and was followed by mucf
greater explosion in the main shaft
There were employed in the mine on
" $50 men, 12O being at work today
Four cages, containing ten men of th'
|day fore, had gone down into tn
mine and were supposedly at the bot
tom when the catastrophe occurred
The explosion wrecked the shaft, blow
ing ont the sk1ds on which the cage
were hoisted. or the "a men though
to be dead only Is had been takel
out at 10 o'clock tonight. Beside
these bodies three were removed aliv
but with fatal injuries. Among tn
dead are James Reyburn, engineer
J. p. Fink and Willis Campbell. Th'
remainder are Greeks and Lithuan
ians and were designated by mum
bers. As soon as the accident occur
red the miners of Duquoin sent tn
following message to the Zeigler Goa
company:
miners here proffer assistance ii
any number. Wire answer.
J A. T. NORRIS. Foreman"
The following answer was received
Thanks for offer of yourself an
miners. Have all the help needed.
''ZEIGLER COAL COMPANY.
Superintendent Hurd tonight sal
that the shaft was a wreck, and tina
the main entrance was so disabled
that it would take a week to repair II
In the effort to recover the entomt
ed men five rescuers were OvercOm
by afterdamp. All the searchers TO
the men below were let down by hand
In two instances the men above wer
nearly overcome by gas.
! FRANCE IS AGrrATEO.