Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-30
DISASTER FOLLOWS
DISASTER. 70 DEAD
Fifty Rescuers of Entombed
Miners at Hanna, Wyo., Be-
lieved to Have Perished
rxo oc,oh oc GAG IN MIME
OF GAS IN MINE
careIessness Supposed to Have Caused
Second Disaster-Twenty Men Whom
Others Sought to Rescue Also Dead
Interior of Mine on Fire, Another
Explosion is Threatened.

Hanna, Wyo., March 30.--When the
disiigured bodies OF two miners were
found Sunday above ground 500 feet
from The entrance Of mine No. l of
the Union Pacific Coal company,
whittier they had been blown by the
terrific explosion Saturday night en-
tombed fifty rescurers, with twenty
men they were trying to save. it was
admitted that there was not the slight
est hope that amy Of the victims will
be brought out alive.
Additional confirmation of this be-
lief was furnished by miner named
Jones. one OF two men who have been
saved.
Jones declares that all his comrades
of the rescue party must have per-
ished. He says that when the second
blast came he was removing to the
surface the body Of victim OF the
first explosion. Four other miners near
him were occupied in Il similar task.
~ N.->
party to survive. He is positive that
all other rescuers were instantly killed
as they were farther from the entrance
than himself and must have borne the
full brunt of the detonation.
The widest excitement prevailed
Sunday in Hanna at the mine, where
hundreds are congregated, including
widows, children and other relatives of
the victims. Men and women are run
ming about wringing their hands and
CRYING, while many little children,
panic.bke confusion that prevails. are
sobbing and crying with fear.
A third rescue party is now in the
mine. Mines No. and have susp-
ended operations and the miners US
ually employed there have been pressed
into the terribly hazardous work Of
bringing out the bodies.
Third Blast Threatened.
The bodies of four more of those
who lost their lives in the first eX-
plosion were found Saturday night.
but owing to the increasing volume Of
gas which threatened to explode at any
moment, no effort was made to re-
move them to the surface.
The victims are all below the tenth
level and it is Likely rnal the flames
have consumed the corpses. No record
exists of those in the entombed rescue
party A house to house canvass is be-
ing made to ascertain their names.
The bodies of Matt Huhtala and
alexander Tenant, of the rescuers,
were found yesterday on the ground 500
feet from the mouth of the shaft.
| Tenants head had been blown from
the body, and is supposed to be in the
mine. Cne leg was blown off. Huhtala' $
body also was badly disfgured. The
condition of the five recovered bodies
is such as to destroy all hope for those
in the pit.
The west slope was closed Sunday and
efforts are being made to smother the
fires below the tenth level. In two or
three days efforts will be made to
reach the dead bodies.
Carelessness is Cause.
The second explosion was due to
carelessness of the fifty men, who
rushed into the workings without or
ganization and a leader. State Mining
Inspector Elias, the only one in au-
thority, was deep in the workings with
a small force of experts at the time.
1t is declared that the accident was
caused by the hasty action of the res
cuers in closing some of the entries and
forcing large quantities of gas into the
fire area.
Hanna, wyo., March 3o.-The bodies
of only five of the fifty-nine miners
and mine officials killed in the ILL
fated mine of the Unio1r Pacific Coal
company by two explosions Saturday
nave been recovered The other bodies
probably will not be reached for sew
eral days.
Hanna, Wyo., March 30.-The lives
of twenty men were snuffed out by an
explosion of gas in mine No. i of the
Union Pacific Coal company.
All victims were married and leave
families; Fire had been raging below
the tenth level since last Saturday and
yesterday Briggs and Burton with crew
of gas men and fire fighters went into
the workings to fight the conf1agration,
which was rapidly eating it's way thru
the workings. Suddenly the men above
the workings We're startled by heavy
explosion which shook the earth and
caused the shaft buildings to totter.
Both entries caved in and the men be-
low We're imprisoned. No hope is en-
tertained that any of the men will be
rescued alive.