The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-06-18
GIVE THEIR LIVES
TO SAVE OTHERS
Brave Men Pursue Rescue Work
In Race of Poisonous
Gases
SIX sUCCUMB TO FOUL AIR.
Unconscious Forms Of the Men Car
ried From Burning Levels
of Mine.
SIX sUCCUMB TO FOUL AIR.

VI AhAANs
SILVERTON (Col), June six
men are dead, eight others are in a
dangerous condition from breathing
foul air, and twenty-five to thirty more
are temporarily confined to their
homes from weakness due to contact
with poisoned air in the Gold King
mine, located at Gladstone, six miles
from here.
The dead-Peter McNiny, Roy Co
uurn, Alex Johnson, A. w. Burns, Vic
tor Erickson and Gus Olsen.
Seriously injured-John Sunston, Da-
vid Lewis, Otto Johnson, Michael Ane-
81, A. Binco, H. Matson, Frank Wurks
and Anglo Anatha.
On Thursday night fire was discov-
cred in the enginefoom of the mine,
and before it could be brought under
control that building had been de-
stroyed. as well as the shaft house. The
two buildings were located-near the
portal door of the main shaft, and. to
prevent the spread of the flames and
accumulation of smoke in the work
ings of the mine, these doors were
closed temporarily. Before taking this
precautionary move the men working
the night shift in the mine were hur-
riedly notified of the conditions on the
surface and instructed to withdraw
When the flames had been extinguish-
ed, in order to make sure that all was
well with the men, the list was check
ed over. The discovery was made then
that three men were missing.
PERIL OF RESCUE WORK
Immediately efforts to rescue them
were started but with little nope OF
reaching them alive, as the machinery
operating the fans had been put out
of commission by the destruction OF
the engine-house and any pure air that
might have reached them from the
surface had been shut off by the clos
ing OF the portal doors. The first ones
to enter the mine returned in haste
and informed those waiting that the
mine was filled with foul air and it
was almost impossible to breathe it.
The men all expressed Willingness to
risk contact with the foul air If the
missing men could be rescued, and ac-
cordingly two rescue parties were
formed and the men started into the
mine in groups of five by means Of the
electric elevator, which fortunately
was still working. Instructions were
given that as soon as any one showed
signs of faintness the rest were imme-
diately to bring him to the surface.
The air generated by the motion OF
the ef57tstor cleared the atmosphere in
the elevator shaft so that but little
discomfort was experienced there.
Soon after a score or more of rescuers
had entered the mine some of those
first in appeared at the foot of the ele-
vator shaft carrying the unconscious
forms of rescuers who had succumbed
in the noXious air. Later a party
reached the surface bringing the body
of Victor Erickson and almost llfeless
bodies of John Funston and Otto John
son. the three men whose absence
caused the necessity for rescue work.
1t seems that these three had found a
spot where the air was not so foul as
in the other portions of the mine and
Fmston and Johnson had been able to
live through it, The rescuers who
brought these men to the surface re-
ported that many OF their companions
had been overcome by the foul air and
were lying in the drifts of the mine.
DIE ON REACHING SURFACE.
Instantly there was a clamor among
the men at the surface to go to the aid
of their fellow-workers, and it was
almost impossible to keep them from
overcrowding the elevator, which was
kept in almost continuous motion car
rying men in and out of the mine.
Those coming to the surface carried in
their arms the bodies of half-suffocated
men, several of whom died after reach
ing the surface 1t was many hours
before a thorough search of the I'M
derground working was completed and
report was made that every one had
been accounted for. When the lists
were totaled it was found that five men
had heroically given up their lives for
Tneir comrades and that many were in
serious condition and may never re-
cover entirely from the killing effects
of breathing the poison. It was not
until 4 o'clock this morning that work
was abandoned The property loss to
the mine was less than $4,000