The Detroit times., 1908-11-30
SEARCH FOR BODIES
Of MINE VICTIMS
CONTINUES
THREE STILL IN SALT SHAFT IN
OAK W &C DARE PROBABLY
CAUGHT IN TIMsERs OF
WELL.

WELL.
Search for the bodies OF James CID
bons. Joseph DALEY and Louis r. rex
ersop, three Of the six men who were
sufiocated by hydrogen sulphite gas
In the lakewood mine OF the Detroi'
Salt Co, one mile west or the city
limits, Saturday afternoon, Is sull go.
ing on. under the direction or Chlc-
Engineer +. f. Bradt, who Is also
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF the Detroit Con
trao ting Co. which has the con-
tract for putting down the smart
President A. Z. jennings. OF the
salt company, after many sieep'
Less hours at the scene or deatn. re-
turned to his office in the Penopsco.
building, carly Monday morning 10 &c.
few hours rest. He was compie'oy
worn out with his long vigil. -,
The rescue work Is considerably
hampered by an accumulation or sur
nhurous water at the bottom OF the
shaft. which has increased In depth
from 10 to- 25 feet owing to the re-
moyal of the lower sections or the
pump a few days ago for the purpose
O. having them repaired. The pres
ence OF supporting timbers In the
shaft Is also serious handicap, ana
liz is thought the bodies may nave
become entangled In them.
Recourse was had to dynamite our
ing the night, but without erect: Later
diver took up the work. ana IL may
be found necessary to ball or pump
out the water before the bodies can
be recovered.
Justice Burke, OF River Rouge. Is In.
vestigating the disaster and VIII holo
an inquest Friday.
The BODY Of William Holt, one OF
the victims. was removed, Sunday
from A. o. Moran's undertaking es-
tablishment on West Jenerson-ave. 10
the home OF his parents In raw raw.
Mich. The remains we're accompanied
by the victims father, and brother'
who lives at No. 1862 Forrest west
Hollis death is particularly pathetic.
He was to have married Miss Eva has
mussen. OF lakewood, III about
month. He had been out OF work
lately, and was eagerly looking Tor
place, because of the approaching nup-
tials. He secured position In the
mine only Saturday morning, taxing
the place of A. c. Shane, who was dis
charged because he came oUt or the
shaft, soon after starting 10 Work. 10
get drink OF water
Miss Rasmussen was one or the
first OF the villagers to arrive at the
mine when news Of the tragedy nad
been noised around. She saw her
sweetheart's body brought to the sur
face and her grief was heartrendins.
Holt boarded on Kier-aye.. in Detroit.
The remains Of Frank b. Wiley, an
other victim, have been removed to
the home on Edgewoodave., lakewood.
and the funeral will be- held Tuesday
afternoon to the lakewood Methodist
church. The body Of Edward Brooks,
who boarded on Brevoort-ave.. oak
wood. is still in Moran's undertaking
establishment, and Mr.. Moran is max
ing every effort TO locate the rela-
tives. Brooks home Is said to have
been in Cobalt, Ont. but In his room
was found a letter he had been writ
ing to his wife but had not yet mailed,
which was addressed to Huntsville,
Muskoka. In northern Ontario. MI
Moran at once sent telegram to the
wife and is still awaiting reply.
Two of the miners whose bodies are
still missing lived in lakewood. They
were Gibbons and Peterson. The third.
Joe Daley, lived ON Gates-st.. Detroit
All OF the victims except Holt were
married and most OF them leave famil-
les.
The shaft in which the six men met
their death Is being put down by tho
Detroit Contracting Co. for the De-
troit Salt Co. and the bottom OF the
shaft Is now about 625 feet below the
surface of the earth To reach the
salt bed the shaft will have to be
sunk to a depth OF $50 feet, 1t Is esi-
mated The shaft is an opening about
16 feet long and four feet wide. This
Is divided into three compartments or
equal size. The center compartment
Is the elevator shaft. in which the
cage" a platform about four feet by
four and one-half feet, carries the
workmen up and down. One OF the
side compartments contains canvas
air tube, made In sections. laced at
the ends. so that they can be discon-
nected at the joints for the purpose
Of letting air In TO the workmen in
the middle compartment. The third
compartment contains the pipe lines
from the pumps.
1t was early Saturday afternoon
when the six men descended In the
cage to the first pumping station. al
the 332-foot level. Here they uudid
the lacings OF the air pipe and went
to work on the pumps. making some
repairs. After working here a lew
minutes, the men. for some unknown
reason, descended To pump No. 3, 1872
feet lower, without first taking the pre-
caution to lace UP the air pipe at the
S32-foot station. Ii was this neglect,
according To President Jennings, that
caused their death.
When the cage. with its load OF hui
man freight, descended to the lower
level the fresh air continued to pour
from the air pipe above. thus shutting
off the supply to the lower level
AS soon as they descended the men
must have discovered their mistake.
for presently. a distress signal reached
the Top OF the shaft With all possible
haste the cage was pulled up. but tho