, 1908-03-30

Them Being Blown from ohatt
When Second Explosion Occurred
Mine superintendent Briggs
Caught in First Party and State
Mine Inspector in Second While
Leading Rescue-List of Dead,
One Lodge Lose" Seven Members.
The awful explosion in mine No. 1
Of the Union Pacific Coal company at
Hanna, related briefly in a dispatch ID
The Republican from Cheyenne Sat
rrday afternoon, was followed sever
and one-half hours later by a second
and more disastrous explosion, which
damaged the mine presumably beyond
repair, the two explosions adding IF
tv.nine names to the long list of vic.
tins of that iil-starred mine. An ex-
posion on the Both of June, 1908, caus-
cd the death of 1863 miners, the bodies
of all but one having been recovered,
although the period of recovery ex-
tended over several months. The body
of the other victim was not found, and
II it was not completely destroyed the
bones are lying today in an abandon
ed portion of the mine. The victims
Of Saturdays and Saturday nights OK
plosions number nearly three score.
Five of them had been recovered up
to Sunday night and efforts were re-
newed today too reach the other fifty
four entombei in the entry. 1t may
be only a few hours or 1t may be
months before the last is found. No
man knows the extent of the damage
to the mine nor the exact location OF
the bodies of the victims.
Two Bodies Blown Out.
Three of the victims were taken
from the mouth of the mine and the
bodies of two were blown from the
mine by the second explosion. One
Of them was mutiIated to a consider
able extent, and all were burned and
discolored, but the features of each
were recognizable. The huge cable
that runs from end to end of the slope
was cut Sunday and this morning the
eastern portion was employed 70
move cars loaded with dirt from the
debris following the two explosions.
A rescuing party was formed, consist
ing of fifty men, and these will be re-
lieyed at intervals in the hope of
reaching the bodies of their comrades,
for not even the bravest of the inhab-
itants of the stricken village believe
that n of either party Is alive in the
mine. The first explosion perhaps
killed the eighteen men comprising
the force unoer Mine Superintendent.
Alex Briggs, and the second explosion
perhaps proved the death blow to the
forty led by State Mine Inspector Da-
yd Elias of Rock Springs. There Was
report here Sunday morning that n
OF the men had escaped alive, but Re-
publican reporters on the ground yes
terday questioned a hundred or more
men, not one of whom confirmed the
report.
Fighting a Fire.
A week ago last Saturday fire was
discovered in entry No. 10, about
three thousand feet west of the east
outcrop. This entry has been driven
from the main slope and has an i'm
mense amount of workings. AS 500
as the fire was discovered efforts
were begun to close the entry and
smother the flames. The working
iorce was divided on Monday, or,
iather, a fire fighting force was de-
'ached from the main body of em-
poyes to have charge of the fire. On
%ohday, Wednesday and Friday of
fiaSt week a force OF over 200 men
worked in the mines. On Tuesday,
thursday and Saturday the miners
we're taken out and the eighteen fire
lighters, including Mine Superinten5-
rnt Briggs, had charge of the mine.
mere are several gas watchmen, and
hey made frequent trips through all
{ workings, making official reports
intervals, and down to 1 o'clock
'aturday afternoon none of these re-
r".ed gas in dangerous quantities
taeh carries a lamp whose construc-
aus would detect gas. and none Of the
sss watchers found that his lamp was
"hng any dangerous conditions.
The First Explosion.
n l o'clock on Saturday the men
~ Ne mine had their lunch, some of
IN the lower workings remain
mi. ~ the mine and taking lunch from
kora ainner pals. At one minute be-
var, o'clock, without any previous
|mi.h. on the surface, there was a
klona explosion, both openings to the
a mile and a half apart, being
lsd with debris. Huge timbers were
nom the mouths Of the slope