The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-04-02

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Hanna. wyo., Aprii 1,-Between s.
and 20 mea lost their lives in two I
blossoms IN coal mine No. !. owned by
the Union Pacific Coal company.
The explosions were caused by gases
and coal dust, and each was followed
by fire. The irst occurred at : o'clock
Saturday afternoon, when IL mine
workers. including a superintendent
and three bosses. were killed. The sec
ond explosion occurred at 1890 O'Clock
Saturday night. snufilng out the lives
OF from 40 to SO members or q rescuing
party. including State Mine Inspector
d. M. Elias.
Fire started In the collierys last Sun
day. since which time attempts at regu-
lar intervals have been made to extin-
guish 1t. Saturday 1t was deemed
safe to send the miners down the work
port for duty. superintendent Briggs,
with a team OF picked men, the best
and most experienced men In the camp,
went into the mine to fight the fire.
but at 2 O'Clock the flames had become
beyond their control. and ut 3 o'clock
q terrific explosion followed.
The victims are all below the 10th
level. and 1t is likely that the flames
have consumed the corpses.
1t vas while Superintendent Briggs
and is companions were fighting the
fire at the 10th level that the first ex-
| plosion occurred, But one ma II
known TO have escaped death who was
with the party. This was Charles
Harris, colored. After going to his
home to notify his family Of his escape
Harris returned to the mine with the
rescuing party organized by State Mine
Inspector Elias to % the bodies
of the u~nfortunates who met death In
the first explosion.
Harris name appears In the list re-
sulting from the second explosion.
According to the story of Campbell,
who reached the entrance OF the min
witt, the bodies of Warburton, Mum
son and Perry. killed in the first ex-
plos1on. and thereby escaped death him.
self, Inspector Elias scattered the mem
bers of the rescue party through the
entrance for a distance OF 500 feet.
removing wreckage and making tenn
porary repairs of damage caused by
the first explosion.
The fire at the 10th level was rag
ing furiously and Inspector Elias and
several others with him discussed thu,
wisdom OF bratticing No. s entrance.
1t was decided that this would be sui
ctdai. as the a would be forced back
onto the fire at the 10th level and
would probably cause an explosion
more terrific and direful thar the one
which had already snuffed out the lives
OF nearly. a score of their comrades
The party continued to work their way
slowly toward the fire and i'd
ing the idea of closing No. s entrance.
1t is thought, however, that some of the
s~tragglers in the rear. struck with the
same idea OF cutting off the spread OF
the flames by closing the entrance. i'm
mediately put the plan into effect with
the result as reasoned out by Inspec-
tor Elias and his immediate followers.
A carefully prepared list OF the missing
as a result of the two explosions contains
hfty-eight names, and OF this number five
dead bodies have been recovered. SEVENTY
coftins have been ordered. Before fur
ther attempt at rescuing the dead can
be made the fire In the tenth level. which
was the direct cause OF the two explosions.
must be e~xttnguished.