The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1908-04-03
SEVENTY
KILLED
COAL MINE EXPLOSION
AT HANNA, WYO.
WIDOWS AND ORPHANS NEARLY
CRAZED By THE HORROR
OF DISASTER


tween IS and 70 men lost their lives
in two explosions in coal mine No. L,
owned by the Union Pacific Coal COM
pany, at Hanna, Saturday. The ex-
plosions were caused by gas and coal
dust and each was followed by fire.
The first occurred at o'clock, when
Is mine workers, including superin-
tendent and three bosses, were killed.
The second explosion occurred few
hours later, snuffling out the lives of
from 40 to so members of rescue
party, including State Mine Inspector
D. M. Elias. The names of the men
killed in the first explosion were as
certained from the company's- books,
out those of the rescuers were not
known, as no record was kept of those
who volunteered for this dangerous
work.
The widest excitement prevailed to.
day in Hanna and at the mine, where
hundreds are congregated, including
widows, children and other relatives
of the victims. Many women are run.
ming about. wringing their hands and
crying, while many little children, sep
arated from their mothers ia the semi
panic that prevails are sobbing and
trembling in fear of another explosion
and appeals were made to all sur
rounding towns for assistance. One
train is being rushed west from Omaha
carrying officials of the Union Pacific
railroad and the Union Pacific Coal
company.
Rescue Work Hazardous
The regular force of men employed
at Mines No. and 8 was pressed into
rescue work, which has been extreme
| ly difficult and hazardous. The bodies
of four of the Is men who lost theil
lives in the first explosion, were locat
ed, but owing to the ever increasing
volume of gas, which threatened tt
explode at any moment, no effort was
made to remove them to the surface
Superintendent Briggs, with team
of picked men, the best and most eX
perienced hands in the camp, went into
to mine to fight the fire, but at
o'clock the flames had become beyond
their control, and at , o'clock con
terrific explosion followed. The vic
tins are all below the tenth level ant
it is likely that the flames have son
sumed the corpses.
Particulars of Explosions.
"A Republican special from Hanna
WyO., says that carefully prepared
list of the missing as result of tn
two explosions yesterday in mine Nc
1 of the Union Pacific Coal company
contains So names, and of this humble
five dead bodies have been recovered
Before further attempt at rescuing tn
dead can be made the fire in the lot
level, winch was the direct cause O
the two explosions, must be extinguist
ed.
1t was while Superintendent Brigg
and II companions were fighting tn
fire at the 10th level yesterday aftel
noon that the first explosion of gas OF
Cured. But one man is known to hav
escaped death who was with this pal
ty. This was Charles Harris, coloret
That none hesitated in respondin
TO the call for volunteers in the rescu
of their fellow workers after the frs
explosion is shown by the fact tina
not working official of the tire
mines of the Union Pacific Coal con
rany in this camp is left. They wer
into the mine to aid their stricke
friends, when the second eXplosio
transformed mine No. 1 into
shamble.
A further evidence that the leader
of the men of the camp were loyal
shown by the fact that several official
of the local lodge of United Min
Workers or America are missing, SUI
, posedly dead in the mine.
, Today's disaster brings the numbe
+ of victims in mine No. 1 during the
, years of it's operation to the neighbo
hood of 300. The greatest previor
loss of life occurred on June 80, 100
I when 169 men fell victims to dead
I gas.