The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-01-30
MINER FACES
TERRIBLE FATE
TRAPPED BY EXPLOSION IN
ASHFORD MINE ON TACOMA
EASTERN ROAD.
GAVE UP LIFE IN
HEROIC ATTEMPT TO SAVE
HIS COMPANION-TWO SER
IOUSLY INJURED.

Jack Norell, miner, Al years
old, trapped 1000 feet beneath
the surface of a mountain, Will
lam Dinl1ier, mine foreman, aged
az, dead, Carl Wickstron, miner,
dying from fractures, lacerations
and severe burns, and Michael
Murphy, suffering from burns and
bruises. This is the sum total of
damage caused yesterday morning
by an explosion of deadly fire
damp In the new mine of the
Northwestern Coal & Iron CONF
pany, at Ashford, a small station
on the Tacoma Eastern road.
Wires Down.
Miners are now working in a
tombed man, but the exact condi-
tions which prevail in the mine
today are not known, as no word
has been received from the mine
since last night, when the first
news of the disaster was brought
to this city by passengers arriving
On the Tacoma Eastern train.-
AlI tSlCsldph duu tCiCphOiiC
wires to Ashford were recently
swept down by storm, and 1t is
impossible to communicate with
that point. The next train to
bring information from the scene
of the explosion will not reach
Tacoma until about 6 O'Clock this
evening.
May BE Alive.
Those who brought news of the
accident to the city last evening
said that while many feared that
the entombed man was dead
there is possibility of his being
alive, and hfs companions, spurred
on by this hope, will work like de-
mons to penetrate the mountain
to the point where he was trapped
How 1t Happened.
Norell, with Murphy and Wick
stron. were in the far end of the
mine shaft preparing to shoot @
charge and blast out some coal.
The three men went back SOC
feet from the face of the mine to
the battery to shoot the blast
When it went off 1t ignited fire
damp gas and terrific crash with
sheets of flame shot back to the
men. Murphy was stunned for q
moment and badly burned but re.
!. covered his senses and began to
look for his companions. He
1 found Wickstrom held beneath
i a pile Of debris which had fallen
He was unable to rescue him, sc
started for the exit which he
Preached after falling exhausted
'1several times overcome by fire
ldamp.
4 Foreman Dies a Hero.
1 When he told of the catastrophe
he dropped in a faint.
Foreman William Dinkler of
the mine, with Edwin Kilgallon,
rushed in and found Wickstrom.
He was extricated and Kilgallon
dragged him to the mouth of the
mine. Dinkler remained to search
for Norell and when another res
cue party. with Gilgallon in
charge, came back, Dinkler was
dead, having suffocated with fire
damp in his search for Norell.
/ Kilgallon carried him out and sew
eral others came near losing their
Lives in rushing into the fire damp.
/ The fire damp became so bad
lit was finally Impossible to get to
the scene of the explosion, but the
lrescuers did not give up hope and
1 will not cease until Norell is
found, either dead or alive.
/ Wickstrom was badly crushed
\ and had several bones broken.
His condition is critical.
| Coroner G. D. Shaver received
an urgent summons from Ashford
this morning, and, being unable
tto go, sent his deputy, William r.
! Buckley. DR.. Shaver will leave
for the scene of the accident early
tomorrow morning.