The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-10-04
NINE MEN LOSE LIVES AND 9TH
ERS WILL DIE IN ROSLYN
MINE HORROR.
FIRE FOLLOWS ACCIDENT
Flaminq Column is Thrown Hundreds
of Feet Into the Air and Shaft, Plant
and Adjoining Buildings Are isnited
Help From Gle Eilun Aids in Curb
ing Conflagration.

men were Killed and three fatally in
jured in an explosion of gas in the
shaft of mine No. Of the Northwest
ern Improvement company at l2.i3
this afternoon.
The known dead are:
WILLIAM ARESDOLL.
DOMINICK BARTOLERO.
DAN HARDY.
PHILLIP POZARICH.
TOM MARSoLYN.
JOHN f. JONES
CARL BERGER. gang boss.
JAMES GURRELL.
AARON ISACkSON.
The fatally injured
Otis Newhouse John Y. Jones. en-
gineer and father of John f. Jones.
Fire Follows.
When the explosion occurred a col
umn of fire was thrown hundreds of
feet into the air. igniting the shaft
plant and adjoining buildings. Under
the intense heat the hoist of the
shaft crumbled and fell into the fur
mace below. Cinders We're blown in
all directions and buildings in various
parts of the little mining town took
fire. The citizens We're able to ex-
tinguish these small fires and the
Roslyn fire department. aided by ap-
paratus and men sent from Gle Elum.
three miles away. have confined the
blaze to the main buildings of the
mine.
Thirty minutes after the explosion
wagons began bringing injured men to
the emergency hospital. Many of the
men who were not killed outright by
the explosion are burned beyond rec
ognition and can live but few
hours.
Short On Water.
The mine in the neighborhond of
the shaft is burning furiously and
flames are shooting up from the shaft
nearly 100 feet into the air. The elec-
trie pumps which supply the town of
Rnslyn with water have been cut off
and the water supply in the city is
very nearly exhausted. 1t is reported
that the shaft Is caving in and other
explosions may occur at any moment.
Rescue parties viii be sent into the
mine from. the slope connecting with
the shaft as soon as II is safe for
men 10 approach.
Wild Confusion.
The scene in Roslyn Immediately
following the accident was one of wild
confusion. Men, women and children
rushed from their homes at the sound
of the explosion and hurried to the
mine. 1t was not known how many
men We're working in the shaft and
people ran frantically about searching
for relatives in the crowd that gath
cred near the burning shaft. 1t was
fortunate that the accident occurred
on Sunday. when onlf the pump ren
and laborers making repairs in the
mine were at work. Had the explns-
ion occurred on a working day the
list of fatalities might have beer as
great as that of the disaster of May
10. 1902. when Roslyn mine No. ?.
exploded. causing a loss of 70 lives.
Nearly COO men are regularly em-
ployed In mine No. 4.
The mine officials are unable to ex-
plain the cause of the explosion.
General Superintendent ]. F. Menzies
is seriously i'll with typhoid fever. but
when he learned of the disaster he
insisted on taking charge of the rescue
work. directing the operation of the
workers from the sick bed.
The mines of the Northwestern I'M
nroyement company are the largest in
the state and have producing ca
nacity OF 5000 tons. They employ
1000 men. The loss of shaft No. 1.
which was one of the biggest pro-
ducers operated by the company. will
materially affect the coal output o.
the state. Resign is 100 miles east
of Seattle