Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1910-11-12

morning in the Lawson mine at Black
Diamond, which levied toll of 10 lives
and three injured, and utterly wrecked
probably beyond repair property
valued at $250,000, one of the deepest
mines in the United States. The
catastrophe marks the second of its kind
in the history of the luckless mine, 10
miners having lost their lives in 1902.
Dead and Injured.
The dead:
Julius Puysow, married, one child.
Fred Setti, married, one child.
Oscar Baei, married, one child.
Caesar Bael single.
Cyril Macs, single.
Frank Gardiai, single.
Isador Gardini, single.
Joseph Runner, single.
Maetili Fanstiria, married, three chill
dren.
Dave London. single.
G. Beagi, wife in Italy.
Dominic Gregori, single.
Albert, Fontana, single.
Francis vergani, single.
Julius Cappiati, wife in Italy.
The injured: Arvila Martina, Louis
Martina, Louis Kruntg.
SO terrific was the explosion that il
shook the countryside for miles around
and carried fear to the inhabitants of
the mining district that a mighty seis
mic disturbance WAS taking place. From
out of the mouth of the slope running
to the bowels of the mine belched tons
and tons of earth, rock and debris, huge
timbers and steel supports, and, ominous
in their import, coats, hats and caps
the wearing apparel of the unfortunate
victims of the disaster. Timbers meas
uring two feet in thickness and 20 feet
in length were hurtled through the air
a quarter Of nile. great steel pipe
was thrown half mile with such ter
rife force that when it, struck the earth
it imbedded itself IS feet. The explo-
sion blew the from the mine practically
all the timbers and supports in the
slopes and airshafts, and the mine imme-
diately began to cave an.
That the is men caught in the explo-
sion met instant death is not doubted.
Shortly before the tragedy the night
foreman had come to the surface. A
routine detail, he chalked on the black
board at the mouth of the mine his
mornings report on conditions below,
go. X. No FIRE damp"
Ten men, comprising the Sunday shift,
catered the elevator cage and were car
ried below, meeting on the way five
members of the night crew coming up.
At some point, believed TO have proba-
bly, been between the fifth and sixth
levels, when both shifts were in close
proximity to each other, their lives were
snuffed out.
Coal Company's Defense.
Its managers claim precautionary
measures against the occurrence of ex-
piosions had always been taken by the
Pacific Coast Coal company, owning and
operating the mine, inforcing rule pro
hibiting employees, on pain of instant
discharge, from entering the mine with
matches on their persons. AS a general
rule all employees are searched every few
days. This morning, it happens, the mem
bers of the Sunday shift were not sub
iected to this examination The only
theory offering an explanation for the
explosion-one which officials of tn,
mine believe tenable-is that assure o.
poisonous gases opened within the las
few days and, remaining undiscovered
was ignited by a workman lighting ;
trip. For several days preceding and a
the time of the explosion, the electricit.
had been cut off in the mine.
Women and Children Gather.
Barely few minutes elapsed afte
the report of the explosion was hear
before every employ of the mine, rea
izing instantly what had happened an
alive to the imperative necessity of be
ginning at once the work of rescue
should there be any Survivors, gathere
before the gaping hole that once wa
the slope. Soon their number was aug
mented by the women and children Q
the neighborhood, among them appear
ing the anxious faces of the wives an
children of the mines victism.
Under the direction of James Hamn
superintendent of the mine, the work c
attempting rescue began immediatel.
the full working force, 200 men, turf
ing to with will. Then it was disco'
cred that even had the men inside su
vived, their rescue was improbable, 6
the force of the explosion was so tie
rife that practically every bit of franz
work supporting the slopes and airshaft
had been blown out and every avenu
of ingress was choked up.