East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-02-03

Laredo. Texas, Feb 3.-One of IA.
greatest disasters i'm tho history ol
MeHiCan coal mining took place yes-
I't"rday in the Palau mine at Las Es-
peranzas, Mexico
The toll of human life which paid
he penalty of negligence on the part
.t some miner. according tJ latest re-
PORTS Is placed at 60 After an off
c'7l report showing SO dead. u aadl-
tioual bodies were recovered. while
TIRED, sthers have died In The hospila.
I'aking the grand total of victims thus
Ear SO.
An explosion occurred in No. 3
shaft Of the coal mine of the Esper-
anzas Mining company. ana is attrib-
uted TO the ignition Of gas from the
flame of cigarette of a nj Ter, smok-
ing contrary to the rules
The miners mostly NeXicphs and
Japanese had assumed their places in
the different workings jlst after
o'clock.
At $50 o'clock those At wort. above
ground heard a loud explosion and
almost instantly n vast cloud of dust
and smoke issltd from Jhe mouth Of
,ne shaft.
When the 13 ookers "elI ed the
llaaning of the disaster. assistance
was Immediately Forthcoming. SO
soon as the air in the shaft could be
purified sufficiently to permit res
cuers to descend, many volunteers
were We're ready to risk their lives
n an elevator to succor ;heir stricken
liothers below.
Men Were Suffocated.
Cages Immediately were sent down,
loaded to their capacity with miners
bent upon rescuing their comrades
On the first and second levels every
thing was found intact and the men
working in these places were safe.
The rescue party went down t. the
third level and as soon as the air could
be sufficiently cleared they entered
the various positions in the workings
they found the bodies of the men suf-
focayed. their faces indicating the
bitter fisht they had waged to reach
pure air and safety.
The rescuers worked in RELAYS,
searching for their dead and dying
companions
After six hours' work So bodies had
been brought to the surface, while
nearly 40 injured men had been re-
moved to the hospitals. The injur-
ed owe their escape to the fact that
they We're working where they were
protected from the rush of foul air.
AS the bodies We're trought to the
surface screaming women and chill
dren We're congregatedd about the
mouth of the shaft awaiting the res.
cue of loved ones
Most of the killed We're MeXiCaus
the japanese miners being employed
in other parts of the mine.
Explosion of Mine Damp.
state representatives sent detail-
ed account of the explosion ana q de.
duction as to probable cause.-The eA
plosion of mine damp-to the gov
ernors of Coahuila and Saltilto. They |
instructed the local authorities to take |
such action as they deemed necessary
and to investigate thoroughly the |
cause of the disaster.
The mining company officials lost |
no time in making provisions for the |
injured. An order was teiegraphed to |
Eagle Pass and Monterey for coffins |
for the dead, and money and food have |
been provided for the suffering fam
lilies.
The Palau mine is one of the best |
equipped coal mines in the republic. |
1t has an adequate ventilating sys-
tenn. is provided with electric lights |
and mining officials are utterly at a |
loss to understand the presence. of |
mine damp in No. 3 workings.
While an accurate estimate of the