Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1910-11-17


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 Bael, married, one child.
Caesar Bael, single.
Cyril Macs, single.
Frank Gardini, single.
1sador Gardini, single.
Joseph Runner, single.
Maetili Fanstiria, married. three chill
dren.
Dave London, single.
G. Beag, wife in Italy.
Dominic Gregori, single.
Albert, Fontana, single.
Francis Vergani, single.
Julius Cappiati, wife in Italy.
The injured: Arvila Martina, Louis
Martino,, Louis Kruntz.
So terrific was the explosion that it
shook the countryside for miles around
and carried fear to the inhabitants of
tie mining district that 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
q quarter of mile. A 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 in.
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,
entered 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-
plosions 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 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
exploson-one which officials of the
mine believe tenable-is that fissure OF
poisonous gases opened within the last
few days and, remaining undiscovered
was ignited by workman lighting g
match on the ascending or descending
trip. For several days preceding and a
the time of the explosion, the electricity
had been cut off in the mine.
Women and Children Gather.
Barely a few minutes elapsed afte
the report of the explosion was hearC
before every employ of the mine, real
izing instantly what had happened ant
alive to the imperative necessity of be
ginning at once the work of rescue
should there be any Survivors, gathers
before the gaping hole that once wa
the slope. Soon their number was aug
mented by the women and children o
the neighborhood, among them appear
ing the anxious faces of the wives an
children of the mine IS victism.
Under the direction of James Hamn
superintendent of the mine, the work Q
attempting rescue began immedlatel.
the full working force, 200 men, turI
/. inc to with will. Then it was disco'
cred that even had the men inside su
vived. their rescue was improbable,
the force of the explosion was SO ee
rife that practically every bit OF fram