Eastern Utah advocate. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1895-1915, 1913-03-13

ASss s'
Photo by American Press Association.
~ think I smell fire in c sntryl"
choking with the heavy smoke. Down
In the main bottom at the foot " the
shafts II now hung IN the air Ike u
thin fog. and boy the time that oue Of
the big motors came pushing a couple
Of water carts down the track the men
at the top OF the shafts had detected
the smell Of smoke and the alarm ~
IRE was sounded.
The sudScnncss % the Gre aud the
fact that practically all OF the men.
and especially the head men. were ai
that time NJ supper In the town Grip
pied the small force who were endeay
oring 90 stem its rapid march down
the entry. Coming strong on the air
current. but n quarter Of a mile sep
arated Il from the mine bottom. the
vitals ~ the mine. n the nre reached
here NIL was lost. BY the time the
water carts had arrived the volume Of
smoke was 30 dense and the beat w
Intense that their use seemed almost
absurd. and Immediately an attempt
was begun 10 connect n hose line from
the nearest wntcr pipes. IL was nj.
most half an hour before the couplings
were made. aud. blinded by tho now
dense smoke aud half scorched By the
heat OF the flames. a dozen men en-.
dcavorcd Intellectually 10 stem tho ad.
vance OF the fire. which now lined the
walls Of the entry like an open fur.
mace
For an hour Il seemed an though
they were holding their own. Down AT
the mouth ot the entry a gang OF tim.
bcrmen were already building stop
ping across the mouth ~ the entry IN
case the men with the hose line found
u impossible 90 check the advance OF
the nrc. suddenly Tom Cox. who was
holding the nozzle Of the art hose.
sank 90 his knees. and In the second
that followed four men beside him
caught their hands 90 their necks ana
fell beside him along the track. The
water and the IRE had generated IN the
200 yards Of now burning entry a wall
Of the invisible white damp" and
this. driven like the smoke by the air.
suddenly oyercame the men who were
nghting NJ the edge OF the flames The
question Of life and death now entered.
for the IRE, unchecked. was rapidly
marching down the tunnel toward the
bodies 81 the unconscious men. From
the mouth Of the entry the timb~rmen.
bending low 90 catch the clean air be.
low the smoke. fought up Into the heat
and dragged out the bodies OF their un.
conscious companions and then. with
frenIied haste. continued their work
on the half completed stopping.
IL was known that IN some parts OF
the mine men were still at work who
were unconscious ~ the IRE. and /,
was necessary 10 warn them that they
might make their escape. Resides
these, there was another band OF a half
dozen men who had underworld 10
reach the IRE from the other side and
who, ignorant Of the sudden danger
must also be warned With three men
Charley Swenson determined 10 visit
o. working parts OF the mine which
lay 20 the left Of the burping entry
and extended Tar behind IL. Here there
were men working. Within half nm
hour the alarm had been given. and
the warning party started back. Half
nile from the mine bottom the party
stopped for an instant ms tho sound OF
an explosion reached thalr ears. and
they realized that the gas generated by
the burning coal was beginning 10 On.
plode somewhere Ia the mine 10 them
u was mo- longer qoestion OF saving
the mine. but Of preserving their own
lives
Beside tue track stood one OF the
electric locomotives. Swenson noticed n
aud stopped behind his companions.
thinking that by using the locomotive
hey could get more quickly 70 bottom.
lie Jumped into the low drivers seat
before he noticed that the trolley pole
was turned the wrong way. Stun.
bling out again, he pulled the pole from
the wire ana turned Il and then crawl.
ed back into the drivers seat. As his
hand reached Tor the grip OF the con.
lroller a sudden dizziness seized him
and he fell forward unconscious on the
frame OF the machine. The white damp
was penetrating all parts OF the mine.
A minute later-like a hurried funeral
procession-another group OF men came
stumbling down the entry. dragging
two OF their comrades who had been
overcome by the gas. and TO them
swenson owed his life.
The mine bottom was now flled with
smoke, and the deadly gas In diluted
quantities hung Invisible In TIE air.