Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-10-25
.RESCuERs LOST
!. IN BURNING Mine.
Two Helmet Men Believed
to Have Been Added
to List Of Dead
TOTAL DEATH ROLL
IS PLACED AT 26l
Little Hope Now Felt For
Any Of Miners Entombed
Ey Sudden Explosion

Dawson, N. NJ, Oct. 24.-The
first government rescue car reach
ed here shortly after 8 o'clock
this morning. The crews were
hurrledly equipped with helmets
and sent Into stag Canon Mine No.
2 in search Of HeImetsmen James
Iurdl and VIM. poisa, believed to
have been killed by poisonous
gases, after an accident that caus-
Cd them to remove their helmets.
The accident to the heImetsmen
caused = feeling Of terror among
others to the point where only vol
unteers we're sent Into the mine.
Dawson, N. M, Oct. 24.-Two OF the
helmeted rescue crews in Stag Canon
mine No. 2 were lost In the workings
carly today, and are believed to be
dead. Two others who accompanied
them were brought ont scarcely alive.
Volunteers Immediately began a search
for the missing men.
The four men were of a crew of ten
who entered the mine at o'clock this
At the sixteenth room the
crew divided and four OF them pushed
on into the eighteenth room. Two
Of these. James Lurdi and William
Poisa, were walking ahead when.
rocks began to fall. They were buried
ln the dAhris and their fellows strug-
g3ed to rescue them. \, @
= lyon being pulled out or the mass
Of rocks and dirt Lurdi and Poisa are
said to have become frightened and
their helmets
This action confused their rescuers,
who, frightened by the continued fall
of debris and hampered by their 38-
pound equipment, also jerked of their
helmets and ran into the entry out of
the eighteenth room. There they
we're overcome by poisonous gases, but
members of the other division of the
crew finally brought them to the sur
ace alive.
Walter Kerr. one Of the rescued men,
had not recovered consciousness sew
srals hours later, but Roy Simpleman,
,is companion. told Of the narrowing
which in the opinion Of
he rescue leaders, probably caused
he death Of Lurdi and Poisa.
Helmet Men Afraid.
This probable fatality and the ter
'ors of the face Of the mine, which Is
10 thickly infested with poisonous
,ases, so affected the helmet men that
T. c.. Roberts. directing the govern
pent rescue work, experienced difhcul-
y in securing men to reenter the mine
o search for Lurdi and Poisa. Vol
lnteers were called for and they at
nee entered the mine.
The crew consisted OF i've men with
our emergency men following closely
arrying helmets and oxygen tanks.
,irector Roberts, who has been un-
active in rescue work since
lis arrival Yesterday, appeared greatly
ffected by this loss OF helmet men and
referred to 1t as "the
reatest tragedy of the mine disaster"
yhich already had claimed probably
81 lives. Roberts has been In CON
inuous charge OF the rescue work
,ithout a moments relief since noon
esterday and It was only by physical !
orce that he was kept from ,donning
helmet and leading the search for
.urdi and Poisa All other rescue ac-
fvities were practically abandoned
ending the finding Of the lost helmet !
1en
More Bodies Found.
Between and o'clock this morn.
ne three additional bodies were re-
overed and brought to the surface. No
race has been found Of General Super.
ntendent William McDermott nor
Ienry P. McShane, the wealthy young |
Jew Yorker. It was believed Nc.
)ermott's body Is with group Of men |
tho were caught at the face OF the |
line beyond the eighteenth room,
asst. 1t was for these men that the |
earch was being made by the helmet |
rev when Lurdi and Poisa met their |
ccident.
Early today the arrival OF two gov
rnment rescue cars was being awaited |
npatiently as they would bring to the
Gene fresl, and experienced helmet /
,en.
Ian EXPEDITION I