Arizona republican., 1913-10-25
Two Men Give Their Lives in Hopeless Effort to Reach Entombed Com panlons Now Believed Dead Beyond Doubt
EXPERTS REACH
 THE SCENE
Supplied With Oxygen Ap- paratus and Other Ap- pliances They Take Up the Work-Walter Doug las Descends With Others

DAWSON, Oct 24.-The most tragic twelve hours of the disaster at Stag canyon mine No. 2. since the explosion on Wednesday afternoon. passed at o'clock tonight. Not un- til today did the dead claim the liv- Ing; those sturdy, silent men who uncomplainingly have donned their helmets and oxygen tanks and walk ed unfalteringly through the thou sands of feet of death lined cham bers and entries. Then. just at the beginning of a day which had been fraught with possibilities for the throngs of gaunt women, ever watching the manway, came the news that two of the life saving crew were dead
 With but few exceptions the re- maining helmet men, thought. waver- ed, and then refused to return to the work of rescue. Then came the trained rescue crews from the United States rescue service car, which has been hastened from the Kansas coal fields with all the power of man and steam. Under the leadership of c. s. Stevens the men hurried into the mine and after six hours fight with black damp, falling roofs and tim
 
 two dead helmet men, James Lurdie and William Poisa.
 Two miles from the camp the fu- neral services were being read over the thirty-six bodies of the dead miners placed in collins in the tenn porary morgne Along the sides of the morgue walls lay the collins. ca ch containing the mutilated and scarcely recognizable features of a miner.
 From early dawn until late last Light pr. James $. Douglas. presi- dent of the Phelps Dodge syndicate. which controls the Stag Canyon Fuel company, was present at the mine. having taken over the administration work. While his father was issuing orders for the rescue work, young Walter Douglas, general manager of the syndicate. was deep within the mine aiding in the rescue work. Chief Roberts of the government res eue service announced tonight it is his positive belief that none of the .ntombed miners are now alive which opinion is supported by the rescue workers and mine officials.
 No miner was found alive today md the number of rescued living
 
 ,ials continue to announce that 263 will be the probable death list, aug nented by the deaths of the two helmet men today. Walter Douglas the opinion that the cause f the explosion was gas, known to rave existed in the vein of coal above he one which the company was Jorking, which probably entered the ther chambers and was ignited by n unprotected miners lamp.
 Chief Roberts of the government ervice agrees with General Manager Douglas as to the probable cause, but avs it was only a guess.
 That a great amount of dust or as had been present is evident, say he government experts. and that it aust have formed since Monday last the opinion of some, because the 1ine had been inspected on that day y State Mine Inspector BittoW. The men, some of whom have cen working continuously since the loment of the accident, are obdurate T their determination to stay at heir posts. As a result the emer- ency hospital is being used almost holly as a rescue station" for the line and government officials who ave become too exhausted to retain