South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-10-24
Hundreds of Men Working in
Shifts of IS Each, Slowly
Fighting Way TO EntOmbed
Men at Dawson, N. M.
ID DEAD; e RESCUED,
: IS TOTAL FOR THE DAY
Great Uedth List is Attributed
to Accident to FanS-Mine a
Model and Explosion is Not
Accounted For.

DAWSON y. NJ. oct 1.-TWO
hundred and forty-seven miners are
believed dead Thursday beneath tons
Of fallen earth, timber, coal and rocks
in the cuts and rooms Of Stag Canon
mine No. Of the stag Canon Fuel
company here. Hundreds of miners.
working in shifts of fifteen each. are
slowly forcing their way through the
rooms and entries, fighting against
dangers of gas and a fire which
started in an adjoining mine aud
which threatens To reach the space in
which he entOmbed men were trap
ped.
Only % men have been taken from
the mine alive. At 6:15 Thursday
night the first miner to he rescued
alive within twelve hours was taken
from the main entry. He was found
Unconscious near a mule which earli-
cr in the evening had been found
alive.
Fourteen dead. % rescued. make up
the total OF the days work of recoV-
cry. The finding of the live mule in
the mine late Thursday encouraged
officials In charge OF the rescue work
10 hope some live miners perhaps are
still entOmbed in a room located more
than four thousand feet from an en-
trance.
Youth Learning Business.
Henry p. McShaw. son of MIS-. +.
T.. McShaw of New York city. widoX
of a former heavy stOckhoIder in the
mine is among the known dead. Nc
shaw, who was but 10 years of age,
had come TO the mine in which his
fathers estate still held an interest
IN order to learn mining from prac-
teal experience.
T. c.. Roberts chief of the United
States Mine Rescue bureau in tins dis
trICt. is in charge Of the rescue work.
AIr. Roberts said it was impossible to
tell what Occasioned the explosion but
that il was of such violence as to cause
hum to lose hope for the rescue of
any more victims.
In the mine at the time Of the eX-
plosion were 2S4 miners and that the
Death list Will reach so great a figure
is attributed 10 the fact that the great
fans which kept the air circulating
within the mine We're rendered useless
10y the force OF the explosion. Not un-
til four hours after the explosion
were the fans repaired.
Some OF the rescue parties Thurs
day night declared il their belief that
a part of the entombed miners had
reached a room and had sealed it in
time TO Keep the gas from overcoming
them.
viii Relieve Families.
Or. :. p Morris. representative of
this district OF the American Red
cross society. reached here at noon
end at once made preparations to re-
IieVe the families of the victims. Di-
rector General Ernest +. BickneH, of
the Red Cross society i'm Washington,
wired Gov. Mcdonald TO draw ON the
society for $1,000 with which TO allie
viate the suffering Of miners families.
but Gov. Mcdonald replied that Ihe
mine officials had given him asSUr-
"a
Nided for and that the company would
defray expenses Of all funerals ca r.
derS on the company sore for an in
definite length Of time have been is
sued 20 the families OF the entomDec
miners.
The mine was supposed 20 have been
"a model one and that such disaster
could hefal the men within IT, had
been considered impossible. only
TWO DAYS before the explosion state
Mine Inspector Biddow had examined
the property and pronounced IL in
excellent condition
General Manager T. H. O'Brien.
who was IN the office near mine No. ?
at the time of the explosion. at once
summoned the men from three 9TH
or mines by means OF the mine siren
and put them 90 work digging into
the main entry and the manway.
both Of which We're blocked by tons
OF fallen rCCk and timber
Learn Fans stopped.
He with other officials hastily went
TO the air shaft which lis supplied with
a ladder and steps designed 90 be used
as a means OF escape in Just such
emergencies There ne round the air
unbearable and knew the great fans
lad stopped.
With oxygen helmets he and his
followers went into mine No. ,. con-
uected with 40. by "A tunnel. believ-
Il 4 fr.laH IA
laterals OF the wrecked mine but they
found the passage blocked. Commun-
ication was established with nearby
mines and an the assistance available
was obtained.
The sound of the explosion at
tracted practically She entire popula-
tion 20 the mine and women fought
frantfCally 20 get To vantage points
from which they could see the slow
progress OF the resCuers. soon they
began 20 interfere with the work and
the entries We're roped off.