Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-06-20
WORK OF REscuiNe sooiEs IS
HALTED eY NEW OUTBREAK OF
FIRE FAR UNDERGROUND.
TONS OF ROCK AND DEBRIS
BLOCK ENTRANCES TO MINE
Miners Had No Warning Of impend.
q ing Disaster-Many Bodies Found
Standing Erect With Tools Grasped
in Hands-Twenty Dead Taken Out
Others May Be Entombed For Days.

Lethbridge. Alta. June 20.-Altho
the work of recovering bodies pro-
gressed slowly today owing to smoldeF-
ing fires in the entrance Of mine No. 20.
of the Hillcrest collieries. limited, q
total of ninety five bodies had been re-
moved this afternoon, and placed in
union hall leaving 102 yet entombed in
the mine and given up for dead.
William Brown. brother Of General
Manager Brown Is among the victims.
Lethbridge. Alta, June 2o.-After re-
covering twenty charred bodies today
rescuers were driven from their work
by fire before noon at mine No. 20 of
the Hillcrest (Alberta) Colleries, Ltd.
where . great explosion yesterday
wrecked the underground property and
is believed to have killed 1877 men.
Among the bodies recovered were
those Of James Quigley. superintendent
Of the mine. and Thomas Taylor, fire
boss.
Tons Of rock, broken timbers and
NSACA uSOA4S dlc ICdPco All SAC gil
frances and it seemed probable that
many of the bodies will not be recov.
cred for many days. Exploration by
rescuers early today indicated the
miners had nc warning of death a.
several bodies were found standing
nearly erect with picks and other min
ing tools in hand; pinned to walls by
timbers or rocks.
Explosion Shakes Countrywide.
The explosion, which occurred about
o'clock yesterday morning. shook the
countryside for miles. lifted the roofs
from many miners cabins. and demol-
iehed numerous small buildings.
A moAsnt after the explosion panic
stricken surface workersss ralshAds from
the. mime A dense cloud OF smoke and
poisonous fumes beIched from the pit
Appeals for help.were dispatched to
many towns, and in the meantime
residents organized an emergency crew
and turned feeble and Ineffective hands
toward the work Of rescue. =.
{ When the first rescue crew arrived
Z large force of men set about to clear
the shaft, turning desperately from
zone point to another as the means of
the entombed nen came feebly from
the mine. The means became fainter
and fainter and finally ceased.
Thousands of tons Of rock have fall
en- into the mine and 1t is feared the
men, even had they escaped death from
the poisonous fumes, probably were
crushed by the falling debris.
Exports Handicapped by Debris.
Early last night two more trains
filed with expert mine workers, doc
tors. nurses, and officials Of railways
arrived and the work Of rescue was be.
gun in a systematic manner.
AS the experts entered the mine
they found. jumbled in chaotic mass
horses. timbers, wagons, and mining
paraphernalia, the amount OF debri.
being indicative Of the force Of the ex-
plosion.
Fire Immediately succeeded the ex-
plosion, but soon died out. altho the
gss fumes made 1t impossible for the
men to work effectively for severa
hours.
The explosion tore out both ends oi
the pit and blocked up the interior OF
the workings making 1t almost i'm
possible to gain entrance.
Most Of the miners were working
abe u 400 feet inside the mine.
A majority of the men are foreign
born, but a large number Of them are
English speaking.