The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1914-06-25
2O5 MEN PERISH
IN CANADIAN MINE
Twenty Taken Out Alive From
HiIIcrest (AIta) CoIIiery.
FIND TWENTY.THREE BODIES
Blast Of Gas Blows Out Both EndI Of
PIT and Rocks Earth for Many
MIIes-Thlrd Disaster
for District.

Hillcrest, Alberta, June 22,-An e1'
plosion entombed 225 Of the 600 coal
miners employed in mine No. 80 OF
the Hillcrest colleries, Ltd OF the AZ
rescued 20 are living. Despite the eff.
forts OF the 40 mine experts laboring
In the death-dealing gases, no hope OF
rescuing alive the 1872 men yet In the
mine is expressed. Thomas Quigley,
superintendent Of the mine, and
Thomas Corkel, official of the miners
union, are among the entombed. 1t Is
generally believed the explosion was
due to the forming Of gases.
Both ends Of the pit were blown out
and the roof OF a concrete building
ten yards from the mouth Of the pit
was blown of and debris scattered for
hundreds OF yards about. The shock
of the explosion was felt at Lethbr1dge
and other nearby towns.
Rescue gangs were organized at
once after the explosion and fought
their way through noxious gases and
tangled wreckage for a short distance
where 20 men, most OF them burned
and mangled, were found alive, TWEEN
ty-three bodies were brought to the
surface with the living.
Fire is raging In the interior OF the
mine, which was found to be chaotic
mass Of timbers. rocks, wagons. dead
men and horses
At six o'clock two trains arrived
from Calgary, with doctors, nurses and
mine experts aboard. They also
brought smoke helmets and other spe-
cial equipment, which expedited the
rescue work and made II safe.
The disaster Is among the worst In
the mining annals Of western Canada
The explosion occurred Just after a
new shift OF 225 men had gone to work
under Superintendent Quigley, who IL
believed to be among the dead.
Thomas Corkel, a well-known
miners union Official is also among
the missing.
Hundreds OF relatives and friends Of
the miners rushed to the pit mouth
Immediately after the explosion and
waited in silent groups through the
long hours Of the day and night for
word from their loved ones, the wom-
en- pale and sorrowful. the children
weeping. and the men. grim.faced. do
Ing what they could for the rescue of
the entombed
The greater number Of miners were
in the middle OF the workings and had
no chance for escape. 1t Ia feared
that 1t will take week to penetrate
to the interior Of the mine.
This is the third disaster which has
befallen the inhabitants Of Crows Nest
Pass. Four years age 80 men were
killed In Bellevue mine by gas, and
ten years ago Frank mine was wiped
out by the mountain topping over and
1875 men killed.
The Crows Nest mining district Ia
situated along the main divide OF the
Canadian Rockies south and west Of
Calgary and includes some of the
largest mines In western Canada. The
Hillcrest mine Is located almost direct
ly north Of the Glacier National park
district IN northwestern Montana and
103 miles west Of Medicine Hat. The
mines have been worked for about IF
teen years
Liege Belgium, June 22.-Two hun
dred miners were entombed alive
when fire broke out in the Viellemnr-
thaye colliery. The fire was caused
by an explosion.
When the accident occurred 400
miners were underground. but 200 es-
capped.
Rescue crews we're Immediately or
ganized in an attempt to rescue the
entombed men.