Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-20
EFFORTS RENEWED
BY RESCUE CREWS
TOREACHV VICTIMS
Feared That Those Not Crush
ed by Debris Are Overcome
by the Gases.
Latest Figures Place Number
of Entombed in Alberta Coal
Mine at 236.

LEI n RllJSE, Alberta, June w.
With but faint hope of finding alive
any of the miners still entombed in
mine No. 20 of the Hillcrest. Alta, Col
lieries. Ltd, where an explosion yes
terday Is believed to have killed all
but Al of the 236 men in the mine at
the time. the government rescue
crews, after a night of toll, today con-
tinued with renewed vigor their efforts
to penetrate to the imprisoned men.
Although mine officials encourage the
belief that many of the entombed men
are still alive, this belief Is not COM
mon, as relatives and comrades of the
missing men fear those who were not
crushed by falling debris were over
come by the poisonous gases that filled
the mine chambers Immediately after
the explosion.
Although it was officially stated last
night that only 225 men, composing
the day shift, were in the mine when
the explosion occurred yesterday, later
figures, declared to be authentic, place
the number at 236.
With Al of this number accounted for
as alive early today, the other 1876
still in the mine are believed to be
dead or with no chance Of surviving
the gases until rescue can reach them.
But few bodies had been recovered
three removed yesterday.
All-Night Search for Victims.
Under the glare of searchlights- trained
mine rescue workers from the British CO.
lumbfa station at Fernie labored through
out the night with the Alberta province
crew, clearing away the debris that block
ed the mine passages near the entrance
q nf he min
eral hundred feet from the mouth Of the
mine when the explosion occurred the res
cuers do not expect to recover all the
bodies for several days.
Hillcrest, which delayed several hours
yesterday the news Of the disaster, had
made 1t difficult to get complete details
This is the third great disaster in
Crows Nest Pass in the last ten years,
and In number Of dead It is expected to
exceed in magnitude the disaster at
Frank ten years ago, when that village
was buried by the collapse Of q mountain
and 125 Inhabitants were killed. -Four
years ago thirty-five men were killed In
the Bellevue mine.
Explosion Shook Countryside.
The explosion, which occurred about
3 am, shook the countryside. lifted
roofs from many cabins and demol-
ished many small buildings. The score
of panic-stricken surface workers
rushed from the mine. followed by a
dense cloud of smoke and poisonous
fumes.
Appeals for help were dispatched to
many towns, and residents organized
an emergency crew and began the
work of rescue.
When the first rescue crew arrived
a large force of men set about to clear
the shaft, working desperately as the
means Of the entombed men came
feebly from the mine. The means be-
came fainter and finally ceased Thou
sands Of tons of rock have fallen into
the mine and it Is said that the men, even
had they escaped death from the
poisonous fumes. probably were crushed
by falling debris.
Cause Of Explosion Unknown.
No Information as to what caused the
explosion has been given. but 1t is be-
lieved it was due to gases
Thomas Quigley. superintendent of the
mine, is entombed.
Early last night two trains filed with
expert mine workers, doctors. nurses and
officials of railways arrived, and the work
of rescue was begun in a systematic way.
The experts found, jumbled in a chaotic
mass, horses. timbers. wagons and min
ing paraphernalia, indicating the force of
the explosion.
Fire broke out soon after the explosion.
but was extinguished. Gas fumes made it
impossible for the men to work elective
ly for several hours.
The explosion tore out both ends OF the
pit and blocked up the interior. Most Of
the miners. working about 400 feet below
the surface are foreign born, but large
number of them are English speaking.