The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-03-08
BLAST CLOSES
ENTRANCE INTO
MINE IN UTAH
The Explosion Believed Caus-
ed by Accumulation
of Coal Dust
RESCUE WORKERS GO
Mine Car Sent There Immedi-
ately to Try and Effect
Rescue of Men

Castle Gate, Utah, Mar. 8.
-(By the A .P.)-One hun
dred and seventy-five men
employed in the day shift of
the Utah Fuel Company Mine
No. 2 were entombed by an
explosion at 8 o'clock this
morning.
The explosion is believed to-
have been caused by an &C
emulation Of dust.
Details of the explosion are
lacking at the company Of
fices here, according to JOS
eph c. Carnley, chief clerk to
the superintendent of the
company's property. 1t is not
known whether there were
any survivors. Rescue teams
now are endeavoring to enter
the mine.
NO BODIES REMOVED
AT noon 1T was announced that no
bodies had been taken from the mine
and that none of the entombed mir
ers had been rescued.
The explosion in the mine was fol
lowed by series Of smaller blasts,
according to company officials. The
force tf the first explosion was Sc
great that the entrance to the pro
perty, which is slope mine, was
blocked by debris.
Seven rescue teams, composed of
six men each, now are endeavoring
to get into the mine. At noon smoke
and dust was issuing from the mouth
of the mine but officials were unable
to say whether fire had broken out.
Probably Dead
Officials declared that rescue
teams had been unable to find any
indication that any of the ITS en-
tombed men were dead or alive al
though it was considered probable
that few if any escaped death from
the explosion.
The mine entrance is on the level
and the mine runs back approximate
ly mile and half, the working
shaft following the drift of the coal
vein.
Because of the obstructed entrance
to the mine, rescue workers have been
unable to determine even approxi-
mately where the first blast occur
red.
The explosion today is the first
that has ocurred in mine No. 2 al
though in 1900 to hundred men lost
their lives in an explosion and sub
sequent fire in the Winter Quarters
mine of the Utah Fuel Company at
Scofield, Utah, near here
Castle Gate is mining community
Of approximately 1,70O persons. The
force employed in the mine today is
the normal full-time production
force, according to the company Off
Cials.
AID RUSHED
Butte, Mont, Mar. s.-United
States mine rescue car No. will
leave here at noon for Castle Gate,
Utah, to aid in rescue work at the
Utah Fuel Company's mine there,
where an explosion occurred this
Government messages received here
gave no details Of the accident.
The extent of the explosion is not
known. Three distinct explosions are
reported. Officers Of the company
and others left this city on special
train at IL O'Clock for the scene of
the disaster. Fire equipment from
the other camps of the Utah Fuel
Company is being rushed to the
scene.
. In addition to the fire fighting ap-
paratus oxygen tanks are being rush
ed to the mine. Expert miners from
Clear Greek, Sunnyside and Spring
Canon are en- route to the mine to
aid in the rescue work.
Federal and state mine inspectors
made an inspection of the mine on
February 13 and declared the ventila-
ton and sprinkling operation was in
good shape.
c. H. Hotchkiss, assistant general
of the Utah Fuel Company,
will take personal charge of the res
cue work.