The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-01-14
ONLY nine MEN
WERE BROUGHT
OUT ALIVE
Six Bodies Rescued and Oper-
atCrs Believe sc Are
Dead in the Shaft
FIRE HALTs RESCUERS
State Mine Inspectors Place
Blame Squarely Up to
the Operators


Eighty-seven miners lay dead in thu
blazing Degnan- Nc Connell mine her,
today. while scores of rescue work
ers stood at the mouth Of the shaft
helpless in the face Of the flame.
which broke out anew early thi.
morning. Six bodies have beel
brought out, raising the death toll Il
%.
Mine officials last night abandon
ca all hope Of finding any of the
trapped miners alive.
A terrific explosion wrecked thu
lower levels Of the mine yesterday
shortly after 10l white and negro
miners started their daily toll. OF
these, only eight negroes were
brought out alive.
Responsibility for the disaste,
was placed squarely on the mine
operators by Ed Boyle, state mine
inspector, after an investigation,
Boyle declared that in his opinion
the explosion was due to the en-
ploying of incompetent miners. He
said be believed the explosion was
from gas collected in one or more
passages in the mine and that COM
petent inspectors could have found
evidence Of the gas before the men
went to work Wednesday morning.
Says Mine Was Inspected
A report from Supt. w. H. Powers
OF the mine stated that fire bosses
had inspected the mine at six o'clock
in the morning, two hours before
the miners went to work. Boyle de-
cclared that enough gas could not
have collected in the mine in that
time to blow the cages from the
shaft and wreck the tipple.
The Wilburton fire department
proved inadequate; in coping with
the flames, 1900 feet under the
ground. as its combined hose reached
only 1000 feet. The McAlester fire
department has started here with
$500 feet OF hose. The Hartshorxe
department has arrived with an ad-
ditional l,0Oo-feet Of hose. This will
all be coupled together in an at
tempt to stop the flames. Should
the fire be allowed to burn, the mine
would have to be closed for 90 days.
firemep said.
Men Were Burned To Death
The interior of the mine 70 4
scene of destruction, rescue worker.
said, although they declared there
was little damage below the slone
outside of cave-ins and burned tim.
bers. A string Of coal cars in the
main passage way was found partial
ly burned with the driver dead in
the seat, evidently killed by cOncus-
sion. Rescue workers were unable to
get close enough to identify him. >
RnAinc nf thu man heou~kN 49,
surface indicated that they had been
burned to death.
Despite the tragedy that touched
many of its homes, an air Of calm
ness prevailed generally throughout
Wilburton and there was little
hysteria. The small crowds on the
main street did not talk much of
the disaster.
A large number of the citizens
spent sleepless night, hut were
ready to resume TODAY the effortS
that were halted by flames. Early
this morning half Of the towns
1000 inhabitants were ut the mine
or nearby.
Keep All Night Vigil.
Many relatives remained at the
mouth of the mine throughout the
night. huddled about scattered fires
awaiting recovery Of the bodies OF
loved ones. As the night wore on al
most dead silence settled upon the
expectant group. broken now and
then by the cries Of the women. One
young woman. sleeping baby on
either knee, sat for hours. Without
. word she kept her place on an old
nail keg, warming the children be-
fore one of the flickcring fires. Only
with the approach of dawn and the
announcement that no bodies were
to be brought out Immediately did
she end her watch.
ONE SURVIVOR Is TAKEN
FROM MINES IAWER IEYElx