HomeMy WebLinkAboutExeter Times, 1902-5-29, Page 2A
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PLOSI*JV IV 1t
Terrible Disaster at the Crow's Nest
Pass Mines.
• A, Ft:ride, 13. (3., .deepetelt sits-
-flue tit the worst caul mining dim
tete in the history of British. Cc
lumbie, occurred at the Omit Cree
•Minee at 7 &cheek osi Thureda
night, when item lee to 100 me
• inet Malone instant death iu mine
No. 9 and 8. The explosion occin
ied in the deeps of NO, e. and im
inan of over 3.04 employed in the
mine vecaped to tell the. tale, Frei
No 4 wokkiags, wOl an connecte
with No. ei about 91 nem relined.
The iirst, intimation of the disaste
which those on the outeide receive(
leas a rush of conl dust and fire to
height of over 1,000 feet above th
fans. Word was immediately e'en
to I'ernie, ilve miles from the mines
and inside of 12 minutes from - th
tizne theaceideut occurred relief pas
ties 'were at work.
'1'0 'PHE,IIESCUE.
11. Drinnan, Dr. Donnell .and Tru
Withezby were the first to enter th
mine. When about erm feet . int o th
workings Whelanwae overcome be
iireodamP•< and had it mit been foi
his two common:tens would hake pet
jelled. On being. removed to the out
er air he recoverece and gave in
etructions to the rescue party a
commence repairing the overcasts
The overeasts are the pipes whiel
conduct the air through the new:
and. as they had been almost com-
pletely destroyed, it was impoesibli
to enter, owing to the afterdzaup
which prevailed.
Voluuteers were called for, and
are of brave men spring to work,
For nearly six hours this pollee- was
pursued with reckless merge:. Every
five minutes the men would eolipse,
and were borne to the outer air, and
their places were quickly tilled by
volunteers. The first body recovered
was taken • from No. 8 mine at 11
o'clock and was that of 'Wilde Rob-
ertson. a lad of 18. ,Several hours
elapsed, end thee three more bodies
were recovered. None. of the vic-
elms gave .the slightest sign of life,
and were removed to the wash
house, .
Arany acts of bravery were wit -
need during the night. The heroic
. work of a. miner named TrueWith-.
erby, who time and again entered the
pit, where mei). were Calling all
around Mee was purticularly nota-
ble.
The cause of the accident is un-
known, but the opinion of many of
the miners is that it was the result
of a shot from one of the machines,.
SIX MILES FROM FEILNIE.
The mine is six miles. from Ferule,
the minieg town in the centre of the
rich coal fields, and No. 2 shaft is
the driest, gasiest ot tunnels. As
the provincial mineralogist told in
a recent report, the management
took risks since a year ago in . the
working of the mine in order ...to
hurry the supply. for the demand•ex-
cceded the development. and, in or-
der to get the coal, the workings
were carried oft in a cork -screw -like
driver, instead of the usual square
driver, and other risks, were taken.
• Since then. however, the conditions
'were improved, and the last report
received by the government from its
inspector on May 8 states that the
mines were then in a safe condition,
- Um ventilation being good, the fans
furnishing air about 40- per ceut. ia
excess. ot the requirements. The re-
port was most favorable, and com-
pared .most advautageously with last
year's report, which severely criti-
cized the mine. At one time -eleorts
were to have been started to have
the mine closed if the full letter of
the Mining Act was not obeyed. •
INSPECTOR'S WARNING.
Nos. 2 and 3 mines. in which the
exploeion occurred, are connected,
and the Inspector of Mines has
pointed out in his reports that an
explosion in one would be apt to
affect the other. No. 2 mine was
the mine in which the air was driest
and dustiest, and front which most
apprehension has • therefore always
been felt. This mine also gave off
gas when the mine was at work: al-
though No. 3 was wet, ancl an ex-
plosion in No. 2 was therefore • like -
to affect No. 3.
In the opinion of the inspector, a
proper use of the ventilating fan,
which the company has kept con-
stantly in use, an enlargement of
air, keeping the brattice close into
the face, putting stoppings in as re-
quired and luaintaining good dis-
cipline should result in a, fair ex-
emption from danger.
The Fernie mines are one of three
camps, which the Crow's Nest Coal
Company operates, namely, Fernie,
Michel and Morriscy, all within a
few miles of each other: The Fernie
mines are situated six tales out of
the town, and are. in the most ad-
-clewed stage of development, three
seams being -worked.
S : Sand in the. evening a public funeral
se was held. .
0 Several days meet elapse before a
thorough search can be ',mule, and
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