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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Herald, 1909-10-15, Page 6THIRTY MEN DIE IN MINE. A Disaster at Extension Mine on Vancouver Island. Explosion Caused by Miners Strik- ing Pocket of Gas. Eight Bodies Had Been Recovered From Mine Last Evening. BODIES TAKEN OUT. T. THOMAS. J. MOLINEAUX, ANDREW MOFFATT. A. MONTAGUE, • THOMAS O'CONNELL. W. DAVIDSON. E. DUNN. ONE UNIDENTIFIED. •Victoria, Ti C., despatch: -An explosion this morning in No. 2 mine, Exten- sion, one of the coal mines of the Wellington • Colliery Comp:nyn wiped out the lives of thirty men employed on the shift at that time. The ex- plosion took place about 9 in the morning, and all day the rescuers at- tempted to reach the imprisoned Jaen. The mine, however, was filled with fatal after -damp, and, although there was no fire, this prevented the res- cuers from reachingthe victims. At 3 this afternoon five bodies were brought out: Thomas O'Connell, Robert White, James Molineaux, D. Irving, and a man named McGuire. There are believ- ed to be still twenty-five in the mine. There as practically no hope of any of these being alive. Only meagre accounts are still to hand, as the Extension is ten miles in- land from Ladysmith, where the min- ers live, and to which they come tut by miners' train daily. The cause is reported to have been the striking of a pocket of gas while moving coal. This particular locality is free of gas and worked with ordinary pit lights•, so that when the gas was released the explosion followed. Following this the dreaded after -damp of miners fol- Iowed, completely shutting off that section of the mine. Those nearer tlxe main entrance escaped, but twenty men in the inner workings of the slope were cut off from all escape. As far as can be learned there is no cut- let from the upper end of the slope to any of the other workings, and the min- ers must remain imprisoned until re- lief comes from the outer side. A strong force is at work doing all that can be done to release the imprisoned men. The relief party report the af- ter -damp as being exceedingly heavy. The mines are owned by Lieut. -Gov- ernor Dunsmuir. It is hoped that all the bodies will be recovered before morning. A miner quitting work brought the news to Nanaimo. He had reached the main tunnel when the explosion oc- curred in the place he had left. The mhock was terrific, the stoppings being blown out and the doors unhinged. The effects were confined to the slope where the explosion occurred. INDICATIONS OF A FIRE. Victoria, B. C., despatch: The lat- est reports say thirty miners are unac- counted for. There are indications that a fire is in progress. O'Connell, whose body was recovered, was a well-known footballer. The company's officials are in the mine fighting to reach the entombed men. Jim Shaw, brother of the mine boss, was badly spent in the work of rescue. Ono man, talking with a press repre- sentative, said he was employed in No, 4 blast, When the explosion occurred he threw himself on the floor. The concussion lasted a ling time. When they had passed he made for the slope. He reached Nos. 2 and 3, and found them full of smoke and dreadfully hot. He struggled on and got through. Another man with some others was Out . on the level loading stringers on a car when the explosion occurred. Their lights were blown out. Dust and debris fell all round. The rush of Kind nearly carried them off their feet. Along with others, he made for the counter level. They tried to get up an outside stall, but before they had gone far those in front shouted: "Get back; you can't come any far- ther." Tho five, Alex. McLennan, Robt. White. Fred Ingham, John T. Master and William Steel, he never saw again. The air was so hot it burned his throat to breathe. He turned and made his way back to the lower level. He stayed there until rescued,. TWENTY-FIVE RESCUED . lvanaimo, B.C., despatch; The explosion occurred at 9 this morning at the Ex- tension mine. Of fifty men known to be in the mine. twenty-five have been rescued, but all are inured. If the flames die now, it may be possible to reach the entombed men, who are be- lieved to number twenty-four, late to- night, but at present there are no indi- eations of the fire being extinguished. Foreman Alexander Shaw, brother of the Inland Revenue agent here, previ- ously reported missing, is now on the surface, directing rescue operations. It appears that the explosion was caused by fire damp, the timbers In two levels catching fire at once. The wives and relatives of the miners aro naturally in a state of hysteric grief, but none of the -residents of 1Ganaimo are permitted to go to Extension, only the rescuing miners and officials being at the scene. ¶ be miner who reached Ladysmith at noon said he was leaving the mine with' his father, when a terrific explo- Sion oeccurred, unhinging the doors and blowing out :the stopping/. Later advices say the /nine is clear- ed. of gas, and the bodies are being brought out. The effects of the explo- sion were confined to the slope where it occurred, and the men in the other slopes and levels escaped. THIRTY MEN KILLED. 7.30 p. nn.—Thirty' men are now known to be dead as the result of the explosion of No. 2 mine, at Extension this morning. Up to 7 o'clock this evening eight bodies have been recov- ered, namely: T. Thomas, J, Molin- oaux, Andrew Moffatt, A. Montague, Thomas O'Connell, W. Davidson, E. Dunn and one unidentified. • The work of rescue still continues, but it is not expected that any more bodies will be recovered before morn- ing, as the portion of the mine where the explosion occurred is badly wrecked, the brfxttice being torn down and the rescuers are very badly hampered by gas. The majority of the men killed are old residents of the district and well- known. 'Lieut. -Governor James Dunsmuir, head of the company of the Extension mine, said this afternoon: "I know nothing of tIe details of the explo- sion. I regret to learn of this catas- trophe. I shall go to the mine tomor- row. Until then I can make no state- ment whatsoever." BUFFALO ESCAPED, Report That Fires Have Destroyed Park Fence. afaulgaty, Oct. 11.—That Canada's buf- falo park at Wainwright no longer exists, and that the herd of buffalo secured at Pablo, Mont., by tlxe Cana- dian Government after so much trouble is scattered over the prairie and being gradually driven northward by prairie fires, is the word brought to Calgary to -day by a local auctioneer named Ed- wards. Prairie fires have been raging in the Wainwright district for nearly a week, and though the fire-fighters were called o4 in an effort to save the park, they w re unsuccessful, and the fencing being destroyed, 800 buffalo and herds of elk were driven out of the park confines and driven northward by the flames. It will be a difficult matter to corral them if they have escaped, as Mr. Ed- wards reports, as the country offers every facility for them to outwit their pursuers. The losses sustained by the home- steaders is even greater than at first reported, the fires having swept over a greater distance than was stated. Hon. Frank Oliver, who is now in the west, will be waited on by a delegation of homesteaders from the affected areas, and asked to give them a further chance to develop their land according to the latest requirements, and also to have his department furnish them with seed. NOT SHOWMEN. Wrights Will (live No More Public Exhibitions of Flying. New York, Oct. 11.—Unless some change of heart shall alter a decision announced to -day by Wilbur Wright, the flight made here over the harbor and river yesterday by the Dayton aviator is the last which he or his brother Or- ville propose to make in public. "Hereafter," said Wright on his re- turn from an early morning visit to Gov- eernor's Island, whither he had gone to superintend the taking apart of his dam- aged. aeroplane, "we shall devote all our efforts to the commercial exploitation of our machines, and only fly as a mat- ter of experiment to test the value of whatever changes we decide to make in their construction." Mr. Wright added that neither he nor his brother wished to be looked upon as showmen, and that all offers to fly for exhibition purposes would be rejected by them. "The flight of yesterday," he said, "was more than an exhibition. It was :ore like the taking up a challenge or the making of a record" "The accident yesterday afternoon," he continued, "taught me a lesson—that until motors are perfected we shall have no perfect machine. The science of fly- ing now depends on the inotor. My aeroplane seems all right, but my mo- tors are not." HUNT FOR LOST BOY Father Fears Kidnapping and Blood- hounds Are Used. Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Oct. 11.— Six-year-old Wilfred Delisle myster- loualy disappeared from his home Sunday. The father says the boy hag been kidnapped and bloodhounds have been put on the trail. Mayor Simpson has organized a search party. A rumor to -night is that the child reached Port Arthur on the Saronic, but it cannot be substantiated. The parents have not received any nese- sage. There is a growing suspicion that the child fell in the river. BOTH FOUND NORTH POLE Capt, Bernier Thinks Cook and Peary Were There. Cook Wrote Him Telling Him He Reached It April 22. Bernier Planted Union Jack on Several Islands. Quebec, Oct, ii, --The Government steamer Arctic' arrived this morning at 8 o'clock. She steamed up the harbor, looking as neat and trim as the day she sailed from the port of Quebec, fourteen months ago. As soon as the little vessel came alongside the King's wharf and a gangway was placed in position a num- ber of relatives of the crew hastened aboard, and for a time all was confu- sion on the ship's deck. Captain Bernier and every member of the crew looked the picture of health, and were in the best of spi`its. " A'TALIt WITH TRE PRESS. , A number of newspapermen from var- ious parts of Camels were among those who crowded on board the Arctic after she was securely'xnoored. They surround- ed Captain Bernier and bombarded him with a multitude of questions. At first he was reluctant to speak, until Mr. 13e - land, Quebec agent of the Marine and Fisheries Department, cane to the news- papermen's rescue and told the captain he was at liberty to tell his story to the scribes. Captain Bernier needed no see- ondibidding;'nevertheless, it was evident that he was cautious, and kept back something which he was determined the Minister of Marine and Fisheries should hear first. It was also evident that Captain Bernier believes in Dr. Cook, though he does not discredit the vera- city of Commander Peary. He said he believed that both Dr. Cook and Com- mander Peary reached the pole, or very near it, but was of the opinion that the member of the New York Arctic Club, Dr. Cook, reached the goal first. He said the pole was 90 degrees north, and, according to Dr. Cook's statement, he reached 89.49-66, which made it clear that he was within a couple of miles of the actual pole. WOULD HAVE LIItD DASH. Capt. Bernier regretted deeply that he was not allowed to go to the pole. His orders were imperative that he was only to proceed to.Etalx and leave stores there for Dr. Cook, wI ieb he carried out, and left the stox'eseaaseeare of lir. Barry Whitney. "Yea," he continued, "the Americans have the honor of locating the pole. I wish it had been a Canadian instead, and would have liked to be afforded the opportunity." Captain Bernier found it strange that while Dr. Cook passed and saw Crocker's Land and other lands north, as also did Peary, he never land- ed to leave records there. However, there was no doubt in his mind that both Cook and Peary reached the pole or very rear it. THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE. Continuing, Captain Bernier said: "For. the first time in sixty. years the north- west passage has been conquered. Third Mate C. W. Green, of the Arctic, in the month of May in the present year, made the passage in a sled, enduring terrible hardships before regaining the vessel that was lying at winter quarters at Winter Bay, the spot where Lieut. Peary wintered in 1819-20. "The party under Green, who is a Newfoundlander, set out on May lst with five sailors, the pick of the crew, a sled and a single dog team. For three weeks they travelled to the westward in the 75th parallel, taking observations and setting up flags, and finally reached Cape Hays. Then the slender stock of provisions they had carried with them gave out, and a quick return dash was made. Dog after dog, was killed to furnish food, and at last, after suffer- ing terrible hardships, the little party reached Winter Bay without a single clog and dragging their sled after them" CAPTAIN BERNIER'S VOYAGE. Captain Bernier did not get as far north as first reported from Point Amour. After entering the northern seas he proceeded to Etah, and then to the westward. Etah . was this most northerly point of call. He pushed through Lancaster Sound, passed Beachy Viand and Melville Island, to winter 'quarters in the Miquelon Straits. The Canadian flag' was planted' on a large number of islands in the, vicinity of Melville, especially to the westward and north, where, as yet, few explorers have penetrated, the chief attention in the past having been paid to the more easterly lands. IN WRITER QUARTERS. In winter quarters Captain Bernier was two hundred miles west of the. - regular run of the whalers, from Whom he was expected to colleen dues, and although • any statement of the fact cannot be obtained, still it is under- stood that this part of his mission' to the north did not take up any great amount of his time. Ile maintained the strictest silence regarding the results of his mission. Bow many islands he had joined to Canada, what islands he had discovered, Ile .said, was a matter for his report to the Government. A simi- lar answer was .given to questions as to the distance west he had penetrated. GAVE SUPPLIES TO, 'VCTIIITNEY.. "The supplies I carried at the lasts ce of Dr. Cook's friends I gave to Whitney," said Captain - Bernier, "It' was well that I 'did not give them into Murphy's care, I was only doing for hinx what Americans have done for Canadians," Speaking of the herdsliips of Dr. Coed's winter, he said: "If "Cook had known what I knew he would have passed the winter comfortably. Near hint were provisions for sixty men for 208 days. I had studied conditions in that region. for years, and' knew where to look for caches." One of the most valuable results of Captain Bernier's trip is his discovery of Parry's records in the vicinity of Whiter Bay. That valiant explorer fought ]tis way to the entrance of the Northwest, . Passage as early as- 1819, and during that winter stayed at Win- ter Bay. ` "I am certain that they are Parry's records," declared Captain Ber- nier. "I found them in a cache. I knew twenty years ago that they were there. I will hand them over to the Govern- ment' • THANKS FROM DR. COOK. Another interesting document brought back by Captain Bernier was a letter he received from Dr. Cook while in polar seas, It was dated Upernavilk,' May 23 last. and reads in part as follows: "My Dear Captain Bernier,— "I hasten to write to you the first letter after being sealed behind icy bar- riers for two years. The unexpected arriving of the Arctic makes a suitable closing climax to our long run of hard adventures. It was .the supplies which. you so - thoughtfully left in. charge. of Mr. `Whitney which enabled me to come to Upernavik. All my other property has been taken by Peary under •tlie guise .of a relief station for Dr. Cook. - ale Murphy, the man in charge of the sta- tion, however, was instructed not to engage in.. any relief efforts nor to allow the Eskimos to cross until March of the following year-1909—when, of course, all relief efforts would be use- less. "My large store of supplies and my station were, therefore, used for barter with natives to satisfy Peary's commer- cial greed. The splendid assistance which you have given me and the liberality of your Government ine sending the ship is a happy contrast to the hindrance and injustice of one of my own countrymen. "I, therefore, extend to you and your people such a gratitude as one must offer for help in the dire hour of need. Fortunately we were able to win out our problem without relief. efforts ex- cept sueh as you offered." e ITEMS OF NEWS FROII FAR AND NEAR falifiVMMWAYMIMMYlMNialliAM, John Couls..-x was found dead in bed at Oshawa. A requisition is being signed in To- ronto asking Mayor Oliver to accept a third term. The Toronto Press Club has endorsed the proposal to erect a statue to Mr. Goldwin Smith. Four members of North Toronto Coun- cil have resigned, and new elections must be held immediately. ° One man was killed and three injured by the caving in of a trench on the Ontario & Western Railway, near Scran- ton, Pa. The Toronto Presbytery concurred in the call of St. James' Square Presbyter- ian Church to Rev. Dr. Robertson, of St. John's, Nfld, A 77 -years -old Andrewsville, Mass., woman, the mother of 18 children, to -day married a 75 -years -old man from St. Mary's, Ont. The American Finance & Securities, Company of New York has purchased" - from the C. P. R. 54,000 acres of timber land. on Vancouver Island. It is stated on good authority that the Southern Alberta Land Company intends selling at auction a large pro- portion of its 400,000 acres in the spring. Rabbi Falk Vide,ver, one of the world's foremost Hebrew scholars, known for his commentaries on the Bible and his poems, died at New York of Bright's disease. • The Chinese who have been attend- ing Dominion Methodist Church Sun- day school, Ottawa, have quit, in re- sentment over the general criticism resulted from the Sigel case in New York. H. W. Nevinsor --id H. N. Brails- ford have resigne, their position as leader writers of The London Daily News, as a protest against the govern- ment's treatment of suffragette pris- oners. Representatives of the countries of Europe are about to meet in Paris to elaborate a plan for the unification and simplification of the administration regulations governing international au- tomobile traffic. The sum of $225,000 has been appro- priated for domestic missions by a special committee of the Methodist Mission Board, which has been in session hi Toronto, for the past two days. This amount • is much larger. than in former years. REWARDS D FIREMEN. Chatham Will Pay Them Two Dollars Per Year ,Each. Chatham,' Oct. 11.—The City Council is advertising tor men who can prove that they were ever connected ewith the old Chatham Volunteer Fire Department, in order that it may give them $2 each a year for life. It is estimated that there must be hundreds of old volunteer fire- men scattered over all parts of the Am- eriean continent, JURY DISAGREED Trial of Mrs. Scott For Shooting Father -in -Law. Some of the Jurymen Were in Favor of Acquitting the Prisoner. Landon despatch: After being out fee titre ehours exactly, the jury to -night announced that they had been unable to. Come to any verdict in the case of Mrs. Susan Scott, charged with the murder of her father-in-law, Harvey Scott. The jury stood seven in 'favor of a man- slaughter verdict and five for acquittal. Three votes were taken' and the party • for acquittal gained ground on each oc- casion. There was, however, no hope whatever of an agreement. Mrs. Scott watched the jurors with, great interest, as they took their places, and showed the only signs of anxiety that she has yet displayed. The announceemnt came as a distinct surprise, and Mr. Justice Latchford, ad- dressing the jury, said: "The only thing I can do is to discharge the jury. I re- gret that you'bave been unable to agree. That, however, concerns yourselves. It seems to fine that if there was ever a ease where a verdict could have been given easily, if the jury lxad regard to their oathc,t itis was one. • I. sincerely - trust that none of you will ever be shot." Mrs. Scott seemed not to understand the meaning of what happened, and for a moment her face lighted up in the hope 'that she was free.. She was led away, however, quickly to her cell Her next trial will take place in January. Special constables were placed about the court in order to preevnt any de- monstration on the part of Mrs. Scott's friends in case she should have been ac- quitted. Tho speotatcrs', gallery was filled with people, who expressed the warmest sympathy for her. Some of the jurors stated afterwards that they had disagreed to a great ex- tent because it was thought that Mr. Justice Latchford had not bee naltogeth- er fair to Mrs. Scott, in that he did not allow her to give full evidence as to the threats and language that Harvey Scott had used to her. Wesley Scott, husband of the prisoner, brought int othe witness stand with him two heavy sticks which he found beside the body of his father. He said that while his wife was trying to get a chick- en, stunned by his father, through a fence, his father struck at her with a pitchfork. He had also seen his father strike at his wife on another occasion. "I saw nxy father fire a gun in the di- rection of my wife," said the witness. "She got around the house and was not struck." As he procedeed with his evi- dence Wesley recalled numerous threats and attempted asasults, which he claim- ed. his father had made the prisoner bear. Ile declared his wife had been injured once. IIe submitted to such treatment of his wife so that his father would not turn them out into the road. Clara Scott, the fifteen -year-old daugh ter of the prisoner, testified in her moth- er's behalf. She told of further trouble between the prisoner and her alleged victim. The occasion was a week before the tragedy, when the old man's dogs chased her mother's cows. Her mother had remonstrated, and Scott had chased her with a stick. Witness also told. of the pitchfork incident, when the old man was alleged to have attempted to strike the prisoner. Her evidence con- cluded the case of the defence. The facts of the shooting were undisputed. e•e COST $12,500,000. Estimates of Boring the Mont Blanc Tunnel Completed. Paris, Ot. 11.—Tile dlinister of Public Works has now received the preliminary estimates and engineering prospectuses of tee commiseion appointed to look into tee matter of coxrehructing a , tunnel through Mont Blanc. The tunnel is to start at Chamonix and the opposite op- ening is to be in Bntreves. The length is estimated at eight and ono -eighth miles. Electrical cars will be run through the tunnel if the work is ever accom. plished. The eost is estimated at twelve and one-helf millions of dollars. Six millions nvore will be needed to connect the tunnel with various French and Ital- ian railways. Frazee and Italy will di- vide the cost. Monk Blame consists of hard granite, offering on special difficulties to bon ing. The tunnel will be situated one thousaxt:d., metres above the base, hence it is estimated that the workmen will not be oppressed by excessive heat and that the work will not be threatened by water. , It will take five years to complete the tunnel, After its oompletion the route from Paris , to Genoa will be shortened by more than thirty mike, and England's overland route to India, now traversing Germany and Switzer- land, will be laid via France and Italy. REFUSED TO HAUL DOWN Fi„AO. Mr. McGrath Was Therefore Lodged in the Military Barracks. London, Oct. 11.—In honor of the visit. of Capt. Edward O'Meagher Condon to Clonxnel 'to -day asaloonkeeper of the name of McGrath hung out a large Am- erican flag from his place. The pal]ce ordered throe time that the flag be re- moved. McGrath refused, nand the pollee removed the flag said informed McGrath that tat would be prosecuted and eon. fined in the military barracks in ve ► of to -night's demonstration and reeeption in honor of Condon.