Five miners were smothered to death this afternoon in the Issaquah No. 4 mine.  A brush fire spread to the mouth of an air shaft, ignited the timbers, and was sucked down by the ventilation fan into the workings where 80 men were employed.

All miners near the exit escaped but 5 men were in a remote chamber and were overcome by smoke and blackdamp.

Deaths were probably caused by momentary stoppage of current of air in shaft - possibly timbers fell and choked the shaft up and stopped the air until they burned away.

The deceased:

• Caollo Cassassa
• Dominick Cassassa
• Ben Laws
• John Lind
• C. M. Vowell

Source: Washington Mining Fatalities, 1885-1960  (1.1 Mb)