Tank's Poetry
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united states mine rescue association
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Tank's Poetry |
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Nine of the 29 men who were at work in the mine when the explosion occurred last night survived. Five were rescued by crews from nearby mining communities today and the other four escaped last night. The five taken out today had bratticed themselves from the deadly gas fumes, far back in the workings and had left notes directing their rescuers where to find them. Explanation of the explosion advanced by members of mine rescue crews is that a pocket of carbon monoxide gas became ignited by spontaneous combustion. The disaster was the first major accident the mine had suffered. Many of the dead in last night's disaster were married men with large families. With the stoicism characteristic of the omen folk of men who go down into the earth to win their livelihood, the women received from the mining company all available information concerning their loved ones, and bore their bereavement heroically. Offers of aid poured in on them today, but Governor George H. Dern expressed the belief that it would not be needed, since the state's workingmen's compensation fund would care for their wants for some weeks to come. The Carbon county chapter of the Red Cross had a representative on the scene to arrange for necessary relief. One aspect of the tragedy stood out today with peculiar vividness. That was the realization with the discovery of Frank Pritchett among the little company that had erected a barricade against the deadly mine gas, that his brother, T. E. Pritchett, had sacrificed his own life in a useless effort to find him among the menacing fumes. T. E. Pritchett was among the fortunate few who escaped last night from the workings. He reentered to seek his brother. He was among the dead discovered in the mine today. Andy Doherty, pump boss, might also have been in that number had it not been for a friendly pool of water. Rescuers came across Doherty, who, overcome by the fumes, had fallen face downward, but they were prevented by the gas from approaching him. When they reached him later they found the water had protected him from the fumes. The Following Lists Are From Carbon County, Utah (Utah GenWeb)
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