Aged 32 Yrs; Nationality: Italian; Single - Parents in Italy
On August 24, 1894, 37 miners die fighting a fire in the Oregon Improvement Co. coal mine at Franklin {Washington}. The following day, a coroner's jury rules that the fire was caused by "party or parties unknown" who "did willfully, knowingly and maliciously cause said fire with intent and purpose to do great injury and damage to the lives of the miners and property of the Oregon Improvement Company." The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported, "few can be found here who are not in hearty accord with it."
The fire itself might not have had a fatal effect except for the combination of two unrelated factors. A worker shut down a fan that supplied air to the different levels, and a gas tester, John K. Johns, searching for his miner son, opened a door from another area thinking it would drive the smoke out. This changed the air flow and trapped the miners between two walls of smoke, approximately 1,300 feet below the surface. Johns was found with his son in his arms. Both were dead. The miners were apparently building a "stopping" or bulkhead to seal themselves off from the fire and smoke when they were overcome.
Oregon Improvement Co. superintendent Theron B. Corey (1846-1909) traveled from Seattle by train to supervise the recovery of bodies. The firm paid for all the burials and contributed $4,000 to a fund for the support of widows and orphans. Approximately, $2,000 was raised in contributions from citizens in Seattle and from the mining communities.
Franklin was located in the Green River Gorge, approx 1.6 miles east of Black Diamond.∼THIRTY-SEVEN MINERS SUFFOCATED.
May Be More in a Washington Mine Which Was on Fire.
SEATTLE, Washington, Aug. 24.----Fire in the sixth level of the Oregon Improvement Company's coal mines at Franklin, thirty-four miles from this city, at 1 o'clock this afternoon imprisoned all the men working there.
The first news of the tragedy was received in this city by Manager Smith of the mine company at 1:20 this afternoon in the shape of a telegram from the Mine Superintendent at Franklin. This message stated that the mine was on fire and many miners, both white and black, were imprisoned. Later a second telegram was received saying that thirty-seven dead bodies had been taken out and that it was supposed that there were more to be recovered.
On August 24, 1894, 37 miners die fighting a fire in the Oregon Improvement Co. coal mine at Franklin {Washington}. The following day, a coroner's jury rules that the fire was caused by "party or parties unknown" who "did willfully, knowingly and maliciously cause said fire with intent and purpose to do great injury and damage to the lives of the miners and property of the Oregon Improvement Company." The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported, "few can be found here who are not in hearty accord with it."
The fire itself might not have had a fatal effect except for the combination of two unrelated factors. A worker shut down a fan that supplied air to the different levels, and a gas tester, John K. Johns, searching for his miner son, opened a door from another area thinking it would drive the smoke out. This changed the air flow and trapped the miners between two walls of smoke, approximately 1,300 feet below the surface. Johns was found with his son in his arms. Both were dead. The miners were apparently building a "stopping" or bulkhead to seal themselves off from the fire and smoke when they were overcome.
Oregon Improvement Co. superintendent Theron B. Corey (1846-1909) traveled from Seattle by train to supervise the recovery of bodies. The firm paid for all the burials and contributed $4,000 to a fund for the support of widows and orphans. Approximately, $2,000 was raised in contributions from citizens in Seattle and from the mining communities.
Franklin was located in the Green River Gorge, approx 1.6 miles east of Black Diamond.∼THIRTY-SEVEN MINERS SUFFOCATED.
May Be More in a Washington Mine Which Was on Fire.
SEATTLE, Washington, Aug. 24.----Fire in the sixth level of the Oregon Improvement Company's coal mines at Franklin, thirty-four miles from this city, at 1 o'clock this afternoon imprisoned all the men working there.
The first news of the tragedy was received in this city by Manager Smith of the mine company at 1:20 this afternoon in the shape of a telegram from the Mine Superintendent at Franklin. This message stated that the mine was on fire and many miners, both white and black, were imprisoned. Later a second telegram was received saying that thirty-seven dead bodies had been taken out and that it was supposed that there were more to be recovered.
Aged 32 Yrs; Nationality: Italian; Single - Parents in Italy
On August 24, 1894, 37 miners die fighting a fire in the Oregon Improvement Co. coal mine at Franklin {Washington}. The following day, a coroner's jury rules that the fire was caused by "party or parties unknown" who "did willfully, knowingly and maliciously cause said fire with intent and purpose to do great injury and damage to the lives of the miners and property of the Oregon Improvement Company." The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported, "few can be found here who are not in hearty accord with it."
The fire itself might not have had a fatal effect except for the combination of two unrelated factors. A worker shut down a fan that supplied air to the different levels, and a gas tester, John K. Johns, searching for his miner son, opened a door from another area thinking it would drive the smoke out. This changed the air flow and trapped the miners between two walls of smoke, approximately 1,300 feet below the surface. Johns was found with his son in his arms. Both were dead. The miners were apparently building a "stopping" or bulkhead to seal themselves off from the fire and smoke when they were overcome.
Oregon Improvement Co. superintendent Theron B. Corey (1846-1909) traveled from Seattle by train to supervise the recovery of bodies. The firm paid for all the burials and contributed $4,000 to a fund for the support of widows and orphans. Approximately, $2,000 was raised in contributions from citizens in Seattle and from the mining communities.
Franklin was located in the Green River Gorge, approx 1.6 miles east of Black Diamond.∼THIRTY-SEVEN MINERS SUFFOCATED.
May Be More in a Washington Mine Which Was on Fire.
SEATTLE, Washington, Aug. 24.----Fire in the sixth level of the Oregon Improvement Company's coal mines at Franklin, thirty-four miles from this city, at 1 o'clock this afternoon imprisoned all the men working there.
The first news of the tragedy was received in this city by Manager Smith of the mine company at 1:20 this afternoon in the shape of a telegram from the Mine Superintendent at Franklin. This message stated that the mine was on fire and many miners, both white and black, were imprisoned. Later a second telegram was received saying that thirty-seven dead bodies had been taken out and that it was supposed that there were more to be recovered.
On August 24, 1894, 37 miners die fighting a fire in the Oregon Improvement Co. coal mine at Franklin {Washington}. The following day, a coroner's jury rules that the fire was caused by "party or parties unknown" who "did willfully, knowingly and maliciously cause said fire with intent and purpose to do great injury and damage to the lives of the miners and property of the Oregon Improvement Company." The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported, "few can be found here who are not in hearty accord with it."
The fire itself might not have had a fatal effect except for the combination of two unrelated factors. A worker shut down a fan that supplied air to the different levels, and a gas tester, John K. Johns, searching for his miner son, opened a door from another area thinking it would drive the smoke out. This changed the air flow and trapped the miners between two walls of smoke, approximately 1,300 feet below the surface. Johns was found with his son in his arms. Both were dead. The miners were apparently building a "stopping" or bulkhead to seal themselves off from the fire and smoke when they were overcome.
Oregon Improvement Co. superintendent Theron B. Corey (1846-1909) traveled from Seattle by train to supervise the recovery of bodies. The firm paid for all the burials and contributed $4,000 to a fund for the support of widows and orphans. Approximately, $2,000 was raised in contributions from citizens in Seattle and from the mining communities.
Franklin was located in the Green River Gorge, approx 1.6 miles east of Black Diamond.∼THIRTY-SEVEN MINERS SUFFOCATED.
May Be More in a Washington Mine Which Was on Fire.
SEATTLE, Washington, Aug. 24.----Fire in the sixth level of the Oregon Improvement Company's coal mines at Franklin, thirty-four miles from this city, at 1 o'clock this afternoon imprisoned all the men working there.
The first news of the tragedy was received in this city by Manager Smith of the mine company at 1:20 this afternoon in the shape of a telegram from the Mine Superintendent at Franklin. This message stated that the mine was on fire and many miners, both white and black, were imprisoned. Later a second telegram was received saying that thirty-seven dead bodies had been taken out and that it was supposed that there were more to be recovered.
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