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Story
August 15, 1930
Douglas Daily Dispatch
Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona
What is this article about?
A mysterious explosion at the Blackburn coal mine in Coalmont, B.C., killed two miners and trapped 47 others under tons of dirt. Rescue efforts continue frantically as relatives wait, fearing suffocation. Cause unknown.
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OCR Quality
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Full Text
Mine Blast Kills Two, Entombs 47
Fate of Trapped Miners Unknown As Comrades Dig Frantically.
Saddened Relatives Surround Tunnel
Officials Believe Buried Men Have Suffocated Under Tons of Dirt.
PRINCETON, B. C., Aug. 14 (P)—The fate of 47 miners trapped in the Blackburn coal mine at Coalmont near here by a mysterious explosion which wrecked a portion of the mine tunnel last night, was still unknown late today as fellow miners dug frantically in an effort to find them.
While grief stricken mothers, fathers, wives and children of the entombed workmen stood silently around the crumpled mine entrance, arrangements were being made for the funerals of Clifford A. Smith, 40, and Albert Cole, 19, whose bodies were recovered soon after the blast.
Mine officials and workmen expressed fear that the tons of dirt had shut out fresh air and the men, if still alive, would suffocate before being reached.
Investigators were no nearer a solution late today as to the cause of the explosion, which sent rock and earth piling into the cave than they were soon after the blast startled the countryside.
Workmen from this and other frontier villages, almost 300 miles from Vancouver, high in the mountains, were laboring in shifts in an effort to remove the obstacles to rescue.
Fate of Trapped Miners Unknown As Comrades Dig Frantically.
Saddened Relatives Surround Tunnel
Officials Believe Buried Men Have Suffocated Under Tons of Dirt.
PRINCETON, B. C., Aug. 14 (P)—The fate of 47 miners trapped in the Blackburn coal mine at Coalmont near here by a mysterious explosion which wrecked a portion of the mine tunnel last night, was still unknown late today as fellow miners dug frantically in an effort to find them.
While grief stricken mothers, fathers, wives and children of the entombed workmen stood silently around the crumpled mine entrance, arrangements were being made for the funerals of Clifford A. Smith, 40, and Albert Cole, 19, whose bodies were recovered soon after the blast.
Mine officials and workmen expressed fear that the tons of dirt had shut out fresh air and the men, if still alive, would suffocate before being reached.
Investigators were no nearer a solution late today as to the cause of the explosion, which sent rock and earth piling into the cave than they were soon after the blast startled the countryside.
Workmen from this and other frontier villages, almost 300 miles from Vancouver, high in the mountains, were laboring in shifts in an effort to remove the obstacles to rescue.
What sub-type of article is it?
Disaster
Tragedy
Survival
What themes does it cover?
Catastrophe
Misfortune
Survival
What keywords are associated?
Mine Explosion
Trapped Miners
Rescue Efforts
Coal Mine Disaster
Suffocation Fear
What entities or persons were involved?
Clifford A. Smith
Albert Cole
Where did it happen?
Blackburn Coal Mine At Coalmont Near Princeton, B. C.
Story Details
Key Persons
Clifford A. Smith
Albert Cole
Location
Blackburn Coal Mine At Coalmont Near Princeton, B. C.
Event Date
Last Night, Reported Aug. 14
Story Details
A mysterious explosion wrecked part of the mine tunnel, killing Clifford A. Smith and Albert Cole, and trapping 47 miners. Fellow miners dig frantically amid fears of suffocation, while relatives grieve at the entrance. Cause unknown.