Alfred Peterson (1863-1895)

PETERSON

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 12/23/2023 at 23:58:52

From Nevada Representative October 16, 1895 (page 1)

DEATH IN A MINE.*

Four Men Suffocated in Johnson's Coal Mine Near Story City

A most shocking disaster occurred last Friday evening in Johnson's coal mine on Keigley branch between Story City and Gilbert Station. As the result of this disaster the shaft and shaft house of the mine are burned and the following four men are dead, having been overcome and suffocated without chance of escape, by smoke and poisonous gases.

AXEL EASTLAND, Swede, unmarried.
ALFRED PETERSON, Swede, unmarried.
INGEBRITE ENGE, Norwegian, unmarried.
GEO. PAYNE, Englishman, leaves wife and three children.

These four men had gone down to do some night work Friday evening, and the alarms of fire was sounded about eight o'clock. The engineer had left his post and it was about five minutes before the cage could be lowered. The men at the bottom got in the cage, but the heat had become so intense that the wire cable was heated to such an extent as to become too weak to hoist the load. It parted, leaving the cage and men at the bottom of the pit.

There was only one shaft and it was partitioned, one side being needed for hot air generated by a brick furnace below and the other side for all other purposed of the mine. The men had been using boxes, barrels and bits of lumber for fuel, mixed with coal. It is supposed that the heat and sparks from the furnace ignited the timber in the shafting and the fire was well under way before it was discovered. The fire was extinguished so as to enable the searching party to descend at 11 o'clock p. m. but in the process of subduing the flames the top of the shaft had been covered, confining the smoke and gas below, which so filled the mine as to make a search difficult, as searchers could only remain below a short time.
Between five and six o'clock p. m. Saturday they were rewarded by the discovery of the bodies.

It appears that finding the means of escape cut off, the dead men had reached one of the rooms in the mine and had attempted to nail up the opening so as to keep out the smoke and gas and had nearly completed the task before becoming suffocated. Had they succeeded it is thought their lives would have been preserved. All except Enge had been former residents of Des Moines. Enge lived near Roland, Peterson had been at the mine only a few days but the others had been there a year.

McNeil Bros. of Oskaloosa, Iowa, extensive mine owners of this state and having large mining interests in the Pacific Northwest, are owners of property under lease, having taken charge last March. F. C. Hill, an experienced operator, late of the state of Washington, is the superintendent in charge. The state mine inspector visited the mine last winter and directed that a rear air shaft be constructed. This was nearly completed and would have been ready for use in ten days more. The property loss includes the burning of the shaft, shaft house, and considerable machinery and is estimated at $3000. It is doubtful whether operations can be resumed during the coming winter.

Coroner Aplin conducted an inquest at the mine Sunday, but it is not understood that the jury held anyone in particular responsible for the disaster.

*SUBMITTER'S NOTE: This is the Summit Coal Mine on land owned by William S. Johnson in Lafayette Township, Story County, Iowa.