Explosion at the Kangley Mine
A dangerous methane gas buildup leads to a narrow escape for miners in Kangley.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
An explosion occurred at the Kangley coal mine on November 10 due to methane gas being ignited by a blasting shot. Patrick Milles was seriously burned about the face and hands after a fire broke out, but he and his crew managed to extinguish the flames before the mine was destroyed. Mine Inspector David Edmunds noted that the miners had previously encountered gas feeders and failed to report the danger in time. The injured parties are expected to be incapacitated for at least three weeks.
“In place of floating the gas out or reporting to the foreman in time, he went home, stating to some of the men that it was too hot for him to work in that room.”
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the extreme physical risks faced by workers in Washington's early coal extraction industry. The report highlights the thin line between a manageable hazard and a total industrial catastrophe, a recurring theme in the state's labor history.
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