A Town Buries Its Miners

Whatcom, April 10.—Special.—Funeral services over the remains of most of the miners killed in the terrible disaster at the Blue Canyon mine Monday were held at Blue Canyon at 10 o'clock today, and immediately after the services the bodies were placed on board the company's steamer and brought to the railroad terminus near Silver Beach, where they were transferred to a train and brought to Bay View cemetery, between this city and Whatcom, where the interment took place shortly after 1 o'clock. At Blue Canyon impressive religious services were conducted by Rev. J. C. Wright; at Fairhaven by Rev. W. B. Gillan and Rev. W. Savage, of this city, and Rev. Charles McDermoth, Fairhaven. At the cemetery the members of the Masonic, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias lodges received and buried the bodies of the men who were members of these orders, and Protestant and Catholic clergymen conducted brief services at the graves of others. Hundreds of people were present from the bay cities and surrounding country. Drizzling rain fell during the burial, which added much to the gloominess of the occasion. It was the saddest scene ever witnessed in this county. Nearly all of the bodies were buried in Bay View cemetery. Last evening three bodies were brought here, and that of Henry Ravett was sent to Fairhaven, that of George Roberts to relatives in Seattle, and that of James Kirkby to Ferndale. John A. Murgin was a member of one of the Odd Fellow lodges of Seattle, and his body will be sent there tomorrow for interment, and the body of William Evans will be sent to Wilkeson. A brother of Evans was killed by an explosion in the Carbonado mine two years ago, and a brother-in-law met his death in the same mine a year before. Mine Superintendent Jones was a member of Cascade Lodge, No. 8, I.O.O.F. of Seattle, which has contributed $75 for his funeral expenses. James J. McAndrews was a member of the Knights of Pythias, and carried $2,000 insurance in the endowment rank. Martin Bloom had taken two degrees in Masonry, and his remains were buried with Masonic rites by Bellingham Bay Lodge, No. 44. Requiem mass was celebrated at the Church of the Immaculate Conception this morning over the remains of Henry Ravett. Mine Inspector David Edmunds, of the First district, arrived yesterday morning and went immediately to the mine with Coroner Brockett, accompanied by the company's attorneys, county attorney, court and a number of citizens. The coroner immediately impaneled a jury, consisting of W. C. Willox, T. C. Darnell, Prof. Harry Pattison, Simon Altshuler and T. C. Austin, of this city, and J. C. Custer, a merchant of Blue Canyon. None of the gentlemen are miners or have had any mine experience, but all are well known and respected citizens. Charles Magee, an experienced miner, was summoned as a juror by the coroner; he was objected to by the company's secretary because he had been discharged by the dead superintendent when he was acting as mine foreman, and Mr. Custer was then accepted in his stead, the fact of his testifying that the company owes him a considerable sum not being deemed of sufficient importance to excuse him. The jury, guided by Mr. Edmunds, then visited the mine, going to the face of the gangway, where the point where the shot was fired which originated the explosion was located. After returning the jury viewed the bodies of the miners and the taking of testimony was commenced. Inspector Edmunds being the only witness called up to the hour of adjournment, and his examination was not concluded. He testified that when he last inspected the mine on the 7th of March he found at the bottom of the air shaft an air current of [illegible] cubic feet per minute, which would warrant the company, under the law, in employing eighty men on a shift in the mine, whereas the company's superintendent says that no more than thirty-five men on a shift have ever been employed. At the time of the last inspection the air current in the breast of the gangway was equal to 1,300 cubic feet per minute, or enough for fifteen men, though there were then only five employed there. He saw no indications whatever; if there had been any considerable accumulation of gas or fire damp, it would certainly have been detected by the old miners with safety lamps. It is his theory that the fatal blast was confined and created a pocket, or layer of gas, which went down five senses away like a discharge from a gun, knocking senseless all the men who were in the direct path of it, exhausting all the oxygen from the air and only a heavy volume of carbonic acid gas, which asphyxiated the miners before it was possible for relief to reach them. In his opinion, if there had been any considerable amount of fire damp distributed along the passage, the damage to the mine by the explosion would have been far greater. He considered the mine safe, and would have been willing to work there himself. Mr. Edmunds' examination was not concluded at night; an adjournment was taken until 10 o'clock tomorrow, when the inquest will be resumed at the court house here.