Iron Mountain, MI Chapin Mine Explosion, Jun 1901

Quantity of Powder Lets Go in the Ludington Shaft of the Chapin Mine Near Iron Mountain, Michigan, with Terrible Results This Morning -- List of the Killed.

Iron Mountain, Mich. June 4 - - By the explosion of a quantity of powder and the suffocating fumes that followed, eight men were killed early today in the seventh level of the Ludington shaft of the Chapin mine. Suddenly there was rumble and smoke began pouring from the mouth of the shaft. Rescuers hurried into the mine as soon as the smoke had cleared sufficiently and found the eight miners all of whom had been working in that section of the shaft lifeless.

The cause of the explosion has not been determined. Nearly thirty children are rendered fatherless by the accident. Only one man was disfigured, as if by an explosion, and he was slightly; the others were completely covered by black powder soot. The men were using a powder thawing machine, and it is thought they neglected to supply it with powder. It is believed that the machine became red hot, set fire to the dynamite and the men were stricken down by the deadly fumes before they could escape. The town is in mourning and work at the mine is at a standstill.

The victims are: Antonia Fannema, John Amone, Bishop Passtri [or Passiri], John Milano, Louis Tassi, John Bertelli, Rinildo Ausnino and a Pole, name unknown.

The Marion Daily Star, Marion, OH 4 Jun 1901

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