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Show ESCAPE OF MINERS IS MIRACULOUS MERRITT, B. C, March 8. Of tho I twonty men in the mine of tho Diamond Dia-mond Vale Collieries company when a gas explosion occurred yesterday, seven were killed, two Injured and cloven rescued uninjured. The men who escaped death or injury were in a level part from the one in which the explosion occurrod. Somo of the escapes were miraculous. miracu-lous. James Falrclough, G. Gaeter and Dick Hiskins, diggers, were working work-ing at the bottom ot the main slope when the explosion occurred about 200 feot above. The shook throw them off their feet Above them, in No 1 level, lay the deaa bodios of Assistant As-sistant Superintendent Henry Grimes and Diggers Frank Kelly, John Pattle and John Templeton. The body of John Hogg was blown clear out of the level onto the main slopo William Baxter and William Hordly were suffocated suf-focated in the chutes from the No. 3 level. Guided by Hoskins, -who was familiar fa-miliar with the workings, Gaeter and Falrclough started to climb out of the workings to the pit head, and on the way stumbled over the body of John Hogg. Climbing desperatoly and fighting fight-ing for air, near the top they caught up with Harry Hogg and Ravenl Cos-tel, Cos-tel, both frightfully burnod about tho hoad and arms by tho back flash of the explosion. Protective apparatus was used by rescuers, who ivont into the mine and brought out five bodies. They were unable to reach the bodies of two minors. Tho men had been working for two tn : nas-o b a s-b ss hours In No. 3 level with naked HghtT, M and the generally accepted theory 1 M that thoy struck a pocket of gas. M |