Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-10-22
non-illr 5curnal.
~
THURSDAY, OCT -, 1874.
Colorado letter.
CAlID0. COLORADO.
Oct - YA-4


Sherman shaft house, utterly de-
stroying iI,e building, and also the
shaft house on the PoorInan lode,
killing enc man and injaring two
Others The company has been US
ing nitro-giycerine for some time
past FOR the purpose Of sinking the
main shaft, because they could make
better progress with it than they
could with black powder. But re-
gardIess Of the danger, and knowing
the nature of the treacher0us COM
pound, they kept it in the Office Of
the shaft house, where the Superin-
tendent slept. Besides the giycerine
there were 100 lbs. Of Hercules pow
der, and keg OF black powder. BY
the side Of the Sherman stands the
poOrman shaft house. The buildings
were so feet long and % feet wide,
and they used whim for the pur-
pose Of hosting the ore from the
mime. 1t being Saturday night the
eleven O'Clock shift had just left the
mine at the POOrman, and all but
three from the Sherman. VIM.
Helm, who was attending the within
in the Sherman, had occasion to go
10 the Office for something, and on
opening the door saw red light is
suing from one Of the cans that was
empty and had been empty for sew
cral days. He closed the door and
told lire others that the glycerine
was on fire and to get out Of the way
as coon as possible. He ran to the
Whlm and uBhitched the horse, and
Was Just closing the door when the
explosion took place. He was bur
led in the rubbish, but escaped with
but slight scratches. The horse was
not injured. Two men were asleep
In the PoOrman shaft house, Arnold
and Farnan, proprietors, but Helm
was not aware of their being there,
hnd hence they were not called. AS
soon as the explosion took place, q
Mr.. Ellingham, foreman in the Car
flo mine, ran down TO the wreck
and found Mr.. ,Farman about 100.
feet from the piiace where he was
sleeping, in his tIight-clothcs, walk
ing slowly back Ward up the hill. He
was perfectly beSiidered, and did
not know where he was nor what
had happened. lie has a slight cut
on top Of the head and scratches
on the face.
The noise Of the explosion was ter
rible, shattering window-gIass a
quarter Of a mile away. The shock
aroused everybody In Caribo. The
alarm was given by the Caribo and
No Name steam whistles. In few
minutes 500 men were on the ground
but were afraid at first to go near the
wreck for fear that was more glycer-
Inc that had not exploded yet. The
cry was raised that Mr.. Arnold was
under the burning timbers, and on
going nearer sure enough, there he
lay on HE back on the ground, right
under where he slept. But it was
impossible TO get to him then, on ac-
count Of the fire which had entirely
surrounded him. But from all APP
pearances he was dead, as some
heavy timbers were laying across
his legs and stomach. Water was
got as soon as possible by forming a
line of men from the No Name, and
passing buckets. But the supply
was not sufficient to do much good
until the timber had been consumed.
Before the body could be recovered
1t was burned beyond recognition.
On examination it was found that
the skull had been broken, and the
right leg above the knee. MIR. Ar
mold was sober, industrious man,
and respected by all who knew him.
He leaves family to mourn his
death. 1t Is mystery to all how
Mr.. Farman came where he was
first seen by Mr.. dillingham;, for he
and Mr.. Arnold were sleeping i'm the
same bed. Their pillows and mat
tresses and also half.box Of candles
were found near where Mr.. Farman
was first seen. The candles were all
pressed into A, 6 and squares, like q
bars of steel, and just AS perfect as if
they had been manufactured that
way. If the explosion had occurred
one half hour sooner there would
have been more lives lost, but as /
was, nearly all the miners had gone
home. Their is hardly piece of
either building but what is in splin-
ters and scattered for hundreds of
yards in every direction.
III. DoNNEL.