, 1884-01-25
Appalling Explosion in a Coal
Mine.
Fifty-seven Men Buried in the
Ruins.
List of Names of the Unfortu-
nate Miners.
Half a Hundred Lives Lost.

plosion occurred at 8 O'Clock this morn.
ing in the Colorado Coal g. Iron com
panY's mine at Crested Butte. So far
only the most meagre details have been
received here, but the loss of life is sup
posed to be terrible. There we're sixty
seven men in the mine at the time. OF
these eleven, who were just entering
the mine, were thrown back to the en-
trance by the force Of the explosion and
have been rescued. One of these is
dead and all the others are badly in
jured.
There are ffty-six men yet in the
mine and they can't be reached. They
are all supposed to be dead. The ex-
plosion was of such force as to entirely
wreck the engine and engine house,
which stood fully one hundred feet
from the entrance. 1t is supposed the
explosion was caused by a leak in the
air compressor. The Crested Butte
people are doing all that is possible to
rescue the miners. Two specials have
gone up from here with doctors and
Others on board.
Denver, January 24.-The explosion
at Crested Buttes mines this morning,
was one of the most appalling that aver
occurred in a coal mine in this country.
Crested Buttes, ear which the mine is
located, is a coal mining town thirty
miles north of Gunnison City. on the
Denver s. Rio Grande railroad. The
cause OF the explosion is not yet def
nitely known, but it is supposed 1t was
from fire damp. The explosion occur
red either in chamber No. l or 2, just
after the day force of sixty-seven men
had gone to work. There were ten
men at work in chamber Ne. 4, and
these all escaped unhurt. except one
man, John Angus, who was in the pas
sage way, just outside the chamber.
He is badly burned, but will recover.
Fifty-seven men were at work in cham
bers l and 2, and 1t is thought these all
persisted. The explosion had such
force as to completely barricade the
main entrance, and the appliances for
supplying air, located near the en-
trance, is badly wrecked and the roof
of the tramway was blown off.
The citizens generally were working
hard all day to rescue the men, al
though it wa thought that none could
possibly escape alive. The town hall
has been prepared for the reception of
the dead. As 500 as possible the fan
was repaired and put to work pumping
air into the mine, and the men have
been set to work to remove the OBJ
structions SO as to reach the chambers
anc get the bodies out tonight if pos
sible.
The following are the names of fifty
FIVE of the unfortunates, the other two
were unobtalnable: Henry Anderson,
John Williams, NJ. 7. Stewart, John
Martin, Thomas Rodgers, James
O'Neil, Jacob Laux. John Anderson,
James Walsh. Peter Baker, William
Davidson, Richard James, David
Hughes, P. McManus, w. T. King,
John Creelman, John Hular, Thomas
Williams, John Shun, Patrick Barrett,
John McGregor, John Myers, F. w.
Smith, G. B. McHalson, William Ma
roney, Mick Probst, Thomas Laffey,
John Prince, James Driscoll. James
Coughlan, Henry Stewart. B. Hebron,
L. p. Heffron, W. L. Jones, John
Donnelly, Carl Rodewald, Charles
Sterling, Thomas Roberts, Jim Nc
Court, Fred Becht, Iber King, Joseph
Whisenburg, H. Donegan, Joseph
Kraust. James F. Stewart Jr., VIM.
Meath, Morgan Meath, Thomas
CLANCY, John Rutherford, William Nc
Dewitt, A. NJ. Godfrey, Dan Melon
aid, William Aubrey, Ben Jeffries
Jeffries and Thomas Stewart. Many
of them are married men and have
families, a number of them living
here.
At this hour everything is in such
confusion that it is impossible to give
details.
A special train left Gunnison City at
2 O'Clock this afternoon with surgeon:
and a large number OF citizens to rem
der all the aid possible. The town Of
Crested Butte is in mourning. Crowds
of women cluster about the entrance tc
the mine praying, wringing their handi
and crying plteously, presenting a scent
most heartrending.
1t is said that at the time of the ex
plosion there were ten kegs of blacl
powder In chambers / and 2, where tn
men were working, and where the ex
plosion is supposed to nave taken place
The mine has three miles Of drifting
> and 30 1t is impossible to defnitel,
! locate the accident until the rescuinl
parties can gain admittance. TIL
! mine has long been considered danger
Gus by those acquainted with it. Will
it is one Of the best producing mines Il
the country, Its operation has Away
bsen attended with more or less appre
. heDsiop and real danger.