Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-02-01
Glle 6ree press.
EXPLOSION A MINE,
rny-six Men Shut in the Ruins and
Perhaps Killed.

DENVER, Col, Jan. PA terrible OK
plosion occurred at Crested Butte, Garrison
county, at seven o'clock this morning in The
Crested Butte coal mine. The loss of life
ia supposed to be terrible. Sixty-scvcn mer
were In the mine at the time. OF these II
who were just entering were thrown back
to the entrance by the force of the explo'
don and have been rescued. One of these
Is dead. All the others are badly injured
Ffty-si1 men are yet in the mine and cannot
be reached. All arc supposed TO be dead
The explosion was of such force as to entire
" wreck the engine house. which stood fully
100 feet from the entrance 1t is supposed
the explosion was caused by leak in an air
compressor.
Crested Butte near which the mine is 10
Gated, is q coal mining town 80 miles north
OF Guunison city on the Denver and Rio
Grande railroad. The cause of the explosion
is not definitely known, but it is supposed
to have been fire damp. The accident oc-
Cured Just half an hour after the day force
OF 81 men had gone to work. The explosion
was OF such force as to completely barricade
the RAIN entrance. The appliances for sup
plying air located near were badly wrecked
AID the roof of the tramway was blown off.
Numbers have been hard at work all day to
rescue the men, although it Is thought none
can possibly escape alive. AS soon as posi-
bic the fan was repaired and put to work.
pumping air into the mine, and men were set
at work 10 remove the obstruction.
Many of the unfortunate men were mar
ried and leave families, many living here.
The town of Crested Butte is in mourning.
Crowds of women cluster about the entrance
10 the mine praying and wriDging their
hands and crying piteousy, presenting n
scene most heartrendlng.
1t is said that at the time Of the explosion
there were 10 kegs of black powder in
chambers one and two, where the men were
working and where the explosion is supposed
TO have taken place. The mine has
three miles of drifting and so it is impossible
to definitely locate the accident until rescuing
parties can gain admittance. The mine has
long been considered dangerous. Its opera
ton has always been attended with more or
less apprehension and real danger.
ut is fire damp NINE says an officer,
and seems constantly to generate the most
deadly gases, yet it is the most perfectly
ventilated mine in the world. No less than
&C. 600 cubic feet Of fresh air is forced into
the mine every minute, sufficient to fully
supply the wants of the miners and keep the
air perfectly pure unless some accident &C.
ours"
At ten o'clock this evening no bodies had
been discovered.
Thirty-fve Bodies Recovered.
DENVER, Col, Jan. 2j.-The excitement
is intense at the scene of the Crested Butte
mine disaster Through almost superhuman
efforts the rescuing party reached one.of the
chambers in the mine this morning where
the men were supposed to have been at the
time of the explosion. Here fifteen dead
bodies were found, but they have not been
taken out. The deadly gas is a source Of
imminent danger to the rescuers who are
forced to proceed most cautiously.
At noon to-day 10 bodies had been found
They were all in the main entry, and, being
subjected to the full force of the blast were
terribly burned and blackenel. In several
cases arms and legs were found broken and
the bodies otherwise mutilated Eighteen
bodies were found almost in "A heap in the
air passage leading to the up cast near the
entrance. Further back six more bodies
were found. All had evidently been suffO-
Gated, Some had tied handkerchiefs over
their mouths. This makes a total of 80
bodies found up to this time and includes
all who were at work in Chamber One. 1t
is now known that there we're fifty nine men
and boys in the mine. The boys were Tom
my Lyle and VIM. Meath, each about IL
years, and Morgan Meath, II years. Eight
or nine have families here, but quite num-
Der OF the others have families in the East.
Many Of the unfortunaes belonged to the
Masons and Odd Fellows, and the unclaimed
hodies will be buried by these societies.