Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-26
ALL DEAD IN THE MINE.
FIFTY-NINE KNOWN TO HAVE
PERISHED,

Ahlrty-Four COrpses Recoyered-Au
the victims so far Found Killed bv
suhocation-GhastI Sights AnttcT-
pated in Chamber No. "a Nelly
AieGuire Organization Improving the
Opportunity to Create Trouble.
DENVER, Jan. %, IL A. MA special
from Crested Butte says: s'The explor-
ing party has almost reached chamber
No. 2 in the mine of the Colorado Coal
and Iron Company, in which the ex-
ploslon occurred yesterday. One body
has been discovered with the skull
fractured, and the whole body terribly
bruised, and blackened by gas. The pas
sage ways are so blocked that progress is
very slow. Everything possible is being
done to reach the bodies as speedily as
possible. All hope of finding any of the
buried miners alive has been abandoned.
THREATS AGAINST THE BOSSES.
Threats were made last night against
superintendent Robinson and Mine-bOss
Gibson, principally against the latter and
serious trouble is feared. Robinson is at
the mine experimenting the work of
searching for the bodies. No speciaI
fears are entertained for his safety. but a
strong guard has been placed about the
residence of Gibson to prevent violence.
to him. The threats do not come from
the men engaged at the mine, but from
some who have been discharged, and who
u, lake thls opportunity to make trouble.
The scene at the mine is a most DitifuI
one. The wives and children of the buried
men still hover around the entrance to
the mine, and their lamentations add TO
the distressing scene."
FIFTEEN DEAD BODIES FOTrND
DENVER, Jan. %. P. Mt is only
possible TO get very meagre reports from
the scene of the Crested Butte disaster.
Through almost superhuman efforts the
resculng party this morning reached one
OF the chambers in the mine where the
men were at work at the time of the ex
ploslon. There fifteen dead bodies were
found, but have not been taken out, and
their names have not been learned, Gas
is source of imminent danger to the
rescuers, who are forced to proceed most
cautiously.
ALL KILLED BY sUFFoCATION.
DENVER. COL, Jan. 26, > A. M.-For
thlrty-siX hours force of from twenty TO
thirty men have been constantly at work
searching for the dead bodies of miners
buried in the Crested Butte mines. The
work is necessarily very slow, as the mine
is badly choked up with piles of displaced
timbers, heaps of coal, rocks and other
distractions. Eighteen bodies were
found almost in heap in an air passage
leading to the up cast near the entrance.
Inc men were alarmed but not injured by
the explosion, and had evidently at
tempted to reach the furnace room. but
were overcome by after damn when with
III 200 feet of it. Fifty feet further back
SIX more bodies were found. All had ev-
identity been suffocated. Some had tied
handkerchiets over their mouths.
THIRTY-FOUR BODIES FOUND.
This makes a total of "a bodies found
up TO this time, and includes all who were
at work IN chamber No. l. These are now
being brought out to the main entry. and
will soon be brought to the surface. The
workmen will then begin to search for
bodies in chamber No. .. This latter is
further into the mine, and is undoubtedly
where the explosion occurred, 1t is eX
pected that the bodies there will be found
badly burned. 1t is now known that there
were % men and boys in the mine.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MINE.
The cause of the accident cannot he
definitely ascertained now. The owners
nave done everything possible to over
come the gas troubles by the use of the
latest and most approved appliances for
mine ventilation, and it was considered
one OF the best ventilated mines in the
country. 1t was examined bv an in
spector about six weeks ago and in his
report he said that it had the worst
air and best ventilation Of anv
coal mine in the State. The owners claim
that the air supply was more than four
times the amount required by law, The
fireman made his round yesterday morn
ing before the men went to work, and
iound small quantity of gas
IN three rooms. In two of these
the men were warned and given
safety lamps. A miner, who belonged in
tne third, was told not to go into it before
a break in the brattice, caused by letting
down the car the night before, could be
repaired. A carpenter came out Of the
mine to get material to mend the brattice.
and just as he reached the open air an
explosion occurred. 1t is thought that
the miner disregarded the orders. and
went into the room with a lamp, causing
the explosion. A new danger was dis
covered last night.
MOLLY INQUIRIES AMONG THE MEN.
1t seems that there is an organization of
MOLLY McGuires." Through some means
Mine Boss John Gibson has earned the
enmity of these men, and last night
threats were made against his life. The
trouble does not appear to be because of
any Dlame attached to him regarding the
accident OF yesterday morning, but rather
an old grudge, and ''the MOllies" apDear
to thlnk,the present occasion presented a
good opportunity for getting even. How
ever, no attempts at violence so far have
been made. The more timid ones fear