Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-25
HALF A HUNDRED KILLED
TERRIBLE EFFECTS OF 4 NINE
EXPLOSION IN COLORADO.

All Efforts to Reach the Victims Impos-
sible-Little Hope that Any ESCAPED
Heartrending Scenes at the BIockaded
Entrance-Fire Damp the Cause of the
Disaster.
DENVER, Jan. 24.-An explosion oc-
Cured in the Crested Butte Coal Mine. at
Crested Butte. Gunnison county. at :
O'Clock this morning. From % to 80 min
ers are believed to have been killed. The
explosion blockaded the entrance to the
NINE. The full extent of the explosion is
at present unknown. The mine is owned
and operated by the Colorado Coal and
Iron Company, of this city. They employ
from 80 to 80 miners in the shaft.
TERRIBLE FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION,
DENVER, j an. a, 9P. M.-So far only the
most meagre details have been received
fthe accident at Crested Butte mine, but
the loss OF life is supposed to be terrible,
There were slXtY-seYen men in the mine
at the time of the explosion. OF these
eleven who were Just entering were
thrown back by the force Of the
explosion and rescued. One Of
these has since died, and
all the others are badly injured. There
~ - -0A-A AA4CA III blC lulu6s anu us
the entrance to the mine is locked uD
they cannot be reached. They are all
supposed to be dead. The explosion was
OF such force as to wreck the engine
house, which stood fully 100 feet from the
entrance to the mine. The supposition is
that the explosion was caused by leak
IN an air compressor. The people of
Crested Butte are doing all possible for
the rescue of the miners. Two special
trains 10
tors and others on board.
FIFTY-sEvEN PERISH.
DENVER, Jan. 25, A. M.-Crested
Butte, near which the NINE is located, is
a coal mining town thirty miles north of
Gunnlson, city on the Denver and Rio
Grande Railroad. The cause of the ex
piosion is not known, but it is supposed
to have been fire-damp. 1t occurred In
either chamber l or Just half an hour
alter the day force of sixty men
had gone to work. Ten men
were at work in the first
chamber. Four of these escaped unhurt,
except one man, John Angus, who was in
the passageway just outside the chamber.
He is badly burned, but will recover.
F1fty-seVen men were at work in cham
bers l and ?. These are all thought to
have perished. The explosion was of such
force as to completely barricade the main
entrance. and the appliances for supDlv-
ing air located near were badly wrecked.
and the roof tramway was blown off.
DIGGING FOR THE BODIES.
The men at work on the anthracite
mine, the night force of the Colorado Coal
and Iron COmpany's mines and citizens
generally, have been working hard all day
to rescue the men, although it is thought
t9at none OF them can possibly escape
alive. The town hall has been prepared
for the reception of the dead. AS soon as
possible the fan was repaired and put to
work pumping air into the mine, and men
were set to work to remove distractions
so as to reach the chambers and get the
bodies out tonight if possible. Many of
these are married men and leave fami-
lies. A number of the families reside
here. AT present everything is in such
confusion that it is impossible to give de-
tails. A special train left GunnisOn City
at p. m. with surgeons and a large
number Of citizens to render all the aid
possible.
SAD SCENES IN THE TOWN.
The town of Crested Butte is in mourn
ing. Crowds Of women cluster about the
entrance of the mine Wringing their hands
and crying piteously, presenting a most
heartrendlng scene. 1t is said that at the
time OF the explosion there were ten kegs
oil black powder in chambers / and >,
Where the men were working and where
the explosion is supposed to have taken
place. The mine has three miles of drift
ing, and consequently it is impossible to
definitely locate the accident at least
until rescuing parties can gain
admittance. The mine has long been
considered dangerous. While one of the
best producing mines in the country. its
operation has ALWAYS been attended with
more or less apprehension and real dan
ger. at is fire damp mine," SAID Su-
perintendent Cameron, who is now in
Denver.