The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-01-31
A SCENE OF HoRRoR.
The Work of Recovering Bodies from the
Crested Butte Mine still ia Progress.


The Work of Recovering Bodies from the
Crested Butte Mine still In Progress.
CRESTED BUTTS, Col, Jan. 26-The
scene which daybreak revealed at tie
exploded mine this morning wss TO-
tally different from that obserged the
first morning after tle disaster. There
was n0ne of the e1citemt mt manifested.
The women were kept away from the
mines, ami there were none of the heart
rending scenes at first visible on all
hands. The WORK of taking out the
dead bodies had been going on all the
night, the men working silently yet
swiftly. Some of these men had not
slept since the explosion, and were still
taking their turns in gong into the
mine. Their earnestness and hardihood
are remarkable. When it is remembered
that the weather is many degrees below
zero, their self-imposed work is all the
more to be commended.
At O'Clock this morning thirty five
bodies altogether had been taken out OF
the mine Tht Sc bodies had all been re-
moved Into the main entry from cham
Der No. 1. 1t was supposed that the re-
naming bodies we're in chamber No. 2,
where the explosion IS supposed to have
originated, but which could not be en-
tert d then owing TO the BAD condition of
the mine. The air pumps were kept CO.
ing all the time, and bFattices erected so
that the air currents could be directed
into the parts of the mine it was then
hoped TO explore.
CHASTITY SCENE.
J Meanwhile ttsa bodies of the thirty ire
men that bad been removed from the
prison chambers of death were being
taken care of preparatory TO moving
them to the City hall. The bodies were
placed in a blacksmith shop near the
mine. They were arranged in a long,
CHASTITY row. The faces of all were so
black and dIsfigured that recognition
was next TO impossible. Some of them
had broken limbs. Others had crushed
skulls. Some presented sIckening
sight. A number of bodies were drawn
up almost into a knot, with the arms
covering the face, as if they had sought
to protect themselves by
this meaus from the death.dealingdamp
The bodies, in short, were in all imAgin-
able attitudes. Men were going up and
down the row, throwing the glare of
their lanterns into the faces of the dead
in hopes of recognizing them. Some of
them were thus identified, but the ma
jority of times the gazers silently shook
their heads and moved on. That was
the scene which presented itself as the
sun rose oyer the snow-white Elk
Mountains.
A CHAMBER OF DEATH.
At 10 O'clock this morning one of the
rescuipg party effected an entrance into
chamber No. 2, where all of the remain
ing bodies were found except two. It
was q horrible sight which met the res
cuing party as it entered. Eighteen
men were found lying scattered on the
floor of the death Chamber. Their posi-
tions showed the horrible manner in
which they had met their fates. The re.
mains were terribly burned and man.
gled. They were utterly uurecognIza-
BILE. Their clothes were so badly burn
ed that they dropped off as soon as the
body was lifted. The hair is burned off
their heads, the skin off their faces.
The stencil was almost uncomfortable.
The bodies had lam there LOT fifty-two
hours and the bad air had badly decom-
posed them The scene in this charnel
house is beyond description.
All the adjoining chambers were
searched. When room No. IS was
reached no bodies were found in il, but
at the entrance the body of miner was
found, and although it was so badly
burned as TO be unacceptable, it was
supposed to be the remains of the un-
fortunate Swede who had failed to heed
the warning of the fire boss, and had
gone into the dangerous chamber bear
ing a lighted lamp, which had caused
the explosion. The bodies of these
eighteen men were slowly carried
through the long and blackened passage
ways and out into the air. Not one was
recognized. They were placed in the
blacksmith shop alongside the thirty
five bodies which had already been
placed there today.
CARING FOR THE DEAD.
The company began the erection of a
large frame building in which the re-
mains will be placed while the arrange
ments for the burial are going on. The
building is to be so by $50 feet. and will
be built for this especial purpose. The
managers of the mine are dong all in
their power, and the greatest amount of
credit is being given them. They will
pay all funeral expenses, and see that'the
families of the dead miners do not want.
They have ordered sixty collins from
Denver, which will arrive here at noon
tomorrow. 1t is thought that all the
bodies will be recovered from the mine
tonight.