The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-25
Sixty-Seven Men at Work in the Shaft at the
Time of the Explosion, of Whom
Only Ten Escape Death.
The Mine Said To Have Been Considered
Dangerous for Long Time
Loss of Three Schooners of the Gloucester
Fishing Fleet, with Crews Numbering
FOrty-Six Men-0ther Casualties
a FRIGHTFUL EXPLOSION.
Great Loss of Life in the Crested Buttes Coal
Mine, Gunnison, Col.

Mine, GunnisOn, Col.
DENVER, Jan. M.-The explosion at Crested
l.. os coal mine this morning was one of the
most appalling that ever occurred in a coal mine
III this country Crested P'lttes, near which the
mine is located, is coal-mining town thirty
miles north of Gunnison City, on the Denver &
Rio Grande railroad. The cause of the explosion
is not definitely known, but it is supposed to
have occurred from fire damp. The explosion
occurred either in chamber or 2, just half
an hour after the day force of sixty seven men
in chamber No 4. These escaped unhurt, except
one man, john Angus, who was in
the passage way just outside of the chamber
He is badly burned, but will recover. Fifty
seven men were at work in chambers l and q
These are all thought to have perished. The ex-
plosion was of such force as to completely barTi-
cade the main entrance, and the appliances for
supplying air, located near, were badly wrecked
and the roof of the tramway blown off. The
citizens generally have been working hard
all day to rescue the men, although it
is thought none can possibly escape alive
The Town Hall has been prepared for the re-
ception of the dead AS soon as possible a fan
was repaired and put to work pumping air into
the mine and men set to work to remove. the OBJ
structons so as to reach the chambers and get
the bodies out tonight if possible.
The following are the names of 6fty-fye of the
unfortunates, the other two are unobtainable:
Henry Anderson John Williams, w T. Stewart
John Martin, Thomas Rogers, James OrNeiT
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 Shune, Patrick Barrett John McGregor
S. W. Smith, G. B. McHalson, William Maroney
Nick Probst Thomas Laffey John Prince, James
Driscoll, James Coughlin, Henry Stewart, B.
Heffron, L. P. Heffron, W. L. Jones, John Don
nelly, Carl Rodenwald, Charles Sterling Thomas
Roberts, Jim McCourt, Fred Becht, Iber King
Joseph Weisenberg Fl. Donegan, Joseph Kraust
James F. Stewart ir, William Meath, Morgan
Meath, Thomas Clancy, John Rutherford, Will
L. L..
William Aubrey, Ben Jeffries and Thomas Stew
art, John Myers.
Many of these men leave families Many are
living here. At this hour everything is in such
confusion that it is impossible to give details
A special train left Gunnison at o'clock this
afternoon with surgeons and large number of
citizens to render all the aid possible.
The town of Crested Buttes is in mourning
Crowds of women cluster about the entrance to
the mine praying and wrnging their hands and
mfr tipu
rending. 1t is said that at the time of the ex-
plosion there were ten kegs of black powder in
chambers one or two where the men were work
ing and where the explosion is supposed to have
drifting, and so it is impossible to definitely
locate the accident until the rescu-
ing parties can gain admittance
1t has long been considered dangerous by those
acquainted with it. While one of the best pro-
ducing mines in the country, its operation has
always been attended with more or less appre-
henSion and real danger
"It is a fre-damp mine said Superintendent
Cameron, now i'll Denver ''aud seems to con
stantly generate most deadly gases These seem
to generate in the coal, or under it, and pour out
of the seams, in the walls of the tunnels, and
shafts, yet the mine is the most perfectly venti-
lated in the world. The air is forced in long
shaft by machinery. No less than $4,000 cubic
feet of fresh air is forced into the mine every
minute. This is quite sufficient to fully supply
the wants of miners and keep the air perfectly
pure, unless some accident happens to cut off or
interfere with the supply. This is a greater
amount of fresh air than is furnished to any
other mine in the country.
Superintendent Cameron added: owe send a
mine reviewer through every chamber every
morning before any of the men are allowed to go
in. He must have returned this morning be
fore the workmen started in, and everything
must have been all right when he passed
through the workings"
John Mcneil, State Mine inspector, left for
the scene of the disaster this evening. He says
he has doubt that every man in the mine at
the time of the explosion was instantly killed.
At this hour, 10 o'clock, no bodie AVE been re-