The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-01-25
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.
MORE THAN FIFTY PERSONS KILLED.
siI'ySHtn ntn Ia Colorado ains-Hlsven Tsk,n
ou', OAs nssd aud Ten Badly ljared-Ths
OihtIs Al Spppo,.l 10 b. DsAi-lhe
Particulars are Very ntasrc.

DRsyRE, Col, January ol.-Tbe Tmfs
Gunnison special says terrible explosion
occurred at s o'clock this morning in tht
Colorado Coal Campany's mine at Crested
Butte. So far only the most mesgre Dc
tails have been received here, bu. the los!
Of lie Is supposed 10 be terrible. There
were slf!y.seyen men In the mine at The
time. OF these eleven, who wero just Ell.
tering, were thrown back TO the entrance
by the force Of tho explosion and have
been rescued. One of these was dead and
all the Others badly injured. There are
tlfty.six men yet III the mine and they
can not be reached. They are all supposed
to be dead. The explosion was Of such
force as 10 entirely wreck tho engine house,
which stood fully one hundred feet from
the entrance. 1t ID supposed that the OK.
ploslon was caused by II leak in the air
compressor. Tbs Crested Butte people are
doing all tha. Is possible to rescue tho
miners. Two specials have gone up from
here with doctcra and othera on board.
A LATER ACCOUNT.
The explosion at Cresled Buttes coal
mine to-day was one Of the most appalling
that ever occurred in any coal mine in this
country. Crested Battes, near which the
mine Is located, is q Coal mining town thir
ty miles north of Guunison City on the
Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. The
cause Of the explosion is not definitely
known, but is issupposed to have been from
fire damp. The explosion occurred either
IN chamber or 9, just half m hour after
the day foIce OF sixty.seven men had gone
10 work. There we're ten men at work III
chamber i, anu these escaped unhurt e1-
cept ono, John Angus, who WA In the pas
sage way. He il bsdly burned, bu, will
recover. fii;y-seven men were ut work in
chambers | and.. They are all thought to
have persisted.
The ciuzsns were working hard all day
to rescue the men, although 1t il thought
mons can possibly escape alive. The town
hall has been prepared for the reception Of
the dead. AS soca as possible the fan was
repaired and put to work pumping mir into
The mine md men Set 10 work to remove
the distractions.
Many OF the miners are married men
and leave families. At this hour every.
thing is in such confusion that it is impos.
slbe to give deta!!s. 4 special train le:,
Gunnison City THE afternoon with q !ary.
number Of citizens. Crowds Of women
Cluster about the entrance to the mine
praying, wringing their hands and crying
piteously. The scene is most hearireudiu..
1t ia said that ut the time Of the exp.o-
sion there were ten kegs OF black powder
in chambers ! and 2 where the men were
working and where the explosion is sup.
posed TO have taken place. The mine hss
three miles Of drifting and 60 |. is impossi-
BILE to definitely locate the accident until
the Iss uing parties eau gain adnli.tauc..
The mine has long been considered dan
gerous by those acquainted with 1t,
While It Was one Of the b.st producing
mines in the country, lis operation has
always been attended With more or less
apprehension and real dagger. ut is a
fire damp mine." said Superintendent
Cameral, now in D.nvcr, 'and seems con-
sisnsly to generate tho most deadly easses.
They seem to generate in the ccul or under
il, and pour out OF seams in the walls Of
the tunnels and shalt"
Air is forced i'll along the shaft By
workmsn. Soless than 56,GC0 cubic fee,
OF fresh air are forced into the ruins every
minute. This is quite sufficient IA fully
supply the wants Of the mine,s and keep
tho air perfectly pure, unless some acci.
dent happens to cut off the eupply. This
is greater amount Of fresh air than is