New-York tribune., 1886-01-17
one of the respectable and responsible merchants
in Charleston.
AWFUL WORK or FIRE DAMP.
THIRTEEN VICTIMS OF THE WEDNESDAY EXPLOSION
A MAN BLOWN 700 FEET.

"A MAN BLOWN 1OO FEET.
EVANSTON, Wyo., JAN 16.-Details OF the
| fire damp explosion which occurred in mine No. at
Almy at an early hour on Wednesday, show 1t to have
been one Of the In the history OF the Rocky
Mountain coal mines. Occurring a. 1t did at night when
only light force miners at work. the death rate
was limited thirteen souls but had IL taken place IN
the day the loss Of life must have run up Into hundreds
for every person In the mne met with instant DEATH
The whole face Of the country and that portion OF the
fronting the slope gvcs evidence OF the force
Of the xplosion The weigh and fan houses we're de-
molshed and the engine house wrecked, while resi-
deucos and business houses lost fronts Windows doors
and chmneys The mouth OF the slope has the appear
ance Of huge funnel from which fully thousand CUBIC
yards Of been torn and distributed over the
adjacent country.
train OF thirteen cars going down into the mine at
the time OF the explosion was broken into fragments ana
shot ont "a though from the mouth OF cannon William
and Joseph Evans passengers thereon, were mutated
the former being blown the enginehouse ana por
ton of the The body was found 700 feet from he
mouth OF the slope minus the head and arms IL nad
bounded and rolled fully thirty yards after striking the
ground Tmbers and track for seventy feet Inside the
alan, were torn ND and scattered the surrounding
country and the ground for fully half mile from the
mouth Of the mine covered with pieces OF ears ties
and timbers Every air shaft was blown away leaving
huge pits.
Many people living the mine narrowly escaped
death. Huge tlnDer5 t""A SNPS'
nendent Faulks house. $50 yards from the SLOPE ana
fell between two beds occupied at the time by himself
and family John Smith lives In house IN front Oh the
air shaft in the mouth OF the mine Here tne Iorce oi
the explosion tore great hole IN the earth twenty ieet
ia diameter and rock weighing over ton fe throush
the roof into the kitchen, demoishing the stove
The store of Beckwth Quinn Co.. 200 feet away lost
its front and goods were damaged Inc "heei roui
the pit car passed through all Clubhouse nearby as II
thrown from catapult
The mines worked by Beckwith, quinn d Co. undcr
contract with the Union Pacific. Those at WORK III the
mine at the time OF the explosion were Enoch IhOmas
Frank Mason John Pcake. Ellis Grdgerman, John Hun
ter Joseph and William Evans, John PETERSON Jonh
Hood Henry Mommuck. William Hassely, Alexander
Jones and Henry Mlnken The bodies OF the last Two
were found yesterday In the eleventh level Only one tnat
OF John Peake, burned seriously. The remainder
were evidently killed instantly by the force OF the CON-
cus,ion The body of John Hunter, who was driving
mule attached train Of cars in the sixth level was
found between the first and second cars, and the mule
had been blown backward and wedged into the nih car
with ts legs In the air. The slope up TO this point had
the appearance OF having been swept cean but other
wise is the same every day. The mine ala no,
take fire. first reported. and nothing save tue de-
sruction OF the farmhouse and consequent trouble III
getting pure air INTO the mine, delayed the exploration
and recovery OF the bodies All OF the victims save two
were Mormons were married and leave large families
The most acceptable theory as TO the cause
OF the explosion ia this Two fOremen are employed 10
examine the mine every night for hre damp 70 see 'na
II is clear before the y shift goes on These men
cary both open and safety lamps and 1t Is believed one
OF them ventured room with the former where
an unusual quantity Of gas had Accumulated. An e1-
pIoson occurred her in mine No In March, 1883 Dy
which thirty Cinnamon and six white men lost tneir
lves Mine No 4, however considered the model
Of the camp and careessness is the only rea
sonable explanation Of the explosion An inquest is
now IN progress The funerals OF the victims took place
to-daV.