The Delta independent., 1889-09-17
"A FRIGHTFUL CALAMITY.
Ten Miners Drowned in a Coal Nine
Near Golden. r
FULL DETAILS OF THE HORROR.


GOLDEN, Colo, Sept. 9.-The Col
den coal mine was flooded with water ct
o'clock this afternoon and ten miners were
drowned. There is no hope Of rescuine
any alive.
The men whose lives were suddenly do
stroyed are: John Murphy, single; VIM.
Collins, married, with four children; Jach
Joseph Allen, leaves wife and one married
daughter, Mrs. Homestead; Joseph Hutler,
leaves wife with four children; William
Bowden, married; David Lloyd, single
came from Wales three years ago; John
Morgan, single; Henry Huseman, wife
and four children residing in Denver
Richard Rowe, married, and q nephew OF
the Collins brothers.
The mine is known as the White Ash
Golden mine. When in full operation II
produced from so to 100 tons of coal daily.
The mine is at the base of the foothill di-
rectly above the city, and only five minutes
walk from the postofice.
The men who were drowned were at work
in a drift from the bottom of the shaft, 73C
feet down. They were 800 feet from the
shaft. The drift was being run for the
purpose Of reaching a point on the other
side Of Clear Creek, where it was con
tcmplatcd TO sink another shaft in order To
make two openings.
On tho opposite side Of the creek are the
workings Of an. old mine known as the
Loveland, which was worked about ten
years ago. Yesterday morning there wera
10 ~ ~, Shn h,f of Il al
mine. AT 8 o'clock last night it was Wis
tied for the purpose Of determining what
connection, If any, it could have with the
rush of water into the Golden workings,
and it was found to be dry.
Mine Inspector Mcneil was interviewed
He said: II was in the mine about three
weeks ago. AT that time the question OF
water had not occurred at all At that time
the lessees of the mine decided to push q
drif on across under the creek, and these
men who were drowned were put at the
work"
A. b. Trip, weighing overseer, said
''lt was about q quarter Of o'clock when
the men working below sent up . signal 70
send down the cage. 1t was at once low
cred. 1t went to within about six feet oi
the bottom OF the shaft and then struck
something which we thought was car OF
coal, which one Of the pushers had rolled
in. We worked with the cage for = few
minutes, and finally something below
broke. Since then we have heard nothing,
and have not been able to communicate
with the bottom OF the shaft There Is
some water in the shaft Just how much
we cannot tell. A man went down 800 OF
moro feet and came back saying that the
water was up to where he stopped, but
do not hardly credit this. 1t was not the
irrigating ditch water that filled the drift
because II has been found that 1t did mol
break into the mine. The ditch water Is
now shut OF. There is now doubt but tha,
the water ,ha, filled the old Loveland mine
found an opening into the new workings,
where the men are, and suddenly flooded
them. We went to the old mine at Q O'Clock
last evening and found the shaft perfectly
dry"
At 9 o'clock this morning about . dozen
men werc engaged at the mine in preparing
to send down a new cage. The others had
gone away because there was nothing they
could do. Every effort will be made by
Manager Lanius to pump the water cut n
quickly rs possible. He cannot give m
idea as to the length Of time it will require
TO do this, because it is now not known to
what point the water has risen.