The Meeker herald., 1894-11-24
-FOUR MINERS surrocArEo-
Fire ~ the Mouth OF BIssh H.vr
Mine


Mine
Denver, Nov IA special from
Black Hawk to the Tfmes-Sun says:
One OF the most terrible accidents
ever known In Gilpin county, and eer-
sainly the worst in recent years, oc
CURED at the Perieo mine at an early
hour this morning. by which four men
lost their lives, being sufyocated By
smoke and powder The names Of the
dead are as follows:
Durham Tvey. 10 years OF age: Leaves
q wife and five children.
Upper Wills, 30 years old, married
Albert Sanders, q years. single.
James WhirIow. 3 years single
Ths. accident was most peculiar
one The Perigo mine Is situated about
eight miles north Of Black Hawk In
the independent mining district The
property Is worked through a tunnel.
the new owners having been engaged
In driving the tunnel TO catch the old
workings There u z compressor at
the mouth OF the tunnel, and in this
building il the machinery, powder and
tools used In working the mine. At
about o'clock this morning fire was
discovered in the entrance buildings
1t SPREAD quickly, and before steps
could be taken 10 put # out. the entire
entrance WIS abiaze- There were In
the mine four men-Iyey. Sanders.
WhfrtDw and Wills Efforts TO get
trough the burning timbers were i'm
possible. The men were forced 10
stay and suffer death
The tunnel has been driven in a dis
lance Of 800 feet Its only entrance
is through the building at It's mouth.
When the fire started. the timbers al
the entrance followed and terrible
mass Of flames rolled out To pass the
fire would hare been impossible. and
the unfOrtHnares were compelled to
breath in the smoke until death over
came them
The mine buildings were totally de-
stroyed, and the machinery 70 badly
damaged that II will probably be use
less
The fire originated from a workman
dropping lighted candle into a box
Of giant powder in rhe compressor.
The workman suppo-sing the powder
would explode, evidently hurried 10
get away While the powder WIS ig-
uited, no explosion occurred, but the
powder burned rapidly and communi-
Gated u the wood near by Within
ten minutes the building and shaft
were ablaZe- There was O great GUAM
tIty Of powder destroyed, az well as 40
cords Of wood. the wood making 4
great blaze and adding to the fury Of
the fire. To stop it, with tine limited
amount Of water at hand. would have
been impossible, and to get through
the flames To rescue the miners. or for
the latter to force their way out, was
equally impossible. Smoke was driven
into the tunnel In dense clouds.
The fire died down later In the morn
ing, and efforts to effect an entrance
and secure the dead bodies were made.
Up To 8 O'Clock they mad not been re-
covered.
The Perigo mine is one Of the most
widely known In the state. 1t was for
merry worked by the John q. Rollins
Co. and later stood idle for n time.
Denver men took hold Of 1t and II
has been worked under Mr. H H.
Lawrence Of that city. Some 5000
has been spent In boilers and engine
machinery and large sum In timber
ing and getting the tunnel in shape.
the monetary loss will therefore prob
ably exceed $500, IL being understood
that a partial insurance Is carried
The men were supposed TO be work
ing about 100 feet from the mouth Of
the tunnel when the smoke Overcame
them. All Of the miners were well
known and when the news VI the dis
aateF reached here q large number Of
people went 10 the acene. TIls- coroner
was gent for from Central City and
Will take charge Of the bodies on their
recovery.
A peculiar fact associated with the
accident II its resemblance to one Or
curing in the a. =. tunnel about four
years ago. when four men lost their
lives by sufiOcatiOn In a fire that
started in manner greatly resembling
this.
Durham Ivey, one Of the victims "
the disastrous mine accident was born
in Cornwall, England, and came to
America wheu boy. He ~ well
known throughout Colorado for being
the champion catch -as-catch-cau
wrestler of the state He has also
bested a number OF sVrestiers from 9th
~ state. iu the West. As an English
wrestler h. leaves behind him a record
without a defeat.