Rocky Ford enterprise., 1895-06-13
ALPINE VICTIMS.
TRAGEDY IN THE BIG TUNNEL.
-Four Mon smothered While At Work
Cleaning Out the DebrIs.-Accident
Caused by the Engine Running Into
Water, Thus Generating Gas.

Leadville, June 1O.-Another fatal ac-
cident occurred In the Alpine tunnel Sat
urday afternoon by which four men lost
their lives.
A force has been at work removing
the accumulation of rock which blocks
the tunnel about $50 feet from the east
ern end. After working for some time
on the dirt, an opening was made from
the east to the west side, through
which a man might crawl very handily.
Since this ventilator was secured re-
moving dirt from both ends has been
done by means of locomotive and
hand-cars.
The engine and tank car on which the
men were riding last Saturday after
noon, rushed into the tunnel and when
the cave-in was approached a greater
accumulation of water was found than
was expected, and as the fire boxes, well
down as they are on narrow gauge
engine, struck the water, a deadly gas
arose, like that which arises when a
bucket Of water is thrown on hot ashes.
An attempt was made to back the en-,
gine out, when the fumes began to over
come the engineer and fireman, and
failing in that, with a desperate hope
of pushing through the obstruction, the
engineer threw over the lever, pulled
the throttle wide open and the little
engine plunged ahead In the deeper wa
ter and against an impenetrable wall
of earth at the east end, breaking the
pilot, damaging the front end, stopping,
with fires out, but with the deadly work
done, four human beings having sue
cumbed before the draft from the open
space above the dirt had cleared the air.
All night long companions and ac-
quaintances of the men attempted to get
at their remains to remove them to the
outer air. Superintendent La Jeune in
charge of the gang of men at work on
the east end of the tunnel, as soon as he
learned that an engine was inside, and
the accumulated gas prevented him or
any of his men entering from that
side, climbed over the hill to the other,
followed by his men, but when there,
they were prevented from entering for
any distance by the smoke and gas.
Luckily, however, they found the body
of Elmer England, brakeman, prone
upon the ground. about 25O feet in, and
they picked up his inert form and car
ried 1t to the outer air, where in short
time he revived, and will ultimately re-
cover from his sad experience. He had
crawled on the ground for fully 800 feet
In his effort to get away from danger.
1t was some time before the bodies Of
the four men could be removed.
NJ. w. Flavin, the conductor of the
train and superintendent of the work Of
opening the tunnel, is an old resident Of
GunnisOn and leaves a wife and two
children. He has been for some years
chairman of the Democratic county COM
mittee of Gunnison county, and was a
member of the knights Templar COM
mandery of that city. He has been en-
thuslastic over the opening Of the South
Park line, and was the first man to
bring pressure to bear on the manage
ment Of the road about the desirability
of opening the tunnel and the feasibil-
ity of the plan. The work, so far, had
been done under his direction, and was
proceeding to the satisfaction Of all con-
cerned.
N. Martenis, the engineer, known in
Gunnison and along the line of the road
as "Dad," leaves a wife and family to
mourn him, and has been for many
years a prominent Mason In Gunnison
county. He has been an engineer for
the Denver, Leadville & Gunnison for
many years. and before that had high
standing as an engineer on the main line
of the Union Pacific.
mike" Burns, the fireman, was single
man, but has lived for several years at
Gunnison, and was greatly respected
for his many manly qualities. 1t Is not
known where his relatives reside.
Oscar Comann, the laborer, has lived
at Pitkin for about two years, and be-
fore that was engaged in prospecting
and mining in the vicinity of Leadville,
and has a brother residing there at the
present time.