The Delta independent., 1895-06-12
ALPINE VICTIMS.
-Four Mon smothsred While 1T Work
Cleaning Out tho Debris. Accident
Caused by tho Engine Running Into
Water. Thus Gener sting Gas.

Leadville, June 1O.-Another fatal &C.
cident occurred in the Alpine tunnel Sat
urday afternoon by which four men lost
their lives.
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 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 greater
accumulation of water was found than
was expected, and as the fire boxes, well
down as they are on a narrow gauge
engine, struck the water a deadly gas
arose, like that which arises when n
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
falling 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 lmpenetrable 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
nB& IA .Vtrth hnI al. 81, Ia.
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 We're 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 $50 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. lie had
crawled on the ground for fully 500 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 wife and two
children. He has been for some years
| chairman of the Democratic county com
mittee of Gunnison county. and was n
member of the Knights Tcmplar com
| mandery of that city. He has been en-
| thusiastic 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 deslrabllity
| OF opening the tunnel and the feasibil-
| ity of the plan. The work. so far, had
been done uEder 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 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, Lcadvllle 4 Gunnison for
many years, and before that had n high
standing as an engineer on the main line
Of the Union Pacific.
mike" Burns, the fireman, was a 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.