Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-30
Sacrifice of Life in Two Colorado
Mines.
CAUGHT BY An UNEXPECTED FLOOD
Waters Broke Through the Bar
rier of Ore.
7 81 E WORK OF RESI- CUE

CENTRAL CITY, Col, August 3O.-The
accidental flooding of The Americas and
sleepy Hollow mines last night caused four
teen deaths Twenty-nine men We're work
lrg IN the mines when the disaster occurred
All VINO escaped were engaged at points
above the line Of the break. All below at
the time Ware almost Instantly submerged
and their bodies must lie there for weeks.
Inc calamity is one which has not oeen
unexpected. For three years past dispute
between the several mines in the group has
been on over the question of drainage. The
Gregory, Robtai,, Fisk, Americas and Sleepy
Hollow have been parties to the dispute,
ana the three properties first named have
eeen closed down In their lower levels and
allowed to stand partially filled with water
because OF this dispute over prorating the
expense Of drainage between the several
owners The workings of the mines are so
situated that the Gregory Bobtail and the
Fisk have beea forced to combat a strong
now OF water, the pumping of which by
them left the Sleepy Hollow and Americas
practically dry.
When the Fisk owners failed to arrange
satisfactorily with their neighbors to meet
snare OF the pumping expense they al
lowed the water to raise In the lower work
ahss' ana this large reservoir stood above
the workings of the adjoining mines, a con-
stant menace to those working beneath
The Sleepy Hollow, Americas and Fis.<e
are on the same vein of ore. The first two
are connected by drifts at the 4O0-foot
level; the Americas and Fisk are sep
arated by wall of ore standing in the
vein at the joint end lines. So much
greater Is the system of underground
workings in the Fisk than those of its end
line neighbors that the rush of water from
the three levels above the point of the
break was quite sufficient to fill the entire
workings of the two.
The Americas filled first below the 400
foot level, and it was no appreciable time
before water was pouring from it into the
sleepy Hollow through the air tunnel con-
nection on the level where the break oc-
Cured.
In the Sleepy Hollow mine-N, Vegas.
surance by which the men are assessed 3
per cent of their wages and on death their
relatives receive half-pay for six months
together with funeral expenses paid by the
company.
The Victims.
The names of the dead are:
In the Americus-Olivia Patnoster, aged
thirty-five, married. wife and two children;
Achili Aparcfnf, aged forty-seven, wife and
five children.
In the Sleepy Hollow mine-N. Vegas.
Jingle; C. Croskenback, single; Nazzarino
Maraota, married, wife and child; Will
Prisk, single, aged seventeen; William
Thomas, married, wife and child; o.
Brouse. married, wife and child; Thomas
Williams, married, wife and child; Thomas
Carbis married, wife and three children;
]. Harris, single; Steve Vallero, single,
aged twenty; ]. Perko, single; Martin RAJ
coma, married, wife and two children.
The Work of Rescue.
The sounding of thes whistle gave the
first signal of disaster, and soon the shaft
building of the Sleepy Hollow mine was
so crowded with the families and relatives
of the imprisoned miners and those want
ing to give assistance that 1t was almost
impossible for the work of rescue to go on
Sheriff Williams finally arrived on the
ground, the building was cleared and prac-
teal miners offered their services in low
ering the bucket. The farthest depth at
tanned was $50 feet, the accumulated gas
forced up by the rising water being such
that candle would not burn at a greater
depth.
A second effort was made, a larger-sized
safety lamp having been placed in the
bucket. The rescuer who first descended in
the bucket found Mr.. H. Prisk at the 800
foot level. On reaching the surface he
was almost in an insensible condition
Another man went down afterward, but
was unsuccessful in reaching a lower point
In the shaft owing to rising of water.
Extra water buckets were sent for and
brought to the mine with view of lower
ing the water. The managers of the prop
erty were on the ground and were very
assiduous in their efforts to relieve the