Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1895-03-29
DEATH TO MANY MINERS.
Fatal Result Of an Explosion in a
Wyoming Coal Shaft.
FIREDAMP KILLS THREE SCORE.

The Frightful Catastrophe Occurred In tine
Rocky Mountain Coal and Iron Com
pany's Mine, No. 5. at Red Canon
Scenes as the Families of the Victims
Gathered at the Mouth of the Pit.
Sixty men lost their lives by an explosion
in Coal Mine No. OF the Rocky Mountain
Coal and Iron Company at Red Canon,
wyoming.
The explosion demolished the power house
ct the mouth of the shaft. About twenty
men were in the house at the time, and only
one or two escaped with their lives. The
explosion filed the mouth of the shaft with
wreckage of the power house and prevented
egress. Subsequent developments showed
that it also caused several cave-ins, thus
hampering attempts at rescue.
Many OF the miners had quit FOR the day
and left the mine. and to this is due the fact
that the death list is not longer. Rescue
parties were organized Immediately after
the explosion. About three hours later one
of the parties which had entered the main
slope returned with two bodies. bring
ing also the bad news that caye-ins barred
further progress. This necessitated labor
ious work removing the distractions, as the
main passage is some 1000 feet IN length and
has lateral galleries or drifts on nine differ
ent levels each of which Is from mile TO
mile and a half long.
The work of recovering the bodies went
steadily on night ard day, rushed forward
by volunteer squads Of miners and other c1t1-
gems, who relieved each other from time TO
time. The work vas attended with grave
peril and the first group of miners which
ventured to brave the perils Of gas. fire
damp, and crumbling walls were overcome,
and had to be rescued by others.
The terrific force of the explosion in find
ing vent at the mouth of the slope blew the
heav1ly-timbered shed over the mouth OF the
slope and over the passageway leading out to
the tipple clear into space, moving down
the tops of the power house, tipple shed and
other buildings at the mouth OF the slope,
more effectually than chain shot could have
done, The shock of the explosion was felt
for miles around, and was distinctly heard
at Evanston, seven miles away.
At the mouth Of the pit the air was filled
with the screams Of fifty widows and 250
orphans as they gathered about and saw the
distolted features and mangled remains OF
father or husband, son or brother, or real
lied at last that there was no hope to see
their loved ones rescued alive from the
mines depths. The mules that were in the
mine were killed. as were the men, evidently
by the force of the conclusion.
few lives were saved because of the time
of the explosion. The miners quit work at
O'clock and ii is customary for them to be
near the entrance and come out just as the
whistle blows. A number Of men had come
out, End some had just left the entrance to
the mine slope, away from the working tun-
mel, when the explosion occurred, thus es-
Gaping death.
Zeke Baker and his father and brother
came out five minutes before the explosion.
Zeke was hit by the timber which killed a
boy named Crawford but he was not much
hurt.
John Hanna, a carpenter, had just come
out, and was talking to Cox and Bruce
when they were killed, he being burned
slightly.
Fifty-one of the victims were married men
with large families. About thirty of the men
killed belong to the A. o. U. W., and were
insured for $4,000 each.