The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-02-28
1T MAKES HEARTSBLEED
More Than Thirty Miners Meet An
AWial Daatb.
GAS IN THE WORKINGS
Touching Scenes About the Mouth
of the shaft Where the Widows
and Children Of the Vic
TINS Gathered.

ALBUQUERQUE, y. NJ, Feb. 27.-A special
to the Morning Democrat says: The White
Ash coal mines, three miles from Cerrilos,
was the scene of a terrible explosion lit
tic before noon to-day. Thirty-seven men
were working in four levels when the dis
aster occurred. Eleven of these have so
far been rescued. all in a dying condition.
The remaining % have doubtless perished.
More than dozen dead bodies have been
recovered.
The scenes upon the Identification of
the wounded and dead we're heartrending.
The miners were nearly all married men.
When the news of the disaster spread
tho wives and children hurried from
Waldo and Madrid. Not until this even
ing were the searchers able to descend
owing TO the poisonous vapors.
In the course of half an hour several
dead we're sent up. 1t was then feared
that not soul of the 81 had escaped.
Later IL dying miners we're discovered in
n bunch, probably overcome in an effort
TO escape.
The explosion is thought to be due to
lile dCCihGuNdi DASahthE ihNo az obAh-
doned chamber charged with gas.
Up to o'clock the gas continued to pour
forth from the single opening in the mine
in such volume as to make the progress
of the rescuers very difficult, but an hour
later tho noxious vapors cleared away and
tho work of recovering the dead bodies
began to prove more successful.
Twenty-Five men are in the lower work.
ings still, and it is not thought possible
they are alive. The work of rescue goes
on bravely.
Many heroic scenes have been witnessed
during the afternoon, and tonight grew
some spectacle is presented. Many camp
tires dot the scene and the anguish of the
women and children lowering about
them, hoping for the best, and urging
| them on in their endeavors TO reach the
entombed, while others, clinging TO their
dead, or administering to the rescued
alive, present a picture of human anguish
| seldom Witnessed.
1t is thought the explosion was caused
| by the miners breaking through into some
old abandoned workings, thus liberating
| gas that had accumulated therein. The
mine was worked through a single incline
shaft extending 5000 feet in at an incline
| of 30 degrees and seems to have been de-
| fectivc as respects ventilation. The
mouth of the shaft is the sole means of
| ogress.
| Nobody seems to know just how many
| men went into the mine this morning.
Ordinarily 100 men are employed, but this
being Ash Wednesday it is said scarcely
half the usual quota of men were at work.
Representative Laeden, lately employed
there, says tonight that he is confident
that not less than s. men must have been
| in the mine at the time of the explosion.
| The latest reports are that % dead bodies
have been recovered.
| The name of the driver who was killed
/ at the mouth of the tunnel is John Book,
n boy.
Tho list of the dead so far Isl:
j. II. Donohue.
Johnnie Book.
Sam Hardest.
| -- Ellingsworth.
| Roy Phillips.
| William Jones.
Sam Jones.
| William T. McCaty.
Tom Whiteley.
John Sweeney.
John Eathorne.
Tom Holiday.
| Jules Descrant.
Henry Descrant.
Louis Descrant.
Angelo Butfato.
| Ricard Dero.
| Emil Homet.
George Spaite.
August Leplat.
ID. Sumltis.
Henry Harden.
| TWENTY-FIVE DEAD BoDrEs.
DENVER, Feb. 27.-A special 10 the
| Rocky Mountain NelCs from Cerruos, y.
! NJ. says: Up to 10 p. IN. - dead bodies
| have been taken out, horribly burned and
mutilated, and difficult of Identification.
| DENVER. Feb. 27.-A special to the Times
from Cerrillos, y. NJ, SAYS: One of the
| most serious mine accidents over known
in the territory occurred at White Ash,
three miles from here, this afternoon,
when an explosion in the Santa Fe COM
pany's mine closed the entrance and set
fire TO the interior. Forty men are in the
mine and II seems impossible that any
can have escaped. Dense smoke Is pour
ing from the openings and prevents work
from being done. One dead body has
been recovered, that of a driver who was
near the mouth of the tunnel when the
explosion occurred.
SIGNED BY The PRE5lDENT