The record-union., 1895-02-28
speelal 10 the REcoEn-uNrox.

Special 20 the RECORD UNION.
ALBUQUERQUE N. NJ, Feb. GA
special to the NoJuiag Dcatoclut saws:
says: The White Ash gold mine. three
miles from Cerrillos, y. NJ, was the
scene of terrible explosion a little be-
fore noon to-day. Thirty-seven men
were working i'll four levels when the
disaster occurred. Eleven of these have
! been so far been rescued, all in a dying
condition. The remaining twenty-six
have doubtless porished. Over dozen
dead bodies nave boeu recovered.
The scenes upon identi hcation of the
wounded and dead were hoartranding.
The miners were nearly all married men.
When the news OF the disaster spread
wives and children hurried from Waldo
and Madrid. Not until this evening were
searchers able TO descend, owing to poi
sonous vapOrs. In the course of half an
hour several dead We're sent up. 1t was
! then feared that not soul of the thirty
seven had escaped. Later. eleven dying
| miners were discovered in a bunch,
probably overcome in an effort 10 escape.
Inc explosion IS thought to be que Co
| the accidental breaking INTO an aban-
doned shaft charged with gas.
PITIFUL SCENES.
DENVER, Feb. IA special to the Re-
pH6itc01L from Cerrillos says: Owing to
the smoke, dust ana uOXiOuS vapOrs That
| hlIed every approach TO the workings,
two hours elapsed before any progress
could be made toward eiiectng a rescue,
and the efforts were cruelty rewarded, tor
up TO / O'Clock but one miner had been
| reached. His dead body was found near
| the entrance. Three hours later the res
| cuers succeeded III reaching the LETT fourth
level, and the dead bodies OF several men
| were brought out.
| The scenes were terrible. Frantic
wives, many OF them carrying babies in
their arms, having children clinging 10
| their skirts, stood at the entrance of the
! mine tor hours, amid tears and PRAYERS
watching and waiting while hundreds of
men ValnIy struggled to get al entrance
Iurtn6r III the mine. SO dense was tho
smoke at one time during The afternoon,
that many thought the mine had taken
ire, and the conduct OF The wives and
mothers when this was announced as q
probability was piIiabe.
Up to o'clock the gas continued to
pour forth from the single opening in the
mine III such volume rs To make the
progress of the rescuers very difficult.
but an hour later The nOXious vapors
cleared away, and the work OF recovering
the dead bodies began to prove more sue
Cesstul. Twenty-Five men are still in the
not thought possible that they are alive.
! The work Of rescue goes on bravely.
| Many heroic scenes have DGen Witnessed
| during the afternoon, and to-night grue-
! some spectacle Is presented. Many camp
! fires dot the scene, ana the anguish OF the
women and children lowering about
them, hoping for the best, and urging the
men on IN their endeavOrs to reach the
entomDed, while others are CliugiuE 20
their dead or minisering To those rescued
alive, presents picture OF human anguish
seldom witnessed.
1t Is thought the explosion was caused
| by the miners breaking through into
some old abandoned workings, thus lib
Grating gas that had accumulated therein
| Ihe mine was worked through Z single
incline shatting, extending ) 900 feet in an
Incline OF so, and seems To have been de-
| tective as respects ventilation. Tho
mouth OF the shaft is the sole means Of
egreSs.
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
We're at work to-day. Representative
Laeden, recently employed there, says
that he Is confident that not less than
eighty-fve men must have been III the
mine at the time Of the explosion.
y special to the Rocky jIOUutuj8 Nc1Gs
from CerrillOs, y. M, says: Up to 10 p.
NJ. twenty-five bodies have been taken
out, horribly burned and mutilated and
difficult OF Identification. One of tho
rescued, John Stupes, says that he heard
She explosion, and himself and five COM
rades started TOR the main stope, but
could not get out, and retreated back into
the mine 10 a pool OF water, where they
| immersed themselves, and by agitatinr
the water managed to create air enough
to live upon for the four long hours>of
their confinement. When tie rescuing
party reached them they were in the last
stages Of asphyxiaUion.