The record-union., 1896-02-21
NEWCASTLE MINE DISASTER.
Eight More Victims of the Terrible
Explosion Recovered,
Making Twelve In All-At Least
Thirty-Seven, and Possibly More,
Yet in the slope.

NEWCASTLE (Col), Feb. 20.-Res-
cue work was temporarily retarded by
the placing of a pump so as to draw the
water out of the Vulcan slope. large
force was working, never once ceasing
| except for a few minutes to eat a
mouthful.
This morning about ) o'clock party
went down, and in one of the side
entries found the body of VIII Dore,
who kept the door; Nick Ross, an italian
miner; Robert Cottle and Emil Funk,
son of John Funk, pit boss. Will Dore
and Robert Cottle evidently died of
suffocation and Ross and Young were
instantly killed by the explosion. All
four bodies were found in the first left
entry, about 900 feet from the entrance
to the main slope.
From l o'clock in the morning, when
the brattice over the right entry was
put in place, the crews were kept stead
ily at work clearing away the massive
debris from the entrance to the left east
workings. The task was rendered dan
gerous by reason of the prevalent black
damp, but toward morning the fan ex-
PEELED most Of it from the workings,
and by ) O'clock the crews were able to
The first funeral service was held to-
day over the body of Ed Welsh, the
rope rider, who was blown out of the
slope by the terrible explosion. His
sister arrived here to-day from Cripple
Greek, in response to a telegram sent
by Mrs. Welsh before the accident oc-
Cured, she having been moved by some
premonition of impending trouble to do
this.
The Coroner has decided not to hold
an inquest until all the bodies most
ready obtainable have been brought to
the surface. 1t is his intention then to
probe the affair to the bottom, by MAX
ing the most searching examination into
the cause of the accident, and to thus
fix the responsibility.
1t is impossible just now to say how
many bodies remain in the mine The
clerk of the Vulcan Company has made
a careful check of his books, and gives
it out that the dead will not exceed 40
in number. twelve of whom have been
recovered and thirty-seven still remain
within. Concerning this estimate there
is room for doubt, however, as to
whether it is large enough. Many of
the miners who worked in the Vulcan,
and We're off temporarily the day of
the explosion. insist that there are four
or five more men entombed than is
given on the clerks list.
Carl Schmidt, at one time a saloon
keeper here, was arrested this after
noon by Deputy Sheriff on the charge
of grand larceny. 1t is said that he
rified the effects of John Funk, in his
house near the Vulcan mine. Funk and
his son Emil were both killed by the ex-
plosion, and the fathers body has not
yet been recovered. There was indigna-
tion among the miners over Schmidt's
alleged act, and while the funeral of Ed
Walsh was in progress this afternoon
mutterings of an ominous nature were
heard on the street corners.
Carl Schmidt was taken up back
streets and alleys until clear of town
and a freight train was tagged by the
officers. He was put on and taken to
Glenwood Springs for safety from a
mob which would surely have lynched
him IL he had remained in Newcastle
Four more bodies were recovered at 2
O'Clock this afternoon-Chris Seigle
Tony Tapero. John Gombard and Chas
Notwithstanding total of twelve
bodies recovered SO far. Working
shifts of eight men are now steadily re-
moving the debris, the work all being
done in the left entry, as it is almost
certain that nearly all of the dead are
in there.
The town is draped in mourning, all
the stores and places of business have
been closed to-day and everything pos
sible is being done to assist in the res
cue of bodies and console the mothers,
wives and orphans of the dead miners.
The ladies are cooking and serving
meals to all at the mines, so those work
ing do not have to leave to get food.