Connecticut western news., 1896-02-20
PERISHED IN A MINE.
FRleHTFuL RESULTS OF A GAS ex-
 PLosloN IN COLORADO.

Half n Hundv~d workmen Buried - An
 Lose Their LIvcs-Rc.cuers Unable ts
 Reach Them In Time to Save ,he Kn-
 tombed Miaers-
 NEWCASTLE, Colo, Feb 1a.-An cxplo- sion which occurred at the Vulcan mine was the most disastrous ever known in the history of this camp, and dozens of homes in the little oity arc desolata
 All business is practically suspended, and every one Is dazed at the awfulness of the sudden disaster. No warning was given the peaceful villagers until sud. den report as from loo cannon rcsounded throughout the valley.
 A throngof people was soon at tho sccno of the disaster, distance of nearly two miles from Newcastle A glance was enough to dissipate any hope for tho lives of the entomhed mon. The force of tho explosion had caused cavein. and the tunnel and air courses were filled with the fallen rock. earth and tlmbers.
 Both fanhcuscs were wrecked, and the slope and vicinity were 90 full of debris and the gas was so had that it was hard and dangerous work to begin the rescue. Nevertheless, willing hands were soon at work. and five men went down as far as possible to ascertain tho condition of tho slope and found it such that it will re- quire much work to regain tho laborcrs. The gas was SO bad that after tho party had gotten 900 feet they were compelled to recede The party conslstoj of Super intcndent Herrick of the Vulcan and John Evans, William Reese, Sam Hills and Robert Templeman from the Consolidated mine
 The last named mine shut down imme- diately on hearing of the disaster and sent their entire force of ib0 mon to holp tho unfortunate onca
 Rescuers at Work. The construction of a temporary fam house was commenced at once, and tho work of pumping fresh air into the mino will soon begin. It is hardly possible that any of the miners arc still alive. but the starting of the fans win bo made as soon as possible, In the hope that if any have survived they may be kept alive till help reaches them. Tho only man who got out of tho mines at tho timc of tho ex- plosion was Edward wclch. who wns near the mouth of tho tunnel. and blown out. | his skull fractured, arm broken. face bad ly cut and burned and all the hair burned from his bead He was breathing when found. but expired shortly afttr without showing consciousness. Two young miners Tom Connolly and James Pelric-met | with narrow escapes. Their eyes becom- ing sore, they quit work In the mines and had just emerged from tho tunnel when the explosion occurred.
 As soon as the news of the explosion reached Newcastle, Superintendent Blount closed tho mines of the Colorado Fuel and Iron company and taking all his miners left for the Vulcan mines, wherc all are actively at work aiding in the attempts | at rescue. There are two shafts in addi- tion to the orc in which tho explosion took place. In the upper of these two the rcsouers arc In about 300 feet. and it ia Il through this that air can be forced into some of tho rooms but none of those In the mine have come out and it Is feared that this is conclusive evidence that all arc dead In this main tunnel men arc at work building division with boards and canvas, through which air can be forced in on the one side and the foul gas driven out from tho other. But this is slow work, and there Is little probability of getting into tho mine In time ta rescue any of the minors alive.
 Half a Hundred Victims.
 There were between 90 and 00 men In | the mine when the explosion occurred, and it Is almost certain that all have per ished.
 Tho cause of the explosion is not yst known. The coalhelds In which the Nul. can mine is located have been troubled with subterranean gases for many years. In many places. over distance of 50 to 100 miles, smoke has issued from erovices in tho rocks since the country was first known to white men. and in later years moro than one valuable coal Wine has been destroyed by fire breaking into tho workings. A little over year ago the | mines of inc Vulcan company had to ba flooded on this account. and the old work InRs have never been rcopcned, and the drift whero tho accident occurred was new one. It Is thought that the disaster may have been caused by the breaking in- to An immense pocket of gas generated hy these everlasting fires.
 On Feh. s State Coal Mine Inspector Griffith inspected the mlno and pronounced it In splendid condition. and tho work Is said to have been done at all times In the most careful manner.