Crawford avalanche., 1896-02-27

to its base and caused the neighboring
peaks TO totter aud reel, the Vulcan mine
at Newcastle. Colo. went up in smoke
Tuesday morning and sixty lives were sac
rificed.
The following are all the names of min
ers known to be at work that can be OBJ
tained:
Addison, Tom, Matteve, August,
Becker, Peter, Merchant, Chas.,
Bodanski, Fred, McCourty, Frank,
home in Illinois. Morris, Dan,
Chowchett, B., PatriciO, Peter,
Cottle, Ben. Jr., Patricio, Antonio,
Coughlin, John, driver,
Dorr, Abel, Rache, Philip,
Dorr, Joseph, Reno, Alex,
Dorr, viii, Rolando, Andrew,
Evans, David j.. Rosetti, Domenic.
Funke. John, and 13- Scaife, John,
ycar-od son Emil. Scaife, Alex,
Ginotti. Louis. Settiger, Robert.
Hagerty, William, Simonic, Frank.
Harrison. James, Sigimual, Peter,
jenkins, Jack Tappero, Peter,
Jones. Sam. Tappero. Antonio,
Lawigan. Thomas, Tossio, Frank,
Lecce, Gabriel. Ward, George,
Magenta. Peter. Welch, Edward,
Martino. Antonio, Webb William.
Matteno, Domenic
All the men were at work and not a
sound of warning was emitted from the
depths of the earth where three score men
were employed in their dangerous calling.
and those on the surface were indulging
in some by-play while waiting the change
Of forces that came with the noon hour.
Ed Welch was riding the rope" a per-
formance that, while regarded as hazard
Gus, was accepted as daring exploit and
only INDUCED in by those whose familiar
ity with the mine made them foolhardy.
A little crowd of miners and carmen were
at the side of the slope that led to the
workings. Welch appeared at the open
ing and was greeted with Il cheer by the
bystanders. Then the earth trembled and
the ground heaved as in trouble and with
the throes of an unseen disturbance.
Welch was hurled through space and
landed on the mountain side 400 feet
away.
For almost ten minutes the fate of those
i'm the workings of the mine was not ques-
toned, and then the horror began TO steal
over the faces of the survivors as they
would escape. Then the alarm was spread
with all the rapidity of the railroads and
telegraph and assistance was summoned
from the mines in the vicinity.
Where the entrance to the mine had
once been there was nothing TO indicate
the locality but n yawning chasm that
extended from the side of the mountain to
the O. her side of the gulch. 1t was prob
ably 700 feet wide, and from the depths
of the yawnng crevice came forth awful
odors that sickened the spectators. Gases
| that seemed to emanate from the bowels
of an inferno generated an overwhelming
stencil that defied the approach of in
vestigators, who were compelled to remain
at safe distance in the vicinity to avoid
being overcome by the extremely putrid
| smell.
Rescue Parties Organized.
Daring rescue parties were organized to
effect an entrance to the Vulcan. burt
they were quickly repealed by the fumes
from the workings, and reluctantly beat
retreat Their own lives were endan-
gered by the task, as the edges of the
great cash in the earth were not under
stood. and the subterranean props had
evidently been blown out with the first
shock. Approaching parties reported that
| the ground near the former mouth of the
mine was unstable, and that another col
lapse from the surface was likely to occur
at any moment, enveloping all within
reach.
Various attempts were made time and
again to reach the edge of the gap by men
,r;t ra for hn a.h q
| they returned to announce failure.
The management insists that the re-
ported loss of life is not as bad as. first
accounts say, but there is apparently no
hope for single survivor, according to
| the judgment Of men who have been EN-
ployed in the mine.
Long Been a Death Trap.
The Vulcan has always been fruitful
source of disquiet to the Canon City Fuel
| Company, which operates the property,
| and for years the interior of the mine was
| abandoned on account of the spontaneous
| generating of gases that could not be
overcome. Fire for years defied the most
strenuous exertions of the operators to
extinguish 1t and the workings were trans
formed into q huge cauldron, into which
| no one dared venture.
Despite its bad reputation, the company
maintains that If only an explosion oc-
| CURED that was not followed by fire there
were frequent places in the tunnels and
| drifts for the men to seek refuge. But
| the violent surface disturbance does not
| tolerate the belief that anyone is saved
| from the wreck. and miners have aban'
doned hope. The mine was running al.
most to its full capacity owing to the fuel
war that has been waged In the West
and was shipping at the rate of ten to
| fifteen cars day.
Owing to the dangerous character of the
mine the miners were not allowed to enter
the slope with any matches in their pos
| session, but the rule was not enforced, for,
although death was imminent for anyone
venturing to strike a light, some of the
more ignorant miners could not be taught
that their lives depended on the observ-
ance of the order and frequent attractions
of the rule were reported at headquarters.
Her New Teeth.
Mrs. Brown was an elderly lady,
quite deaf. and somewhat inclined TO
loci uDon this world as n vale of tears.