Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-02-24
MINERS ARE BURIED.
Gas Explosion in the Vulcan
Shaft, Colorado.
More than Fifty Men Buried Under Tons
of Rock.

Newcastle, Col, Feb. ia gas explo-
sion occurred in the Vulcan mine just
before II o'clock yesterday, when there
were between fifty and sixty men in the
mine at work. At the shaft mouth Il
hole 100 feet square was blown out.
Ed Welch. who was at the mouth of
the tunnel when the explosion took pace,
was blown to atoms. Timbers TWO feet
square were blown into the Grand river
400 feet away.
It is almost certain that all the men
in the mine persisted.
The following are all the miners
known to be at work that can be OBJ
tanned up to this hour:
William Haggerty, Abel Dorr. James Har-
rison, Joseph Dorr, Will DOrr, Thomas La
wigan, Edward Welch, driver, Charles Mer-
briel Leece, Baptiste Chowchett, August
Matteve, Alex Seattle, Peter Becker, An
tonic Patricio, William Webb, Frank, Nc
year-old son Emil, Tom Addison, Fred Ro-
danski of Illinois, leaves wife and nine chill
dren Dan Norris, Frank Tossio, Domenic
Matteno, John Schaife, Philip Rache, Fred
Sigimual, John Coughlin late of Rockville,
Sam Jones, Ben Cottle, Jr., Frank Simonic,
Robert Setiger, Jack Jenkins. Domenic
Rosetti. Peter Tappero, Antoni Tappero,
Andrew Rollando, Peter Magenta, Antonio
Martino David j. Evans, George Ward
All business is practically suspended
and everyone is daZed at the awfulness
of the sudden disaster. a sudden report
as from a hundred cannon resounded
throughout the valley, making the earth
tremble. People rushed out of their
homes and places of business to see
what had happened and one look toward
the Vulcan mine was sufficient, for Il
dense cloud of smoke issuing from the
mouth of the slope met their eyes and
told the tale of death.
Newcastle, Col, Feb 10.-Ail night a
throng of weeping women and children
stood about the mouth of the Vulcan
mine, the scene of yesterdays gas eX-
plosiOn, while a hardy band Of rescuers
were working earnestly and systemat-
ically in the hope of soon being able to
reach the sixty or seventy entombed
miners, all of whom, it is conceded,
must now be dead The men succeeded
III entering the shaft about 200 feet but
were driven out by the black damp and
gas, which was continually belching
forth.
John Evans, who went 300 feet down
the main slope, reported the timbers in
good shape and that the mine was OILY
wrecked at the mouth of the slope where
the gas had an opportunity to expand.
The work of putting new fan in place
SO as to supply fresh air and make it
possible for reScuerS to penetrate the
mine to the levels where the men were
working when the explosion occurred
was prosecuted throughout the night
with all possible speed and the fan was
in operation early this morning.
Opinions differ as to the cause of the
explosion. Some say it was caused by
a windy shot, others believe there was
an explosion of coal dust, asserting that
the company had been negligent in not
having the rooms sprinkled as often as
the law requires. It is impossible as vet
to give full and accurate list Of the
killed, as the list of those on duty at the
time of the explosion is supposed to be
in the pocket of Pit Boss James Harri
son, who lies at the bottom of the slope,
probably dead.
At 11:20 today, when the work of res
cue was temporarily suspended, the Vul-
can mine had, all told, yielded up four
of it's dead. That was the work of ex-
actly "a hours. How many more bod
les remain within is still somewhat
matter of conjecture, although the most
reliable figures make the number forty
seven