The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-02-21
FIFTY ENTOMBED.
Not One of Whom Will Ever Be
Seen Alive Again.
FRIGHTFUL DISASTER IN A MINE.

Rescuers Met by the Deadly Damp ant
Driven from Their Heroic Labor-Doz
ems of Families In Colorado Town BE
reaved by the Pit Tiend-The Catastro
phe Announced by a shock That Made
the Earth Trembie-rroy Fire Less Fata
Than Expected.
DENVER, Feb. ia special to The
News from Newcastle, Colo, says: An
explosion occurred at tho Vulcan mine al
( 11:20 yesterday morning which was the
most disastrous ever known in the history
OF this camp. Dozens of homes in our lit.
tie city are desolate because some loved
one-father husband, brother or SON
left his home with not . thought of dan
ger or the awful death that so surely
awaited him, and Is now lying lifeless at
the bottom of the Vulcan slope. All bust.
ness is practically suspended, and every
one is dazed at the awfulness of the sud
den disaster. No warning was given the
peaceful villagers until sudden report
as from hundred cannons resounded
throughout the valley, making the earth
treinble. People rushed out of their homes
and places Of business to see what had
happened, and one look toward the Vul-
0an mine was sufficient
The number of victims cannot now be
accurately stated, estimates running from
fifty to seventy. Those best informed
think tho number is very likely between
dfty-fve and sixty.
Rescuers Driven Out by Gas.
For n dense cloud of smoke issuing
from the mouth Of the slope met the eyes
Of the gazers and told the tale of death.
A throng Of people were soon at the scene
Of the disaster, distance OF nearly two
miles from Newcastle The force of the
explosion had caused q cavern, and the
tunnel and air courses were filled with
fallen rock, earth and timbers. Both fan
houses were wrecked, and the slope and
vicinity were SO full of debris and the gas
was so bad that it was hard and danger
Gus work to begin the rescue Neverthe-
less willing hands were soon at work and
five men went down as far as possible tc
ascertain the condition of the slope, and
found it such that it will require much
labor to regain the laborers The gas was
30 bad that after the party had gotten 200
feet they were compelled to return. The
party consisted of Superintendent Her.
rick, of the Vulcan; and John Evans,
William Rease, Sam Hills and Robert
Templeman, from the Consolidated mine.
One Man Gets Out Alive, Dying Later.
The last-named mine shut down imme-
diately on hearing of the disaster and sent
their entire force of $50 men TO help the
unfortunate ones The construction of a
temporary fan house was commenced at
once with the object of pumping fresh air
into the mine. 1t is hardly possible that
any of the miners are still alive, but the
starting Of the fans, If any have survived,
may keep them alive till help reaches
them. The only man who got out of tho
mine at the time of the explosion was Ed
ward Welch, who was near the mouth of
the tunnel and was blown out, his skull
fractured, arm broken, face badly cut and
burned and all the hair burned from his
head. He was breathing when found, but
expired shortly after without showing
consciousness.
No Hope for Those Entombed.
Two young miners, Tom Connolly and
James Petrie, met with narrow escapes.
Their eyes becoming sore they quit work
in the mines and had just emerged from
the tunnel when the explosion occurred.
As soon as the news of the explosion
reached Newcastle Superintendent Blount
closed the mines of the Colorado Fuel and
Iron company, and taking all his miners
left for the Vulcan mines, where all are
actively at work aiding in the attempt at
rescue. There are two shafts in addition
to the one in which the explosion took
place. In the upper of these two the res
cuers are in about 800 feet, and it Is
through this that air can be forced into
some of the rooms, but none of those in
the mine have come out, and it is feared
that this is conclusive evidence that all
are dead.
Speculation on the Cause OF the Disaster.
The cause of the explosion is not yet
known. The coal fields in which the Vul-
can mine 10 located have been troubled
with subterranean gases for many years.
In many cases smoke has issued from
creviccs in the rocks since the country was
first known to white men and in later
years more than one valuable coal mine
has been destroyed by fire breaking into
the workings 1t is thought that the dis
aster may have been caused by breaking
into large pocket OF gas.