The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-03-11
VICTIMS OF BLACK DAMP
Terribly Fatal Explosion in the Vulcan
Mine, Colorado.
NONE LEFT TO TELL THE STORY.
Not Sound Of Warning---CollIers Hard at
Work When Overtaken by the Disaster
That Caused Their Death---Rescuo Far
ties Useless-..The Victims Were Near
ly All Italians.


New CASTLE, Co.., February 1.-the Vul-
can coal mine, In tho Hog-Baok just below
town. was completely wrecked and set on
fire by terrific gas explosion shortly after
II O'Clock yesterday. About fifty men, IN
cluding flreren and coal operators, were IN
the several rooms along the slope when the
explosion occurred, Not man could have
survived the shock, the gas, or tho Gre which
Immediately ensued.
With the exception OF few bosses. the
killed are Italians, but in the confusion and
excitement 1t was impossible to make COM
plete roster OF names Of the unfortunates.
The town Of New Castle was shaken as II
by an earthquake, and a dense black cloud
obscured the site OF the Vulcan mine and
workings, indicating only too plainly what
had occurred. The entire population rushed
to the scene, to behold the surface worknen
IN the midst of q thick cloud of dust, trying
In vain to start the work Of rescuing their
unfortunate fellow laborers below.
The enrth had settled perceptibly near the
hillside. and tho donse volume, Of black
smoke issuing from creviccs IN the upheayed
mass gave evidence that the coal vein had
surely been set aire by the explosion.
Women and children rushed shrickinS and
screaming to tho scene, adding to the con-
fusion.
The mine owned by the Colorado Fuel and
Iron Company, two and half miles away,
was promptly closed down, and all hands
hastened to assist Superintendent Herrick OF
the Vulcan in the work OF rescue, out II was
uuickly seen that little could be done. Her
rick and several men had torn away the
broken timbering at tho landing and had
rushed into the slope soon after the explosion
had occurred. with wet sponRes over their
nostrils, only to be driven back again by tho
deadly fumes.
The force Of the explosion may be i'm
agined when it is said that the buildings
and ,restle at the mouth Of the slope
were completely wrecked, a holo 100 feet
square carved out of the hillside at
the mouth Of tho incline, while timbers
two feet square were blown into tho
Grand River, 400 feet away. One miner was
on his way down the slope when the eIpio-
sion occurred. und his mangled body was
subsequently found several hundred feet
away from thu mouth Of the slope. There
were 140 men employed in anu about the
mine at the time, and about hfty were at
work underground at the timo or the accl-
dent.
State Coal Mine Inspector Griffith was
here on February s and PRONOUNCED tho mino
in better condition than 1t had ever been be-
fore. An immense fan in the slope, which
was about 500 feet in depth. seemed to az
ford complete ventilation, and every possible
precautiOn was taken TO prevent an eSpio-
sior OF the gas known to exist in the mines
OF this district. 1t IS believed that high
lighted fuse ignited the gas in one
of the new rooms while the men were
blasting down coal. The old Vulcan mine
has been abandoned for several years and
u;ls in no way connected with tho present
property, new slope having been driven
into the hillside.
Tho Vulcan Fuel Company operates the
Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company.
The mine was being worked to It's full capa-
city, the output being from seventeen to
twenty cars per day.