The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-02-22
FrightfuI Explosion at the Vulcan
Works in Colorado.
EVERY MINER WAS KILLED
Upheaval of Earth and Rock
Below.


An explosion occurred at the Vulcan
mine at II o'clock this morning, which
was the most disastrous ever known in
the history Of this camp. Tonight doz-
ems Of homes in our little city are des-
olate because of some loved one-father,
husband, brother or son-who this |
morning left their homes with not |
thought of danger or the awful death |
that SO surely awaited them, and are |
now lying lifeless at the bottom of the |
Vulcan slope. All business is practical |
ly suspended, every one is dazed at the |
awfulness Of the sudden disaster. No
warning was given the peaceful vii
layers until a sudden report, as from a
hundred cannon, resounded throughout
the valley, making the earth tremDle
People rushed out of their homes and
places of business to see what had hap
/ pened, and one look toward the Vulcan
, mine was sufficient, for 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.
| glance was enough to dissipate any
hope for the lives of the entombed men.
| The force of the explosion had caused
! a cave-in and the tunnel and air courses
were filled with the 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 dangerous work to
/ begin the rescue. Nevertheless, will
ing hands were soon at work and five
| men went down as far as possible to
| ascertain the condition of the slope,
and found it such that it will require
much labor to regain the miners. The
gas was so bad that after the party had
gotten 200 feet they were compelled to
recede.
The Consolidated mine shut down inn
mediately upon hearing of the disaster
and sent their entire force of $50 men
to help rescue the unfortunate ones.
The construction of a temporary fan
house was commenced at once, and the
work of pumping fresh air into the
mine will soon begin. 1t is hardly pos
sible that any of the miners are alive.
The only man who got out of the mine
at the time of the explosion was Ed.
Welch, who was near the mouth or the
tunnel, and was blown out, his skull
! being fractured, face badly cut and
burned. and all the hair burned from
MS neaQ. lie Was WhNh AShAAN
but expired shortly after without show
ing consciousness.
Two young miners, Tom Connolly and
James Petrie. met with narrow es.
capes. Their eyes becoming sore they
quit work in the mines. and had just
emerged from the tunnel when the eX
plosion occurred.
The following are the names of the
. miners known to be at work that car
be obtained up to this hour:
THE DEAD.
WILLIAM TIAGERTY.
JOSEPH DORR.
= ! ABEL DORR.
WILL DORR.
J, JAMES HARRISON.
2 THOMAS LARIGAN.
? GEORGE WARD.
EDWARD WEIGH.
, JOHN FUNKE.
EMIL. FUNKE, 10 years old.
CHARLES MERCHANT.
, TOM ADDISON.
i LOUIS CINOTTI.
e FRED RODANKSKl.
r PETER PATRICIO.
DAN NORRIS.
FRANK TOSSIO.
GABRIEL GLEECE.
BAPTISTE CHOWCHETT.
AUGUST MATHEVE
JOHN SCHAIFE.
ALEXANDER SCHAIFE.
PHILLIP BACHA.
c PETER BECKER.
FERD SIGINUND.
q ANTONIO PATRICIO.
q JOHN PASTORIO.
JOHN COUGHLAN.
+ WILLIAM WEBB.
e DONENIC AIATTENO.
J. SAM JONES.
y FRANK MCOURTY.
V BOB COTTLE.
J., ALECK RENO.
80 FRANK SIA1ONIC.
" ROBERT SETIGER.
JACK JENKINS.
@ DONICO OZELLO.
o JOHN OLENO.
l. JAMES FRAEGNO.
" DOMINIC ROSETTI.
% PETER TAPPERO.
~ ANDREW ROLLANDO.
80 PETER MAGENTA.
ANTONIO MARITIME.
DAVID J. EVANS.
u RESCUE WILL BE FUTILE.
, AS soon as the news Of the explosio
reached New Castle, Superintendent ]
ne Blount closed the mines of the ColoraC
Fuel and Iron Company, and taking
n all the miners, left for the Vulcan min
n where all are actively at work aidiI
st in the attempt at rescue.
s. There are two shafts in addition
d. the one in which the explosion too
place. In the upper of these two Il
rescuers are in about 300 feet, and it
thought that air can be forced in
)tt some of the rooms, but none Of those
A the mine have come out, and it is fear
ed that this is conclusive evidence tn