The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-11-21

company, left for Telluride last night
to make an investigation.
The executive board of the Western
Federation of Miners. now in session IN
this city, discussed the disaster at their
meeting today. The members all hold
the opinion that the loss of life was the
result of criminal negligence. The wooden
buildings, they said, should not have
been so close to the tunnel They also
averred that agitation would commence
in labor circles to procure legislation
which would remedy the evils which
caused the fire at the Smuggler mine
In 1873, snow slide occurred just
above Bullion tunnel in which q people
lost their lives and it was here on July
3 last that the fighting, consequent upon
the strike of Smuggler miners, occurred
1t is said that the company would now
be employing 1000 men were it not for
the trouble last summer.
The Smuggler- Union mines have pro-
duced nearly sc, 100000
ALL INSIDE ARE DEAD.
Denver, Nov. 2l-A special to the
Post from Telluride, Colo, says:
The work of rescuing bodies of miners
who were suffocated to death in the
Smuggler- mine yesterday morn
ing was resumed at o'clock this morn
ing. The searching parties We're unable
to work last night owing to the dense
volumes of sulphur gas which permeat-
ed every portion of the eighteen miles
of underground workings. 1t is not ex-
pected that all of the bodies Will be re-
covered before midnight and it may
take even longer. How many bodies
remain in the mine is simply matter
of conjecture. The full number of dead
will not be known until a complete
roster of the employees has been secured
and those who escaped accounted for
There may be fifty more bodies in the
mine 1t is certain that every man who
was imprisoned in the mine is dead;
no living being could exist in the awful
sulphur fumes for more than a few
minutes.
Tho work of b,.iooi,aey down the hodies
of the victims was slow and labOriOus,
the steep trail making it very difficult
to carry the bodies. The bodies We're
placed upon imprOvised stretcherS and
then raised upon the shoulders of twelve
stalwart miners and brought to the cor
oners office where they were laid out
in rows. From $50 to 200 men were en-
gagged in this work. HOrgelsOn and
Barkley sacrificed their lives in vain
attempt to save the lives of their mine
associates. They had ample warning of
the fire and could easily have escaped
from the tunnel. Instead they went
back into the workings and spread the
alarm. They succeeded probably in
warning only very few of the men
in the mine before they were themselves
overcome by the deadly sulphur fumes.
The coroner will hold inquest on
but one body, the verdict in this case
being deemed sufficient to cover all of
the casualties
A large crowd began gathering at the
Smuggler-UniOn mine early this morn
ing, every man volunteering to join the
rescue parties Only the most exper-
fenced miners have been chosen for
this dangerous work, and up to o'clock
those selected were busy making pre-
parations to safeguard themselves in
case large bodies of smoke and sulphur
gas should be encountered in the work
ingS as the search for the dead pro-
gressed. AT that hour the first rescue
party entered the workings Their
progress is slow and it will be several
hours. it is thought, before any more
bodies are encountered.
Many of the victims were married
men and left families There is already
talk of raising relief fund for the
widows and orphans and it is quite like
ly that the state at large will be asked
to assist the people of Telluride in car
ing for those who have so suddenly
been bereft of their support.