Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-11-28
OUTSIDE PRESS REPORTS
GROSSLY MISLEADING.
Their Efforts Are Towards Sensation
alism Rather than an Absolute
Statement of Facts.
(Telluride Journal)

1t would seem that the real facts
regarding the catastrophe at the
Smuggler mine were horrible enough
without recourse to the Imagination
to add to its awfulness in order to
give sensationalism to the newspaper
accounts. Yet some of the Denver
papers have made themselves redicu-
lous in their efforts to increase the
horror.
True to its instinct, the Post in
particular seeks to popularize itself
by making 1t appear there was neg
ligence in warning the men inside
the mine and in efforts to save them.
Nothing can be more unjust and fur
ther from the truth
At such times it is ridiculous to ex-
pect that mistakes will not be made
but all considered this awful affair
was conspicuously free from errors
of management. When the fire was
discovered in the bunk room adjoin-
ing the tram house four or five for
eigners We're there, and dozen or
more hand grenades hung about on
the walls which it is thought would
have quenched the small blaze had
they been hurled upon the fire. In
stead of making the slightest effort
to stop the spread of the fire these
men ran. getting as far away as possi-
BILE. giving the alarm as they ran.
This seems to have been the only
mistake. When others came the
blaze had spread in the dry tinder
and it was impossible to get to the
grenades or water supply of that
building. In moment or two the
blaze had assumed threatening pro
portions and Foreman Torkelson went
into the mine to warn the workmen.
while those outside blew up adjoin-
ing buildings Immediately, in the
hope of checking the advance of the
fire toward the tunnel mouth, When
inside thousand feet or so Torkel-
son met two trammers. Thomas with
horse, and another man with a
mule. AS he entered the tunnel he
closed the doors behind him to keep
out the smoke. When he met and
warned these trammers they drop
ped their cars and taking the animals
by the tails started for the outlet
oi' Ne'f c'' INV tlHlts Nll'H as
behind the horse. fell dead and the
driver made his escape by going
back and getting out through anoth
er opening. Thomas. with his
crazed horse on dead run in the
dense, dark smoke, crashed through
the tunnel doors bursting the slight
clasp that held them and rushing out
through the burning tunnel house.
In moment or two when 1t was as
certained that the doors were open
three separate attempts were made to
get to the doors and close them
again. two men almost losing their
lives in doing so. So it will be seen
that the very precautions for which
the rescuers We're denounced were
fully taken.
These facts We're given to The Jour.
nal today by miner who escaped,
and he added that he owes his life
to the heroism of Foreman Torkel-
son. He added that if ever men
died heroes Torkelson and Barkly did.
On the way in Torkelson warned
Barkly and told him to go into GER
tain level and warn the men. When
the work of death was complete and
the rescuing party reached the vic
tins they found a number of dead
bodies wedged on the ladders in mill
holes where they had succumbed as
they met the oncoming gas. and the
last man at the bottom of the ladder
was Torkelson showing he had clear
ed the level and had all the men on
the ladder before he started up him
self. And in the level where Barkly
went the same was true, he being the
last man to start from the drift
But all the heroes did not meet
their death There were hundreds
of them who did not hesitate to go
into any danger where there was
possible hope of rescuing a fellow be
ing.
One of the men who escaped from
the jaws of death told how Mel Rob-
bins carried unconscious men up the
narrow ladders in the small mill holes
and brought them to the surface, and
when it was certain death to again
go down and his fellows restrained
him he cried like a child because he
could not make another effort to save
life. And, there were other SINH
lar instances. the names of the men
thus jeoparizing their lives not reach.
ing us.
1t is villainous to intimate that ev-
cry effort was not made to rescue
the imperiled men, or that every pre-
caution possible was not taken to pro-
tect them as soon as the seriousness
of the fire was appreciated.
Colorado's RecordBreaking Tourist