Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1902-05-22
225~DIE
DISASTER AT FAYETTEVILLE Gel.
LIERY IN TENNESSEE.
Rescuers Force Entrance into Mine
and Find Every Soul N.ishin It
Deaa-Disastcr Tue to Gas Explo-
eion--MGny Bodice Recovered.
M B..

Coal Creek. Tenn. May 20-The
worst disaster in the history Of Ten
nessee mining occurred yesterday
when 225 men and boys met instant
death at the Fraterville coal mine.
located two miles west OF this town
A gas explosion was the cause Of the
disaster.
Out of the large number Of men and
boys w went to work yesterday,
only on alive and he Is so badly
injured L he cannot live. This man
man. who WIS road man in the
mine. He was blown out OF the IA
trance by the force of the e. plosion.
One hundred and seventy-fve min
ers were checked in for work by the
mine boss. In edition to these there
were boys who acted as helpers and
drivers and road men, and others to
the number of perhaps so. Frater-
vile mine Is the Oldest mine in the
Coal Creek district. having been
opened in 1870. 1t is fully three miles
from the opening of the mine to the
point when the men were at work.
They had not been at work long before
the terrible explosion occurred. There
was fearful roar and then flames
shot from the entrance and the air.
shafts. AS soon as order could be
brought out of chaos, two rescuing
parties were started In. one at the
main entrance, the other through
Thistle mine. which adjoins. and in
H;1I
Thistle party was unable to make any
Roadway. as the gas stihed the work
ers. The Fraterville party went fully
two miles under the earth, until a
heavy fall of slate was encountered.
At this barrier the men worked like
demons. hoping against hope that
those beyond might be safe. The news
of the disaster spread quickly and the
scenes at the mouth of the mine while
the workers were within were beyond
description. Business was suspended
in Coal Creek and all its mines as soon
as the news became known, and men,
women and children gathered around
the Fraterville entrance. Women
whose husbands and sons were within
were wild with grief.
All day long the rescuers toiled at
the slate obstruction and not until
5 o'clock did they force an entrance
through it. Up to that hour only five
dead bodies had been recovered, and
hope was still high that many within
were safe. The hopes of the living
were doomed, however. for when once
the rescuers could enter and proceed
they walked along one continuous
tomb OF death. There was not sign
Of life. Every man had persisted.
Eight dead bodies were recovered
and these were sent to Coal Creek.
Twenty-six were soon found. They
were not disfigured beyond identified.
ton. and each corpse as it was borne
from the mouth of the great tomb was
surrounded by eager crowds of rela-
tives of the men who had been strick-
en- down. The mine was not on fire.
except in remote portions.
Partial list of victims: George Ak
ems, mine foreman, head blown off ::
James Hightower, Robert Smith, r.
Price, James Slower. w. Price, Ros-
coe Bradley. w. Bradley, T. MCGEE,
Charles Vangrit. W. Evans. C. Evans,
c. Brooks, o. Murray, w. Murray, NJ.
Wilson, R. Wilson, NJ. Weber. C. Dis
Germ. E. Discern, L. White, ]. White,
W. White, B. Vowel and two sons. r.
Massengill. S. Hudson, G. Adkins. j.
Written and ten-year-old son. E. Sor-
rell and 15-year-old son, ]. Aikens and
two sons. ]. Strickland, P. Childress,
w. Childress. John Childress, James
Childress. j. Smittey. E. Smittey. C.
Adkins. B. Adkins. Frank Sharp, o.
Sharp, r, Webb. L.Miller, R. Miller B.
Sharp. A. Goodman. C. Hightower, T.
Disney.