The Elk Mountain pilot., 1902-08-12
BOWEN MINE HORROR
FRleHTFuL POWDER EXPLOSION


Population of Bowen Rush to the
Scene-Explosion One Thousand
Feet From the Surface.
Denver, Aug. S.-A Republican spe-
cial from Trinidad last night says:
The most disastrous mine explosion
in the history of the southern Colorado
coal field occurred at Bowen, Il camp
operated by the Union Coal Company
of Denver, about ten miles north of
here at 6:3O o'clock this evening, and
as result sixteen men, the entire
night shift, are dead.
Some of the bodies have been recov-
cred but the greater number are still
in the mine, and ut this hour it is i'm
possible to reach them on account of
after-damp. The known dead are:
James Hunter. machine runner; I'll
den Winfield, colored, machine helper:
Joe Gordon, colored, driller: Joe
Sauchey, machine runner; Thomas
Sierra, machine helper; Mike Cas-
sidy, miner; Weller Elliot. miner;
Frank Groat, miner. still in the mine.
So far as known not one of the night
shift escaped to tell the story of the
horrible disaster.
The night shift had just gone into
the mine when terrific explosion oc'
Cured. which could be heard for miles
around. Ii is the general opinion that
the explosion was the direct result of
windy shot. The powder house at
the mouth of the mine. containing
about 900 pounds of blasting powder,
was exploded by the shock from the
mine and great damage was done to
the mouth of the slope.
The town of Bowen, about a quarter
of mile below the mine. was severely
shaken, a number of windows being
broken by the shock of the explosion.
Immediately after the explosion al
most the entire population of the town
rushed to the mouth of the mime and
the scenes there We're heartrending in
the extreme. 1t was with difficulty
that the crazed wives, mothers and
sisters were restrained from rushing
over the debris in the mouth of the
slope into the mine, which would have
been certain death, in their vain at
tempt TO rescue their loved ones. The
crowd at the mouth of the slope has dl-
minished but slightly since the disaster
and many of the grief stricken women
had to be carried from the scene.
As soon as the explosion occurred
rescue parties were organized and
some heroic attempts to rescue the
victims We're made with partially sue
cessful results. The air was SO bad
in the mine that it was impossible for
the men TO stay in more than few
minutes at time and upon the return
to the surface each time some of the
party, as well as the victims rescued,
were carried out. they having been
overcome by the stitiing atmosphere.
The mine Is almost n total wreck as
far as can be determined at this time.
The mouth of the slope Is almost COM
pletely filled with debris and the rescue
parties have to clear their way as they
20 to the rescue of the victims.
The explosion occurred about 1000
feet from the surface the mine was
quickly filed with gas and smoke, and
those who escaped instant death were
undoubtedly suffocated.
This explosion. following close upon
that of last saturday nj Aguilar. about
ten miles from the scene of the present
disaster in which four men lost their
lives and two others We're seriously in
jured. is heavy blow TO this district.
At the earliest possible date the Bowen
mine cannot be again in working order
inside of three months. as 1t will re-
quire all of that time to clear away the
debris and retlmber the stope. Fully
300 men will be thrown out of employ
ment in the meantime.
Several of the rescue parties were
taken to their homes completely ex-
hausted and the recovery of two Is
doubtful.
The names of the three victims re-
covered last are:
Peter Jensen: one other completely
torn TO pieces and unrecognizable; Os
car Berge, not mutilated in the least,
his death being due to suffocatlon.
August Sth. l n. m.-The officials Of
the company estimate the total number
of men in the mine at the time of the
explosion at twelve. though 1t is ru-
mored that there We're twenty-four
Twelve is the number of men regu-
larly on the night shift. but it * gem
orally known that number of the day
shift We're still in the mine.