The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1904-11-03
TERRIFIC MINE EXPLOSION
Number Of Dead May Reach Slxty-s
Resembled a Volcanic Eruption

| UCSSUiUiCu q NOICdnIC ETupttCN
TRINIDAD, COL: The most ter
rifle explosion in the history of Goa.
mining in Colorado occurred at mine
| No. 3 Of the Rocky Mountain Fuel and
Iron company at Teroio, forty miles
due west Of Trinidad, at 80 o'clocR
Friday afternoon. The number OF
dead is variously placed at between
thirty and sixty men. The number
reported as having gone into the mine
was seventeen miners and four com
panions. Many more miners are
known to have gone into the mine
| and the exact number dead may
never be known, as the mine is burn
ing, and in all likelihood the bodies
will be cremated. A large number o!
mine officials left here as soon as
word of the accident was received
Company surgeons werc picked up all
along the line, as well as all other
available physicians. +. J. Foreman
United States stock Inspector was at
Teroio when the explosion occurred
He returned here and gave the follow.
ing account Of the affair:
II was standing not more than 300
yards from the mouth of the tunnel
when the explosion occurred. The cx-
plosion was preceded by low rumb-
ling sound, resembling an earth
quake. which made the earth tremble
and startled the whole camp.
when l looked toward the mine
and nuf nf tho mouth nf fhp fupnpl
and two air shafts came Il great vol
ume Of smoke and dust, which con-
tinued for nearly a minute. Out of the
two shafts, each of which were seven
feet in diameter, timbers that were
fully from two to three feet in di-
ametcr shot into the air and broke in
to splinters. Rocks were thrown
over the camp for distance of a
quarter Of a mile. IN fact it rained
rocks, broken timbers and all kinds Of
debris for fully minute, and many
people were injured py being struck
with these missiles.
Immediately after the explosion,
which was for all the world like a
volcanic eruption, caused the widest
excitement. Women, men and chill
drsn rushed to the mouth Of the tun-
mel, and women whose husbands were
in the mines had to be taken away to
prevent their being killed by the
deadly fumes coming from the mouth
of the tunnel"
The mine in which the accident oc-
Cured employs eighty men, and it is
believed that at least sixty men were
in the mine at tho time OF the eX-
plosion.
News of the accident brought as
sistance from the adjacent camps,
and hundreds of men set to work in
an effort to get into the mine. Pois
onous fumes overcome the rescuers
frequently, but their places were TAX.
en- by others, ready to risk their
lives. 1t is not thought to be prob.
able that any one in the mine can es.
cape death, * they are not dead
already.
Nearly all the miners employed
are Slavs. The mine is a new one,
opened only a year ago, and extended
two thousand feet into the hill. The
explosion is supposed to have been
caused by dust.
Only one body has been found, that
OF T. Duran, driver, who was just
entering the tunnel when the eXplos-
ION occurred. He was torn and
burned almost beyond recognition.
All mines within a radius of 200
miles have been shut down, and the
the rescue of the bodies.