The bee., 1904-06-09
DEATH BY
DYNAMITE.
Twelve Non.Union Miners Blown
Up Near Cripple Creek and
Others Fatally Wounded.
TWO HUNDRED POUNDS
OF DYNAMITE USED.

Cripple Creek, Col, June g.
Twelve miners were instantly
killed and eight or ten others
badly injured by an explosion
that occurred early today at In
dependence Station, of the Flor
ence and Cripple Greek railroad.
The cause of the explosion has
not been ascertained, but ap-
parently it was the result of a
plot against the nonunion min
ers on the night shift at the
Shurtloff, Findlay and Last Dol
lar mines, who had just finished
work and were about to return to
their homes. These men had no
warning whatever of them i'm
pending fate.
The explosion occurred be-
meath the platform on which
they were standing, hurting
many of them high into the air,
destroying the adjoining depot
and rending a great hole in the
earth. 1t is believed a large
quantity of dynamite had been
placed under the platform and
that it was set off by means of
electricity, or by the conclusion
caused by the approaching train.
The train had not arrived at
the Independence depot, but was
within short distance of it
when the explosion occurred.
About forty five or fifty miners
from the Shurtloff, Findlay and
Last Dollar mines had gathered
at the depot platform, and they
were blown into the air in every
direction. One mans body, cut
in two, was found one hundred
yards from the scene of the ex-
plosion. Seven bodies were laid
out together, and the remnants
of others were secured as fast as
possible. On account of the ter
rible nature of their wounds
Identification was difficult.
Story of the Crash.
Charles Rector, of the Shurt-
loft mine, described the explo-
sion.
"There were about fifty or
sixty of u.s." said he, waiting
for our train, which was coming
up the track, a few hundred feet
distant. A number of miners
who had not yet reached the de-
pot were running toward it
With their dinner buckets in
hand. The train approached the
depot at a moderate rate, and
the crowd on the platform began
to move around to secure points
of vantage in getting aboard as
soon as the train stopped. At
this moment an explosion occur
red right under our feet. The
impact shook the buildings in
the town, and everything became
absolutely dark. A few moments
later the groans of the injured
were heard, and people came
running from residences and
stores to the scene. l was unln-
jured. The depot, platform and
the surrounding objects were
rent into splinters. The work
of rescue was begun at once. Six
badly wounded miners were
picked at different points near
the scene, and were quickly car
ried to the train and sent to
Victor. The dead were found
after much difficulty. There
was almost total darkness in the
vicinity"
1t is supposed that at least
two hundred pounds of dynamite
must have been used to produce
such an explosion. The depot
was entirely destroyed. The
ground on which it stood shows
great cash. as if an earthquake
had torn up the country and left
this yawning cavity to remind
the people of a great upheaval.
The impact of the explosion was
felt in every direction. The
miners who stood on the plat
form were literally shot into the
air.
The theory of accident is
secuted by every one.