New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1904-06-08

EXPLOSION OCCURS At
THE RAILWAY STATION
Internal Machine Deliberately Set OF
Under Platform on Which Victims
Are Standing-List Of the Dead
Several Seriously Injured.

Cripple Creek, Col, June Twelve
miners were instantly killed and eight
or ten others badly injured by an ex-
plosion that occurred after midnight
at the independence station of the
Florence & Cripple Creek railroad.
The cause of the explosion has not
been ascertained, but apparently it
was the result of a dastardly plot
against the nonunion miners on the
| night shift at the Shurtloff, Findlay
and Lost Dollar mines, who had just
finished work and were about to re-
turn to their homes. These men had
no warning whatever of their impend-
ing fate.
The explosion occurred beneath the
platform on which they were stand
ing, hurting many of them high into
the air, destroying the adjoining depot
and rending great hole in the earth.
List of the Victims.
Following is a list of the dead: L. S.
Shinklin, eager; j. H. Hartsell, -
Berkeley, Gus Augustine, Arthur Muhle-
son, Henry ]. Haag, Eleck McLain, shift
boss, Charles E. Barber, William Delano,
E. J. Johnson, Edward Ross, e. Kelso,
Herbert Mccoy.
Mccoy was taken from the ruins alive,
but died in the Victor hospital.
Eight men were taken to the Victor
and Red Cross hospitals fatally in
jured.
Learn Cause of Outrage.
Later detectives found the machine
which set off the dynamite under the
platform. 1t consists of revolver and
300 feet of steel wire. The revolver was
placed underneath the platform close to
the powder. The other end of the wire
was fastened to chair leg, which was
used as a lever from the cribbings of the
Delmonico property. The whole district
is up in arms over the catastrophe, and
danger of further trouble is feared A
number Of fst-fghts have already oc-
Cured Guns will doubtless soon be
brought into play, if conditions remain
as they are.
Independence is about six miles from
this city by rail. A special train, carry
ing physicians, was dispatched to the
scene of the explosion at four o'clock,
and the injured were taken to the
Victor hospital. Sheriff Robertson,
with deputies and police officers of both
Cripple Creek and Victor, went to In
dependence on the special train, and i'm
mediately began careful search for
clews to the perpetrators of the out
rage.
The train had not arrived at the In
dependence depot, but was within
short distance of it when the explosion
occurred. About As or so miners from
the Shurtlof, Findlay and Lost Dol
lar 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 100 yards
from the scene of the explosion,
Seven bodies were laid out together
and the remnants Of others were Sc
cured as fast as possible. On account
of the terrible nature of their wounds
Identification was difficult.
Description of Disaster.
Charles Rector. of the Shurtloff
mine, describes the explosion
There were about so or 60 of u.s.
said he, waiting for our train, which
was coming up the track few hum
dred feet distant. A number of min
ers 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
a great explosion occurred right under
our feet. The impact shook the build
ings in the town and everything be-
came absolutely dark A few mo-
ments later the groans of the injured
were heard and people came running
from residences and stores to the
scene. | was uninjured The depot,
! o1r1f l., .