Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-06-09
TWELVE KILLED,
SEVEN INJURED
Internal Machine, ReapS Rich Harvest
Of Death at q Colorado Nine.
SEVERAL HUNDRED
POUNDS OF DYNAMITE.
Terrific Explosion Hurls Victims Into
Eternity and Blows a Hole in the
Ground for Bleeding Bodies
70 Fall In.

Cripple Creek, Col, June 6.-Twelve
men were killed and seven were severely
wounded by the explosion of an Internal
machine at the railroad station in lnde-
pendence. Eleven were killed outright,
being blown to pieces, and one died later
from bis wounds. All the killed and in
iured. with the exception of two men
from the Deadwood mine, were nom
union miners employed on the night SHIFT
of the Findley mine.
The internal machine, with which the
murder was committed, consisted of
quantity OF dynamite, probably SOO
pounds, a loaded revolver, and long,
fine steel wire attached to the trigger.
The revolver was fastened 30 that the
pulling OF the trigger would not draw 1t
away. The wire ran from under the sta
ton platform to the cribbing of the Del
monico property, about 400 feet away
where its end was fastened to rung OF a
chair. The dynamite was placed close to
the muzzle of the revolver, which was dis
charged by pulling the wire. The ball
from the revolver and the resultant con-
cussion exploded the dynamite.
A man was seen running down the bill
from the Delmonico property after the ex-
plosion. The Victor troops, who were
ordered out by Mayor French, were SO
stationed as to keep people from passing
over the path taken by this man and
bloodhounds we're sent from Canyon City
and Trinidad to trail the assassin.
The Internal machine used today was
similar to the one exploded in the Vindl
Gator mine on November 2l, 1903, killing
two men.
The men Quit work at 2 O'Clock thu
morning and we're waiting to board
suburban train on the Florence and Grip
ple Creek Railroad to return to thei
homes in Cripple Greek and Victor.
Just after the engineer Of the approach
ing train blew the whistle as signal t.
the miners. according to custom, terrlh
explosion occurred underneath the statiol
platform on and near which twenty-si'
men were at work. The platform wa
blown into splinters, the station wa
wrecked and hole twenty feet in circum
ference and twenty feet in depth was tor
In the ground. Fragments OF bodies wer
hurled several hundred feet.
Several bodies dropped into the p
made by the explosion, but heads, hand
ears. arms and trunks were strewn abo'
ON all sides. Pieces of flesh were foun
on buildings 500 feet away, while splash'
of blood we're found on everything With
radius of fifty feet.
The force of the explosion was fe
throughout the camp and the cras
awakened everybody. The approacnlI
train was stopped and the trainmen rus
ed ahead TO the scene Of the dlsaste
They were joined in few minutes !
hundreds of persons and relief work "
beQun at once. A special train was Sc
from Cripple Creek carrying physician
nurses, officers and many others, b
when it reached Independence the injur
had already been placed on board
burban train and removed to hospital
Victor. The mangled bodies of the dea
pieced together as well as possible, We
removed to the coroner's Office.