Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-04-03
WYOMING MINE HORROR.
Great Loss Of Life In Coal Mine Expio.
sion At Hanna.


sion At Hanna.
Hanna. Wyo.-An explosion OF gas
and dust In mine No. I Of the Union
Pacific Coal Company at O'Clock Sat
urday afternoon completely wrecked
the woi kings and entombed twenty
men who II not killed Sy the awful eS'
plosiou were Moderated by the con
iiasration that is raging far below the
mouth Of the shaft.
a second explosion occurred at l0:3o
Saturday In the east shaft. where
gang Of nifty relief workers. headed by
State Mine Inspector David Elias. were
about to remove four Of the victims oi
the tirst explosion. The shaft was filled
with debris and all air currents cut on.
The second explosion was even more
severe than the lint. bcin. felt IN all
parts Of Town and IL In feared thaat
Nifty to sixty names have been added
10 the death list.
When the firnt explosion occurred cr'
cry building in iowa WAS rocked as
though by terrible earthquake.
women and children. idle miners. bust
ness men and others rushed Into the
streets with blahchsd faces. for only
too well did they know what that awful
roar and the shaking earth meant.
.'She's on again." WAS the low cry
here and there. and then followed u
rush TO tho outer workings. power
house and iipples OF the mine.
The anxious and almost frantic In
quiries as to who were In the iii'fnted
mine brought forth the Information
that twenty men were below.
The explosion was the result OF . hr-
that broke out In the tenth level last
Sunday and was promptly walled on.
The 200 miners worked Monday. Wed
nesday and Friday. and Tuesday.
Thursday and Saturday the force Of
seventeen men. comprising the pick of
the three mines, nll experienced mon.
miners and fire fighters. worked dill
gently TO cxtinguish the underground
confingrntion. bui without avail.
Luckily for tho 200 miners the flames
did not reach the Hns areas on the days
they were at work. for In this event
the disaster would have been even
more appalling than the one Of nvo
years a.o.
Immediately after tho first explosion
a force was organized and the work OF
rescue commenced. The air fan and
shaft were repaired Immediately. and
soon n current Of air was forced
through the workings.
Everyone took hope when II was an
nounccd that the mir was working. but
this hope WAS short.livcd. for the OK.
p-ricnccd men on the outside. many OF
whom passed through the holocaust OF
fivc years ago. assured the gathered
crowds II the cntombcd miners were
not killed outright. they were nndonb,'
edly incineraied by the flames raging
below the tenth level.
Life could not possibly survive that
furnace one and onc-half miles down
In the bowels Of the earth and after
tho first shrek of grief the women and
children were taken to their homes By
tender hands md there they calmly
waited for the rescue parties to bring
the bodies OF their loved ones from the
iil.fatcd mine. They are simply be.
numbed with grief. daxed and unable
TO realize what has happened.
Late mt night the bodies OF Joseph
Burton. Peter Munson. Robert War
burton and James Know were found
near the east shaft. They were charred
and disfIurcd and were probably kill
ed instantly.
When the second explosion occurred,
miners and citizens rushed to the east
shaft. where they were Joined by tho
relief workers who were driven from
the west shaft. which was also caved
In by the explosion. and all set to work
with a will to dig out the fifty en-
tombed men.
Additional men have been summon.
ed from the neishboring coal camp
and all available laborers in Credon
and grading gangs along the railroad
are hurrying to Hanna in special
trains.
The scenes In town and about the
mine beggar description.
The women and children are now
panic. stricken and are rushing madiy
through the streets and up to the
mines. calling piteously for their loved
ones.
It was In this same mine that 169
men lost their lives on June 30. 1908.
by q similar explosion. The colliery
was filed with debris at that time and.
although large gangs worked constant.
ly day and night. the last Of the bodies
were not reached until six months al.
terward and the remains of Fire Boss
Cox were never recovered.