Semi-weekly herald., 1908-04-16

BLOWN UP
Doc Williams Killed and
Two Italians Injured
in Champion Mine

Late yesterday afternoon an ex
plosion occurred in the ChampIor
coal mine the other side of the smel
ter mountain and Doc C. A. Williams
was killed and two Italians injured
Pete Locateilo was rendered uncon
scious by the explosion and carried
out. while the other man, Flora Fer
rari. was able TO walk out without as
sistance. Locatello was mule driy
er and the mule was killed.
As soon as the alarm was given
men rushed In TO the aid OF the In
jured ones and search was made
for Doc Williams. who was not found
until about ii o'clock Search was
made in all the, places where he had
occasion to be working and he was
not found IN any of these places. and
his Whereabouts was a mystery.
There were many willing people
congregated at the mine but without
chart of the workings 1t was a dan
gerous proposition making an investi-
cation after an explosion of this char.
| acter, but this did not keep exper-
fenced men like VIM. r. Mason, mine
superintendent Of the Porter Fuel Co.
! at Hesperns, Jack Cunningham, VIM.
Grogan. James Hughes. Joe Gran
than, John Breen and others from
exerting themselves to find the miss
ing man. There were only few
safety lamps in the crowd and they
kept pretty clog together. Mr. Ma
son was the first to locate the body.
calling to his companions that he had
found Williams, and together they
carried him out of the mine. There
were others searching for the unfor-
tunate man and Mr.. Logan rendered
every possible aid In the rescue work.
When finally found Williams body
was quite ways from where he had
been working, and as there were no
marks on him, 1t is believed that he
was stunned by the explosion and In
trying to make his way out took the
come and laid down and died.
Mr.. Logan was called to the mine
Immediately after the explosion, and
took DR.. Lackey with him to look af-
ter the injured, who were attended by
the doctor and sent at once to Mercy
hospital. Mr.. Logan assisted In the
search. He returned to town and was
seen by a reporter at the hotel about
8 O'clock In the evening. He could
not account for the explosion. When
the injured Italians were asked what
caused 1t. they simply answered in
their almost unintelligible lingo that
the man was no good" Mr.. Logan
said there was no dangerous amount
Of gas In the part Of the mine that was
being worked-that the bad place for
gas was In the old and lower workings
where the men had no occasion to go.
Toney Dubo, a partner Of Ferrari,
had left the mine five to ten minutes
previously, going to his cabin and
building a fire, and was soon at the
mine. Tony told a Herald represent
ative this afternoon that when he left
the mine the air was all right as well
as he could observe.
Henry Moninger resigned his po-
sition as foreman of the mine some
ten days or two weeks ago and was
succeeded by Andy Erler. Mr.. Mon
niger stated to Herald reporter this
morning that the reason he quit was
because the management would not
furnish him with sufficient help to do
the work which he considered neces-
sary to operate the mine.
Several days ago Mr.. Logan re-
ceived BLACK Hand" letter. The
writer had covered mis- hand with
black ink and daubed 1t on the sheet
OF paper, writing all around It and on
the opposite side of the sheet. Among
other things, this letter said the gas
was dangerous. and accused Mr.. Lo-
Igan Of neglecting the mine in order
to murder the miners.
After getting this letter Mr.. Logan
took his brother Dave. who Is also q
coal miner OF long experience, and
went through the mine and concluded
there was nothing to be alarmed
about. AS to the letter. Mr.. Logan
did not attach much importance to
1t at the time he received 1t, thinking
at was only a blum to get him to put
a man back to work who. Mr. Logan
claimed, had quit Of his own accord
and had not been discharged.
Fifteen or sixteen years ago NJ. J
McCloskey, father Of Reese McCios
key. was killed BY an explosion II
this mine and George Gil. IN unclt
Of Billy Gill Of Durango. was inturst
70 that BE- died ths nsxt nornins