The San Francisco call., 1908-11-29
HAD BEEN INSPECTED

HAD BEEN INSPECTED
Construction work was practically
finished and Deputy State Mine In
spector Henry Louttit. few minutes
before the explosion. had completed a
two days inspection. which had re
veaIed no cause for apprehension. He
and General Manager Kerr OF the COM
psny came 10 the surface a few min
utes before II o'clock
Nine Foreman Henry Thompson and
two miners entered the cage and it
was started toward the bottom OF the
500 foot shaft. Suddenly there was an
ominous rumbling. then trembling of
the ground around the mouth of the
shaft as from an earthquake.
An instant later there was a terrific
report and the cage was hurled up the
shaft and through the roof of the
shaft house, the mine foreman and the
two men stil in it. Their bodies We're
tossed through the top of the build
ing and far beyond it. Thompson was
dead when picked up and the others
mortally injured.
BODIES BLOWN TO BITS
So great was the force of the explo-
sion that shattered portions of the
woodwork about the mouth of the
shaft were blown into Ten Mile
creek, 2O00 feet away. Besides the
three men in the cage. portions Of at
least two other bodies were blown
from the shaft house and We're found
in a field near by.
Immediately following the explosion
2 dense column of smoke issued from
the shaft and il was feared a fierce
FIRE was raging at the bottom Of the
mine
A short time afterward the smoke
almost cleared, but those en- the sur
face weer unable TO tell whether the
FIRE had been smOthered or the shaft
SO filed with falling debris that the
smoke could not escape.
Rescue work was Immediately start
ed. Inspector LOuttit assuming charge.
but ID was impossible TO gain entrance
10 the mine for a long time The
opening Of the shaft was The only solu-
zion. and for this task there were vol
unteers in numbers sufficient TO work
short relays of as many men as could
find room for operations.
RELIEF TRAINS START
As soon as the news OF the explosion
reached the officers of the company.
special trains were started from this
city and from Monongahela with relief
parties. The train from this city car
Tied The chief officers Of the company
and mining experts from the United
states laboratory and testing station
recently established here. who took
with them the latest appliances and
devices for relief work. including oxy-
gen helmets. BY means Of which res
scuers go through or work in the most
polsonoCs gases known to mining
superintendent A c. BessOn, Fire
Boss Kennedy and Mine Boss Joseph
X Kennedy went down the shaft in
bucket during the afternoon but
were able 10 get only within 40 feet
Of the bottom. Later several expert
enced miners descended the steps in
side the shaft and succeeded in reach
ing the bottom. Here they found
further progress barred. The lateral
heading from the bottom of the SHAFT
into the mine proper was choked with
debris, and they gave it as their opin-
ion that il would take many hours to
clear this away.
The largest possible force was al
once put TO work to open the passage
Fire Destroys Mine House
CRIPPLE CREEK. Colo. Nov. %
The mill and shaft house at the Joe
Dandy mine were destroyed bv Arc
today The loss is estimated ~
4l50,b00, insurance $40 00O