Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-10-11
Entombed Miners at StarkviIIe
Cannot Be Reached By Tire
less Men Searching Day and
Night,
ENTIRE NIGHT SHIFT
NOW BELIEVED DEAD
Portable Fans Are Used inI
Clearing Air and SearchersI
Reach Point 900 Feet FROM
Buried Miners.

IBy Morning Journal Special Leased Wirel
Starkville colo. oct. l0.--As dark
ness settled tonight over the entrance
10 the starkville mine. the, hope that
had huoycd up the watchers at the
pit mouth throughout the day. that
some at least Of their loved ones would
he found alive, grew faint and gloom
ana encouragement settled again over
the silent
This morning the eXpert miners at
the head OF the rescue parties were
confident that portion Of the men
vailed in by the explosion were alive
and might be rescued They believed
the portable fan forcing pure air into
the workings would keep the mon In
the extreme southern portion of the
mine alive until they could be reach
ed. but as the day rescue party stum-
hled slowly out Of the slope tonight,
one glance at their weary dust srimed
faces told the watchers that hope was
almost extinguished
After a day OF arduous work in the
face Of constant peril the rescue party
had penetrated the mine nearly 1900
feet or within 500 feet OF the mon im-
pris0ned nearest tho main entrance.
instead Of finding the mine clear of
de.ris and after damp at this point
the workings were found to be badly
wrecked and poisonous air was pres
cnt in quantities. The leaders would
not consent to the reseuers going fur
ther until sufficient fresh air was fam
ned into the mine to insure safety, 1t
was then decided to retreat to the
open, leave the portable fan going un-
"a the interior Of the mine was freed
Of deadly after damp,
After passing the principal cross
cut which connects the Old and the
new slopes and which was used as the
main haulage way, the party came
upon damaged spots which grew in
magnitude. plainly indicating the
course Of the explosion.
Ten thousand feet from the ent-
rance, the spot where fan had been
operated before the explosion, was
haly damaged. The fans were tons te
pieces apd scattered hundreds OF feet
Tho 1900 pound motor had been
thrown fifty feet and bent and broken
The party was compelled to stop and
make repairs Considerable bratticine
was done and in the meantime dos
which had accompanied the parts
wandered aimlessly ahead. IT was
later found lying stretched upon tht
floor. overcome by after damp.
When the rescue party renewed It's
loarney it hranched off for short
distance. and then took "a southerlS
course toward the spot where the pict
mon were supposed to have beer
working saturday. The dogs eXpe'
ricnce proved valuable and. reconnoi'
toring parties of two or three men So
Iocted from the sixteen forming the
rnGin party. were sent ahead to test
the air. These scouting parties re
ported 90 the right and left and re.
turned wtth the information that art
er damp was noticeable in more oi
iess quantities.
General Manager Wcitzel was ther
communicated with by means of por-
table telephone lie ordered the met
out of the mne until the air could
he improved.
While the night shift was waiting
ga ~ sent inside the mine. the porta-
hie fen, which is operated by electric
noNed supplied from the power plant
VAS kept running. \ gang was als'
put to work Installing a blower at thu
mouth of the air shaft. which runs pa
rallel with the main slope This Il
aH emergency measure 10 prevent th'
sudden stoppage of air supply by th'
failure OF the portable fan. Sevcra
times during the day this fan stopped
working Signal lights at the moutf
ct the slope flashed the danger ant
rnen would scamped in all direction
siimmoning electricians to correct th'
trouble This was one OF the danger
that threatened the rescue me-
throughout the day and the failure %
power operating the Fan could not b.
.ieeounted for except through a shor
,1reulttiag Of the current by the mo
Tor cars running between the min
ana the ti.ple
All DAY long the hills facing tn
mine were dotted with groups Of We
men and children. relatives Hn,
friends 81 the entombed men. witt
tue appearance OF ecch dust-hegrim
90 mlaer, the women would press for
Nard anaiously questioning him 70
news. though little could he given he
yond the information that the rescu.
party was progressing towards it
fsoal
81 seemed but q moment from fh'
Time Ahen the rescue party telephon
% that II was coming out before tia
road TO the mine Was lined with peo