The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1910-02-03
BRING UP lH|RTY-
ONE DEAD MINERS
One Man Found Alive; 70 Are
Killed.
MET DEATH FIGHTING FLAME
Women Shrek In Agony as The,
Watch Rescuers Recover Vic
Tins Of Colorado colliery
Explosion.

Primero, Col, Feb. 2.-Fightins
madly to escape through the narrow
partly choked air shaft, trampling ruth
lessly over their fallen comrades in
their frantic struggle for life, more
than half the miners employed in the
Primero mine of the Colorado Fuel &
Iron Company, wrecked by terrific
explosion, were overcome by gas anc
flames.
The total number of deaths is placed
at 70. This estimate is made by mine
officials and is based on the number
of safety lamps not turned in.
Thirty-one bodies were brought tt
the surface early in the day. Efforts
to recover other bodies are being
made.
Rescuing parties, with oxygen .hel
NETS, penetrated shaft No. and after
a hard fight put out the fire. -Four
bodies were recovered in this shaft
The explorers then began working il
No. s. Three other shafts were still
to be explored.
Mine officials stated that the mum
Der of dead, reckoning from the mum
Der of safety lamps turned in, will
not exceed 70. Hope of rescuing any
alive was abandoned.
Main Shaft is Crumpled.
The explosion occurred at 4:30 in
the afternoon. With terrific roar
and belch of fame the main shaft
crumpled, blocking the entrance. Both
fans we're damaged and 1t was moi
until 7:40 o'clock that they were re-
paired and rescue party headed by
General superintendent j. F. Thomp
son was able to descend the air shaft
These men discovered three bodies
before they were forced to return tc
the surface. Five men, one Of then
100 yards away, were killed by concus
sion at the entrance to the main shaft
Rescue parties were hurried te
Primero from Trinidad, Segundo
Starkville. Sopris and Cokeville anc
worked desperately to open the mair
shaft 1t soon became evident, how
ever, that the shaft was hopelessly
caved and another party descended
the air shaft. Superintendent Thomp
son. who was directing the work, was
overcome by gas and taken to the sur
face. He soon recovered and went
below again.
crawled Over Scores Of Dead.
Dio Nardino, the one man rescued
was found beneath a mass of earth
and timbers. He says he crawled oveI
scores of dead bodies after the explo
sion and saw NO one who was not in
jured. The rescuers say the whole
mine is wrecked and it is almost i'm
possible that any of the entombec
men are alive. The fire which fol
lowed the explosion was confined
closely to the working near the mair
shaft and soon burned itself out.
With the Cherry disaster fresh In
their minds, frantic women and chill
dren surged against the ropes drawn
to keep them from the shaft and wild
ly begged the rescuers to bring bacl
their relatives. Some of the womeI
attempted to join the workers below
and had to be restrained by force. A,
each body was brought to the surface
the women gathered about it with
shrieks and prayers, but the dead were
so charred and disflgured that tn.
wives and mothers could not identif,
them.
Until the workings can be opened
the cause of the explosion will re
main unknown. Officials of the com
pany say that safety lamps were used
in every part of the mine and thai
every precaution was taken to prevent
accident. Coroner ]. H. Guilfoil has
taken charge of the bodies and has or