The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-02-01
FIVE BODIES TAKEN FROM
 PRIMERO MINE
Special from United Press.)

Primero, Colo, Feb. Five more bodies were recovered from the Prlmero Coal Mine property today, making the total number of known uead 50. Seventy-tour miners are still unaccounted for and are either dead or entombed.
 One hundred and fifty men were in the mine when the explosion oc- cured. tlfty-three of them escaped with slight injuries. The mine con- siStS of four tunnels in the side of mountain. The mine was partly eX- plOred today and from it all the bodies thus far found were taken. Three tunnels remain uneXplored and it is within them that the remaining bodies are expected tobe found. Cave ins obstructed the rescue work and after a dozen bodies had been re- moved early today the rescue men feared that no man in the workings at the time of the explosion was still alive. They were suddenly startled, however, to hear cries from behind mass of debris.
 Breaking through the wall the men found Diando Virden, half suffocated, lying with his face close to the floor of the tunnel. He was delirious with fear. He is still delirious today.
 T don't remember much about it, ," he said. 'All 1 know is there was a roar and everything got black. Then heard men rushing by me and fight ing like mad. l saw a light ahead and tried to crawl to it. l was so weak that I could not get off my hands and knees but managed to crawl long distance. I saw dead men ahead and others who were grooming and screaming for help. Soon the cries about me stopped and I knew I was the only live man there. It seemed years before l heard the picks of the rescuers."
 Primero Colo, Feb. With a crew of expert miners exploring the Primero mine of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company which was wrecked by S. astrous explosion late yesterday after noon, it is the hope of- the mine in- spectors who are in charge that all of the bodies of the 149 men will be re- covered by nightfall The mine is completely wrecked below the shaft house and the work of rescue is ex- tremely hazardoN because of the pres ence of blackdanlp which gathers fas-i ter than the badly damaged pumps can get it out.
 Ninety-four bodies have been taken to the surface and most of them have been identified by clothing or time checks found in their possession. A cordon of guards about the mouth of the shaft is keeping the frenzied rela- tives of the victims at a distance in order that the rescue work may not be hamrered.
 While there is bare possibility that there may be some of the miners alive in the far depths of the lower levels little hope is held out by the mine in- spectors who have been to the bottom of the shaft. They declare that the most of the roof pillars have been knocked down and judging by these evidences of the force of the explo- sion at the mouth of the shaft the damage back in the levels must have been very great.
 make it's way down the shaft early to- day it found seventy-nine bodies mass ed at the foot of the shaft. It was plain that when the initial explosion was heard these men had all rushed toward safety, but before they could signal for the elevator to be dropped, the second explosion. caused by the combustion of the dreaded blackdamp stirred up by the first explosion, came, killing them in their tracks. At the bottom of the pile were number who had been suffocated while battling to reach the entrance.
 Many of the victims of the disa ster are Mexicans and Italians. The work of rescue is in charge of General Su- perintendent Thomaston. J. B. Hindes, state men inspector and the foremen of the other mines of the Colorado
 
 who were rushed to the scene in auto- piles so soon as the report of the dis aster was heard
 Tn the bucket which was suspended almost at the bottom of the main shaft eight miners lost their lives as they were being drawn up to the sur face and to safety. As an evidence of the force of the explosion it is stated that three helpers, standing at the top of the shaft in the shafthouse were killed by the concussion.
 There were 1A9 safety lamps missing from the stand showing that this num- her were in the mine while with the three killed in the shafthouse this places the total number of victims at 152. A searching Investigation is in progress to locate the cause of the dis aster but it will probably be impossi- be to definitely fix the blame. The mine was extremely gaseous and all of the employees had been warned to take all precautions and never to use a naked lamp in the depths.
 The annual ball of Bridgeport Chap