Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-03
SCORES DIE IN
MEXICAN COAL
MINE DISASTER
At Least 68 Meet Death by
Terrific Explosion
in Coahuila
DEAD MAY TOTAL 100
Rescue Delayed by Pois-
OnOuS Fumes - Bodies
Horribly Mangled
Especial to The Herald.l

MI II l6IIlllC eAplOSlOu, lHe SuDlt1-
- ranean rumbles Of which could
be heard for many miles, the main
compartments of the Palau mine of
the Coahuila Coal company at Las
Esperanzas, state of Coahuila, Mexi-
co, was wrecked tonight and from
seventy-fve to one hundred toilers
were horribly mutilated.
At nightfall the mangled bodies of
sixty-eight men had been taken from
the pits, and many others are be-
lieved to lie dead in the gas-envenomed
tunnels of the colliery.
Eight of the workers, four of whom
it is believed cannot survive their in
juries, also were recovered, but
there is little hope of any others being
taken out alive.
The officers at the mine are peculiar
ly taciturn and will volunteer no in
formation concerning the extent of
| the disaster, although they have so
! far attempted to minimize the fatali-
| ties. These officers have wired de-
tailed report of the explosion, as is
| required by the Mexican law, to the
governor of Coahuila, but pending the
governors action no official informa-
ton will be given out.
Las Esperanzas is exclusively coal
| Americans The workers at the Palau
mine are believed to have been all
| Mexicans and Japanese.
Statements Refuted
A mine official stated tonight that
few if any men were now in the mine,
but this statement is refuted by sur
vivors of the accident, who say there
are at least eighty men imprisoned
| in the labyrinths of the colliery. The
| cause of the explosion, as in all such
| disasters, is problematical, but one of
| the survivors, who narrowly escaped
| death after being hurled ninety feet
| through a stope, said he believed it
was caused by Mexican who lighted
a cigarette in direct violation of the
/ rules.
The miners are searched before en-
tering the colliery. so he must have
cleverly concealed it about his per-
| son.
The PaIau mine is considered one of
the best equipped of all the Mexican
mines, with modern provisions for
| safety.
Following the terrific explosion to-
! day a vast cloud of smoke and coal
dust was belched from the mouth of
! the main opening, blackening the air
| for twenty minutes. When the smoke
and dust had cleared away to permit
| of breathing, a volunteer army of
rescuers rushed to the opening and the
work of saving the survivors was be-
| gun.
Five rescuers were soon brought
back from the pit almost unconscious,
and it was learned that the presence
of noXious gases in the main work.
! ings would necessitate another delay.
One of Fans Crippled
One of the fans was crippled, but
| another fan was put to work, and
| fresh air was injected into the mine
| for a distance of 400 feet, but beyond
| this distance the rescuers could not
| penetrate because the tunnel was
| completely blockaded by debris.
1t is believed that directly behind the
mass of coal and timber which OBJ
| structs the main tunnel will be found
| the bodies of many other victims.
| Some of the bodies taken out by the
rescuers were mangled beyond recog-
! nition The bodies of several men were
| gathered up in sacks and baskets.
| Heads, arms and pieces of flesh were
| found hanging on the sides of the
| tunnel Fourteen corpses were found
blown up into one corner a horrible
| mass of mutilated flesh and clothing.
! Late tonight the work of removing
| the blockades had progressed so far
| that the party who braved the fumes
! of the labyrinth reported it was pos
sible to see through into the tunnel
| beyond, where a gleam of fire illumed
the further aperature.
This has given rise to the fear that
one of the tunnels leading from the
main compartment is burning, in
| which event if there are any bodies
beyond the first blockade they may not
be recovered.
Rescuers Prompt
When the onlookers realized the
meaning of the disaster assistance
was Immediately Forthcoming. So soon
| as the air in the shaft could be puri-
fed sufficiently to permit rescuers to
| descend many volunteers were ready
| to risk their lives in an endeavor to
succor their stricken brothers below.
Cages were Immediately sent down,
| loaded to their capacity with miners
bent upon rescuing their comrades.
On the first and second levels every
thing was found intact, and the mea
working in these were safe.
| The rescue party went on to the
third level, and as soon as the air
could be sufficiently cleared they en-
tered the various drifts and began a
search for the dead.
Scattered about in various posi-
!
dead bodies of the men suffocated,
their faces indicating the bitter fight
they had waged to reach pure air and
safety.
The rescuers worked in relays
searching for their dead and dying
companions.
After seven hours work sixty-eight
bodies had been brought to the sur
| face, while nearly forty injured men
! had been removed to hospitals. The
! injured owe their escape to the fact
that they were working where they
were protected from the rush of foul
air.
Scenes Heartrending
AS the bodies were brought to the
surface screaming women and chill
dren We're congregated about the
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