East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-10-10
Explosion in Colorado Mine
Shuts OFF Avenue of Escape
10 Inmates.
DESPERATE EFFORTS AT
RESCUE BEING MADE
Only One Chance in Million That
Entombed Men Can Escape Alive
and Morgue Is Being Prepared
Relatives Look on Preparations
Stocially-Aftcr Damp Emperils
Lives of Rcscucrs-Effort Being
Made to Reach Men by Abandoned
Tunnel

Trinidad, Oct. 10.-Fifty-one min
ers are in living tomb today at
Starkville with one chance in a mil
lion of escaping alive. Scores Of
workmen are frantically tearing at the
masonery of an old tunnel In an eff
fort to reach the prisoners in the main
shafts. At daybreak the workmen
were trying hard to penetrate the
main shaft. but were compelled to
stop because their lives were en-
periled by the after-damp. Although
the men inside are alive, the ma
chine shop OF the Colorado Mine &
Fuel company is being transformed
into a morgue while the women and
relatives of the entombed men watch
the preparations DULY, hardly COM
pretending their significance. The
explosion occurred Saturday night
presumably from fire damp.
The prisoners only hope is to force
their way through the clogged and
gas filled main tunnel or to make
their way to an old tunnel leading to
the Engleville mine which adjoins the
Starkville workings. During a fire
years ago this tunnel was walled up
but now scores of workmen are tear
ing the masoRery down in the faint
hope of saving the lives of those with
in.
One theory Of the explosion is that
a miner opened his lamp causing the
collected coal dust to explode. The
mine was considered safe as powder
was not used, the coal being easily
dislodged with a pick.
No Gas Pockets.
Theories advanced, such as the
presence OF gas pockets, dust and
other combustible material, are not
accepted by officials OF the Colorado
Fuel & Iron company. as having
caused the explosion.
Although every thing in the range
OF human effort was done. all day and
night to rescue the imprisoned men.
the difficulty OF overcoming the
spread OF the afterdamp told plainly
upon the temper of the rescuers. who
were visibly discouraged, but contin-
ued at work.
II was learned that the helmet men
had a narrow escape from death and
were rescued by miners who had no
helmets. .
The helmet men had entered the
mine and failing to emerge, another
party was sent in and found the he'll
met men lying prone upon the floor
OF the short cut, or west entry, over
come by gas. The oxygen in the he'll
NETS had become exhausted.
The most authoritative explanation
OF the cause of the tragedy yet secur-
ed was obtained from State Mine In
spector John d. Jones, when he came
into the camp to forward some tele-
grams. He said the Starkville mine
had been inspected officially by In
spector Frank Oberding, three months
ago and found in excellent condition
and that it had been worked ever
since its opening in 1892 with open
lamps because of the absence of gas
He was of the opinion that the mine
was not properly sprinkled to keep
down the dust and said he could ac-
count for the explosion in no other
way. He said that when inspected
three months ago the mine was notice
ably free OF dust.
According to a statement given out
officially by the coroner, there are
known to be in the mine 2S Poles.
three Russians, five Americans, four
Mexicans and one Servian. These
nationalities represented in the list
OF the entombed were classified after
a careful house to house canvass of
the camp, made by mine clerk and
the town marshal.
While this list only totals 46, the
coroner says that he is positive that
there are 81 men inside the mine, and
explains the difference in figures by
saying that the nationalties of some
of the men believed to be among the
missing are not known and no attempt
was made to classify them.
Some who are familiar with the
working conditions Of the Starkville
mine express the belief that the to-
tai number estimated by the coroner
is too conservative, and they freely
state their opinion to be that when
the list is completed, II will number
nearer so than 80.
Hardened by previous experiences
and sights surrounding explosions in
mines, the residents of Starkville, in
most instances, silently watched res
cuers as they entered the mine and as
they were later dragged to the open
mir for reeuscitatio Ira pic scenes