Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-09
LAssociated Press1

TRINIDAD, Colo, Oct, 8.-One hun
dred men, nearly all Americans, are
reported walled UP in the Colorado
Fuel and Iron company's mine at
Starkville, seven miles south of here,
by an explosion reported to have oc-
Cured at 1880 tonight The explo-
sion, according to first reports, was
caused by an accumulation OF gas.
Immediately upon receipt of the first
report a special train was made UP
here. carrying doctors, nurses and vol
unteer parties and newspaper men.
Ample galleries in the mine are re-
lied on to afford the men fresh air
and possible means of escape. The
workings are enormous and are re-
ported to connect with the Engleville
mine and possibly others. Unless these
connections are blocked through dis
use, or choked by debris from the ex-
plosion, it is thought the men have an
excellent chance for life.
The mine is widely known because
of the few foreigners employed in it,
and for this reason the scenes of I'M
reasoning grief and fright were not so
noticeable as is usual. A big crowd
gathered Immediately following the
explosion, and Is reported to be stead
lily growing larger.
Several officials have gone from here
to the scene of the explosion.
ABANDON HOPE FOR MINERS
There is no hope for the entombed
miners, however, from the fact that
the Engleville mine is connected with
the Starkville through underground
workings and only a heavy board par
tition separates them. The two mines
ran together several months ago in the
process of operation, and the point of
contact between the two main slopes
was partitioned off.
The presence of gas and black damp
In the new slope, the only one remain
ing open, gives rise to fears that the
whole mine is filled with the deadly
gas, and after damp, and that the men
could not have had time to reach the
partition dividing the two mines before
being overcome, as the gas must have
filled the mine before finding an out
let through the new slope.
HUNDREDS ATTEMPT RESCUE
Hundreds of miners from neighbor-
ing camps and from this city, together
with physicians and nurses, were hur-
ried to the scene of the disaster, and
District Superintendent j. T. Thomp-
son of the Colorado Fuel and Iron
company. assisted by Joseph Wilson,
superintendent of the Starkville mine,
have taken charge of the rescue work
and will lead rescue parties into the
mines as soon as 1t is safe to do so.
The Starkville mine has not been
working a night shift until recently,
when the demand for its output be-
came so heavy that the day shift could
not meet it. Then day shift of 100
men was put to work. 1t is difficult,
however, to say how many men were
at work tonight. The day shift runs
about 400 men, many of whom go into
the mine to work the night shift.
The old stope is in ruins. The mouth
Of the stope has been cleared away for
a distance of forty feet, and indica-
tions were that the stope was filed.
While practically all the miners were
of foreign birth, many have been in
this country for from twenty to twen-
ty-five years, and large portion of
them have been working in the Stark
vile mine ever since it began opera
tions in 1892.
The mine Is owned by the Santa Fe
railroad. but is operated by the Colo
RADIO Fuel and Iron company.