The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1910-02-04
mine CATASTROPHE
ZEN MEN DEAD AND II ARE MIS-.
SING AS RESULT OF GAS
EXPLOSION.
THE GOVERNMENT Is DISMAYED
Explosion of Fire Damp Believed to
be Cause of the Mine Dis
aster at Primero,
Colorado.

Drakesboro, Kentucky.-Ten men
are known to be dead and II others
missing, presumed to be penned up in
entries by falls of slate, as result of
a gas explosion in the Browder mine,
one and one-half miles from brakes
boro. Eight of the bodies have been
recovered, all of them horribly multi
ated, some of them beyond Identified
ton.
Because of the accumulation of gas
es in the entry where the explosion
occurred, 10 feet beneath the ground
and 700 feet back from the mine shaft
1t was impossible to begin active res
cue work until six hours after the dis
aster occurred.
The damage to the mine, investigat-
ing parties have discovered, was not
material and is confined to the east
entry. There were 100 men in the
mine at the time of the explosion,
more than half of them in the west
entry. All of them fastened to the
cages and were quickly drawn to the
top. Later all in the east entry, ex-
cept the unfortunate 81, found their
way to the shaft and were brought
out to safety.
AS soon as it was safe to begin with
the rescue work, miners were sent
down in relays. In the immediate vi
cinity of the explosion ten men had
been working. The conclusion tossed
the bodies distances of many feet.
The remaining missing men were in
entries, but few feet distant from
the working where there was the
greatest known loss of life and the
searching parties have been unable to
locate these entries. 1t is believed all
the men entombed there are dead
The pit mouth presents a pitiful
scene, with the shrieking wives of the
dead and missiong miners crowding
about awaiting reports.
1t is believed that the explosion was
caused by track repairer going into
an abandoned room with an uncover
ed lamp as the room is shattered al
most to atoms and the body of the
repairer is nowhere to be seen.
Fire Damp Blamed for Disaster.
Primero, Col-The disaster in the
Primero mine was caused by an ex-
plosion of firedamp, according to a
surveyor of the catastrophe on Jan.
%, 1907, in the same mine, in which
"a lives were lost.
The same authority holds that the
explosion was caused by the ignition
of gas from a flame originated prob
ably through the carelessness of some
miner in direct violation of mine
rules, either through the printing of
a cap for a fuse, or the lighting of a
match furreptiously carried into. the
workings.
Officials refuse to give out any
cause. However, they admit that
some violation of mine rules will be
found to be responsible.
The Primero mine is equipped with
the most modern appliances, each
miner carrying a safety lamp and all
are searched for matches before they
are allowed to enter the workings.
Wisconsin Woman is 112 Years of Age
Wausau.-Mrs Mary Glovchash Of
this city is the oldest person in Wis
consin. She is 112. She was born
nine years after the first inauguration
of George Washington as president
of the United States, and makes her
home with her daughter, Mrs. Matt
Jahnkowski. She was born in the
province of Bomberg, Germany, and
has lived in three centuries. When
18 years of age she came to this
county. She is a remarkably well
preserved woman, being yet able to
walk, read and do house-work.