Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-02-02
Gas Filled Depths Of Ruined
CoIIiery Yield Foty-Seven
Burned and MutiIated Bodies
of Unfortunate Miners,
DEATH LIST OFFICIALLY
PLACED AT SEVENTY NINE
Unconscious CoIored Man and
DeIiriouS Mexican Alone Sur
Wve of Crew at Work When
Explosion Occurred.

IBy Morning JOurnai soecial IeaBed NifeJ
Primeru, Colo, reb 1-N Nesterday S
disaster in the main mine of the cello
RADIO Fuel and Iron company which
claimed a toll of at least seventy
men, was caused by AN explosion Of
fire damp according to a survivor of
the catastrophe in the same mine
which occurred January 1S, 1907, in
which twenty-four lives were lost. The
same authority holds that the eXplo-
sion was caused by the ignition of the
gas through the carelessness Of some
miner or violation of mine rules, in
preparing a fuse OF the lighting Of q
match surreptitiously carried into the
workings.
Officials refuse TO give out any
statement regarding the probable
cause claiming that it cannot be de-
termined until the workings have
been cleared and i thorough iIsves-
tigation made. However, they admit
that some violation of the mine rules
will be found responsible for the dis
aster The Prlmero 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.
At o'clock tonight the situation
in the workings continued unchanged.
Relief work was being pushed with
frequent chages Of shifts, the rescu-
ing party having reached entry No.
12. A. about scven-eighths OF mile
from the mouth Of the main shaft.
A check of the bodies recovered to-
night shows that forty-scven have
been removed leaving total Of
thirty-two still in the workings
Tonight 4 larg force Of men was Put
to work digging graves in cemeteries
of Trinidad and tomorrow the bodies
recovered will be taken to Trinidad
for burial Nine Of The Japanese min
ers will be buried in the Catholic
cemetery Three large drays have
been transformed into temporary
healsec for use tomorrow 10 convey
the bodies from the train to the cem
eteries
Seventy coffins have been brought
to Plimero and this supply Will be in
creased tomorrow.
The forty seven bodies We're placed
tonight in the temporary inorgue in
stalled in the machine shop.
A large force of men are still eN-
ploring the mines and hundreds oi
P1imelo's residents liueer about the
mouth Of the shaft listlessly waiting
the recovery OF more bodies.
Officials of the company on the
ground not needed to supervise work
underground, turned their attention TO
the relief OF families of the victims.
Coroner Gulfoyle has impanelled
jury to take up an investigation a.
the catastrophe and relatives and
friends of tho identified dead turned
their attention to preparations for
burial
Leonardo Viigen. Mexican, the
only miner found alive who is sup
posed to have been working within
a short distance of the point where
the explosion occurred. is unable to
give clear statement of what actually
happened or to tell by which direction
the force OF the explosion came.
Following the stunning report
column of dust and smoke poured out
of the main entrance. Large pieces
Of timbers were hurled from the shaft
and so terrific was the force .ha,
string OF cars at the collar Of the
shaft were blown off the track.
Attention of those outside was
turned Immediately to the huge ven
tilating fans and within an hour of
the disaster two of these were put
i'm operation and rescue parties We're
forcing their way into the gas filled
workings. A huge caVe-in az the
mouth of the main slope blocked en-
trance at that point. but the rescuers
followed the main ventiiating shaft for
several hundred yards. gaining en-
trance to the main slope through a
crOsS-cut.
1t was not until the relief party
reached A entry on the main slope
that they found first evidence of the
destruction wrought hy the explosion.
Here a dozen bodies We're encountered,
hut the rescuers pushed on in the hope
of finding signs of living Near the.
mouth of entry \ the party in
charge Of ]. g. Nanley. local mine
Inspector. discovered Leonardo Nirgen
shortly after o'clock this morning
As II waking from sleep. Nirgen
opened his eyes and said
Please mav ] go home now
lie Was hurried 10 the temporary
hospital. To-day he had sufficiently
recovered 10 join the watchers around
tho mine entrance. Encouraged hy
their find ressucrs worked with re-
newed energy hopinr 10 find 9th
alive but the search has heer ir vain
ana those stili missing are given up
as lost
Leaders in the rescue work were