Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-02-02
Mine Catastrophes Claim
Victims IN Three States

4 j. II. Alanley william hllpat.lSh'
lmine superintendent. and William
! Moragn Of the Rocky Mountain fuel
lcompanv's Piedmont mine. Morgan
Knows the workings thoroughly. nav
ing been superintendent OF the Prlm
ero mine on January 20, 1907, When
twenty four lives were lost. j. ;.
Thompson. division superintendent'
Joseph Ban. David Griffith and other
lofficials hurried from Trinidad on a
special train and joined IN tne rescue
iWork. This morning officials ON the
ground were further increased bN the
arrival of Frederick Harrington, gem
erai counsel; r. II. Weitzel, manager
Iof tha fuel department.; i. +. Bayless,
s,Iperintendent of the Gnggenheim
properties at Cokedale and others.
Today orders were issued through
officials of the Colorado Supply COM
many n subsidiary Of the Colorado
lruei ana Irrigation to issue provi-
sions to families of the victims until
u permanent system of relief can he
organized
Work Of checking off the dead pro
eeeded slowly today, the only means
possible being checking the missing
numbers carried BY each miner with
the companN's roster.
Scenes around the mine today failed
to indicate the extent Of the disaster.
The ground WAS roped off around
the mine entrance and force of dep
uty sheriffs kept the crowds back Civ
ing the workers a clear field. Al
though anxiety caused bv uncertainty
was plainly visible men. women and
children - among the watchers re-
strained their grief with amazing for
Iitude
Shortly before ! o'clock this after
noon the watchers We're electrified by
the report that another man had been
recovered alive. but hope thus revived
was quickly shattered by the am
nouneement that Bert Lloyd, one Of
the rescue party. had ventured too far
into the poisonous fumes and had been
overcome He was brought to the
open air and quickly revived
The main slope where the explosion
Is believed to have occurred extends
in almost q straight line About 100|
feet east of the slope is the main air
course which parallels the main slopeI
and here is located the main fan
On the right of the main air course
where many miners are believed to
have been working at the time Of the
explosion, nothing has been done. AS
the force of the explosion is believed
to have been spent in the main slope
and entries TO its left allowing miners
in the other portion Of the mine to
escape
Many instances Of daring occurred
in the rescue work today and many Of
the workers repeatedly risked their
own lives in the hope Of reaching some
of the entombed men.
Among the list OF known dead com
piled from records of Coroner Gull
foyle and the company are:
DAVE WILLIAMS. Welsh. pit boss.
JACK ELIAS American. boss
driver.
WILLIAM HELM, American.
JIM RUMMINGS, American
J W. HOSKfNS American.
ED RAIL. American.
Il. STRAGFGEBD German.
The roscuers found the bodies piled |
in heaps ut the foot Of the air shaft
where. apparently, they had fought
and trampled one another in their /
frantic struggle for life Three Of
the bodies were sent up when the res
cuers We're forced back to the open air. !
Another party equipped with oxygen /
helmets then descended and the work |
or rescue was pushed with frantic |
haste. Volunteers were rushed TO
primero from all the adjoining camps, |
and as fast as one party WAS exhaust |
cd another was ready and eagerly tool, |
UP the work.
Most Of the men employed in the
mine were Slavs. Huns and Italians, |
but there are a few Americans among |
the missing.
The mine was badly wrecked by the
explosion and the fire which followed |
The cause of the disaster cannot be
and il may be days before
the last of the bodies are recovered.
The first party found the No. |
shaft on fire, but succeeded in eXtin-
gushing the blaze. Near the entry |
of No. s shaft fourteen bodies We're
found in heap, and here, in the midst
Of q pile OF dead mules, Donacio Nir- /