Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-02-04
MINERS FIGHT
MADLY IN VAIN
RUSH FOR LIFE
ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-NINE
ENTOMBED BY EXPLOSION AT
PRIMERO, COLO.
BODIES ARE FOUND IN HEAPS.
Nearly 100 Are Known to Be Dead and
Little Hope Is Held Out for
the Others.
BODIES ARE FOUND IN HEAPS
RESCuERS HURRIED TO SCENE.

PRIMERO, Col, Feb. L. Fighting
madly to escape through a narrow, part
Iy chOked airshaft, tramping over fallen
comrades, in a struggle for life, more
than half Of the 149 miners employed In
the PrimerO mine of the Colorado Fuel
and Iron company, wrecked by an eX-
DIosiOn Monday afternoon, were over
come By gas and fire. The dead bodies
were found in heaps about the bottom Oh
the airshaft, where the men had falIeh
ia the desperate struggle.
One hundred and fOrty-nine men are
lSnoTYn 30 have been in the mine when
the explosion occurred. 1t is stated that
SeyentS-uine are dead. One has been
rescued alive but dangerously injured.
The bodies are so torn and charred II
has been impossible to identify the dead
This morning thirty-one bodies had
been brought to the surface and rescue
parties equipped with oxygen helmets
were still searching the ruined WORK
lngS.
AS the day wore on, hope gave way
and the full import of the disaster broke
upon the survivors although from every
quarter aid was being rushed to the
scene. Rescuers worked all night and at
daylight a fresh supply went Ill.
The first rescue party to enter IN the
slope proceeded to the seventh entry,
then turned and made a way across the
main slope. Some fire was found III the
cross cur and eXtinguished. Near the
west end of the eighth entry pile OF
dead mules was encountered. A Httle
beyond were found the bodies of four
teen men.
One Man Found Alive.
a.. IL on
On entry 5, the rescuerS penetrated unUl
u big cavern was encountered. Here
in the midst of a pile of dead mules and
the bodies of dead human companions,
the rescuers found DOnacio Nergen
whose survival is the miracle of the dis
Easter. He was found by j. b. Manley,
who was startled to see Nergen open his
eyes and say i'll pleading tones: Please
may / go home nOWT Nergen walked
,unassisted to the air shaft where he was
carried out this morning. He is all right.
After finding man alive, the work OF
rescue was resumed with renewed activ-
lily, but the hope of finding any more
lalive almost vanished as time went on.
Most OF the victims were believed. to
he in entries 8, 10, II and -. 1t may
be days before the rescuers reach them
Tho machine shop of the mine has
been converted into Il morgue, but the
bodies will be sent to Trinidad today.
supplies are being rushed from all the
Surrounding camps. Sheriff J. S. Girls
jham of Las AnimaS county and Sheriff
iWarr of HuerfanO are sending armed
deputies to assist.
Both Fans Destroyed.
The explosion occurred at 4 80 p. M
With roar and a belch of flame. the
main shaft Crumpled in, blocking the
entrance to the mine. Both fans with
which the property is equipped shat
tered. and it was not until three hours
later that the fans were repaired and
h rescue party headed by General SUI
berinteudent j. +. Thompson was able
TO descend the air shaft. The investi-
gators discovered three bodies before
being forced to return to the surface
Five men, one of them 100 yards away,
weCe killed at the entrance to the mine
shaft by the conclusion.
Rescue parties were hurried to Pri-
knero from Trinidad, Segundo Stark
Willie, Sopris and Cokevile and worked
desperately to open the main shaft. 1t
soon became evident. however. that this
entrance had hOpeleSSly caved, and an
tOthcr rescue party descended the air
shaft Shortly before o'clock this
imorning Superintendent Thompson, who
Twas directing the rescue work. was
overcome by gas, and taken to the sur
face. He soon recovered, and again
Invent below.
Dio Nardino, the man rescued alive.
WAS found beneath 4 mass of earth and
timberS He declared that he crawled
over scores of,bodies after the explosion,
and encountered no one who was not
injuCed.
Whole Mine Wrecked.
The reScuers say that the whole mine
lis wrecked and it is almost impossible
that any of the entOmbed miners are still
Ialive. The fire which followed the ex-
lpiosi0n was confined closely to the work
Iings near the main Shaft, and soon
Iburned itself out.
Supt Thompson was reinforced by ev-
cry superintendent and expert within
reaching distance of the mine. and hun
dreds of miners stood about the shaft
last night begging for chance to join
one of the rescue parties
With the Cherry, Ill.,, disaster fresh in
their minds, frantic women and children
surged against the ropes drawn to keep
them from the shaft and begged the res
.cuers to bring back the husbands and IA
theirs Some of the women attempted to
ioin the workers below and had to be re
strained by EOrce. AS each body was
brought to the surface the women gath
cred about it with ShriekS and prayers.
Until the workings can be opened the
cause of the explosion will remain I'M
known The officials declare that safe
ty lamps were used in every portion of
the mine, and that every precaution was
taken to prevent accident. Coroner J
HI. GuilfOil has taken charge of the
thodieS and has ordered thirty collins from
Denver Most of the miners entombed
are Stays Hungarians and Italians. Only
two AmericanS-Wiliam Helm. electrl-
clan, and David WILLIAMSBURG among the