The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-10-10
Starkville Explosion Is Serious in Its Effects
and Rescuers Are Baffled.
BLACK DAMP OVERCOMES THOSE WHO SEEK TO AID
Brave and Persstcn Efforts Made Penetrate the Deadly
Gas but the Entire Mine Seems to Be Pervaded
and Heroic Workers Are
Driven Back

the greatest care To make only small
opening at first 50 that foul air from
the Starkville mine could be checked
ana the lives of the men in the Engle-
vile mine be not endangered.
AT & D. IN. word reached the camp
proper that d two-inch hole had been
bored through the wall and test
of the air showed it to be surprisingly
good. orders were Immediately taken
to enlarge the opening and II the air
was found to be pure, the men were To
70 On through and proceed along the
cuts Of the Starkvillc mine as far as
safety permitted. This information
was followed by news that the men
Installing the portable fan had
been overcome and barely escaped to
the entrance of the west portal with
their lives. They had penetrated 300
feet when they were suddenly en-
vcloped in black damp.
The hclmeicd men better able to
cope with the killing afterdamp, as
sisted their unprotected companions
out Of the mine and resuscitatcd them.
Mystery IN Origin.
| The explosion practically destroyed
the east stope of the mine. Its origin
| is mystery. The mine has been
| classed as non gaseous and for this
reason safety lamps were not believed
to be necessary. 1t Is also IL pick"
mine. no shotliring for the purpose
of dislodging the coal being allowed.
] Theories advanced, such as the pres
ence of gas pockets. dust and other
| combustible material. are not accepted
! by officials of the Colorado Fuel 4
Iron company as having caused the
explosion. Although everything In the
range of human effort was done all
/ day To rescue the imprisoned men, the
difficulty Of overcoming the spread of
| the aftcrdamp told plainly upon the
/ temper Of the rescucrs. who were Wis
| IDLY discouraged, but continued the
work.
Baffed Rescuers.
A low rumbling sound and slight
earth tremor. assembled IA seismic dis
turbancc noticed in Starkville's several
| surrounding camps and Trinidad, five
| miles away, were the first evidences
! Of the disaster. Within few min
utes aftcrward, Il mine superintendent,
James Wilson, had organized the first
rescue party. equipped with oxygen
! helmets and started into the black
] depths. on through the darkness the
men plunged for an unknown dis
tancc until Wilson, weakened by pre-
T,II ha
poisonous black damp. Carrying their
former leader, the party rctraced their
steps. reaching the outer air just In
time to prevent others from colapsing
| by this time II rescue car of the
Colorado Fuel 4 Iron company. had
arrived from Kansas with experts and
mine superintendents from neighboring
camps and these took up the work ol
Wilson and his followers and foot by
foot fought their way through the
poisonous gases, led by General Super
intendent James Thompson and otae,
expert mining men. All night long thu
unequal battle continued. Shortly
after s o'clock this morning. Genera
Manager II. II. Weitzel of Pueblo. ar
rived and took supervision Of the work
Fighting the Gas.
Little by little the underground
workings were reclaimed and shortl,
before noon word that the rescue part,
had reached the junction of the ol,
stope and the first crosscut. "A mil,
and a half underground was received
Further progress was blocked by th,
eaee-in of the old stope and by til,
afterdamp along the new stope boyonl
the crosseut, until the portable fan
had been installed late this afternoon
Since Saturday at midnight the Stark
: vile camp has been practically de
serted. men, women and children
flocking TO the portals Of the mine t.
seek missing fathers, husbands an
sons. Conviction that none of TIL
cntombed men would be found ally
grew stronger steadily.
Through the Night.
The pail of the nights blaekness wa
penetrated by the flicker Of miner
lamps, while the sky was lighted b.
the glow of Starkvile's coke oven
! in the distance. Upon arrival of Gen
eral Manager Weitzel this mornin,
orders We're issued to provide sur
viyor's families with all needed pro
visions.
Throughout the day railroads an
interurban lines continued to unloa
their thousands of passengers frot
Trinidad and surrounding camps a
the little Starkyille station. To thi
mass of humanity were added hun
dreds who came in automobiles, o
foot and in all manner of vehicles,
An Cd Mine.
| Starkville Colo. Oct, 9,-The Stark
vile mine Is one OF the Oldest Cole
Continued on Page Three,)