Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-10


the portal and barely dragged to the en-
trance alive.
sTARKVILLE, Colo, oct. 9-Entombed
by an explosion in the Starkville mine Of
the Colorado Fuel and Iron company. at
least fifty-two men are the objects Of
heroic efforts of rescuers, who worked
throughout the day trying to penetrate the
black depths OF the mine in the hope that
some, or probably all of the imprisoned
miners might be rescued alive.
The presence of black damp, which al
most invariably follows in the wake of
coal mine explosions, made the work of
reseuers extremely hazardous and time
and again today members of parties were
overcome, necessitaung retreat to the open
air in order that their lives might be
saved.
Late this afternoon those experimenting
the work Of rescue decided that none
should enter the mine until modicum of
protection in the shape Of a portable fan
was installed and rescue work was called
off for the time being. The fan reached
the portal of the mine at o'clock, and
under the supervision of the chief cleo
trician Of the fuel and iron company, was
mounted upon an electric motor car and
gradually pushed forward into the new
slope, working as II went driving the gas
ahead and, as was hoped to an air shaft
thousands Of feet inside the mine, where
It might escape into the open air
Great Caution Used.
The greatest caution possible was eSer-
cised that the motor carrying the fan
should not be advanced too rapidly and a
sudden rush Of gas, or l0iclS-back, over
wheIm the men operating the machine and
snuff out their lives.
feature OF the rescue work was the
self sacrifice and devotion to duty of
James Wilson, superintendent Of the stark
Vile mine. who left sick bed to lead the
men who bravely volunteered to face the
deadly black damp, that their entrapped
comrades should be rescued, dead or alive.
Superintendent Wilson finally succumbed
10 the exerton which taxed his weakened
strength and almost overcome by the in.
sidious gases, was forced to give up and
take to his bed again.
As he left the portal OF the mine Super
intendent Wilson said to those who fol-
lowed him out that he would be ready to
resume charge of the rescue parties to-
night.
According TO a statement given out Of
ficially by the coroner, there are known TO
be in the mine twenty-eight Poles, three
and one servian. These nationalities rep
resented in the list of the entombed were
classified after a careful house-to house
canvass OF the camp made by two men
well acquainted with the Inhabitants onL
beihg q mime cerk and tine other the town
marshal.
While this list only totals forty-six. the
coroner says he is positive there are fifty
two men inside the mine, and explains the
difference In figures by saying that the
nationahties OF some of the men believed
to be among the missing are not known
and no attempt was made to classify them
some Make Number Larger.
There are some who are more or less
familiar with the working conditions at the
starlSvillo mine who express the belief
that the total number estimated by the
cononeI IS too conservative and they freely
state their opinions to be that when the
list is completed II will number nearer
eighty than fifty. However this is mere
surmise and until better information is at
hand. the list Of the coroner must be ac-
cepted as approaching eXactness.
The starkville mine is one OF the oldest
OF the Colorado Fuel and Iron company's
properties in the southern Colorado fields
The old entry. or main slope pierces the
hill at q point about n mile and a half
northeast OF the tpple and camp. This
slope penetrates the coal deposit for a
distance OF nea5y five miles the entry for
nearly half the distance being bordered by
old or abandoned workings. Along the
innermOst reaches there are a number of
crosseuts where pillar work was being
done.
second Entry Parallel.
About three hundred pards south Of the
old portal the second entry or new slope
enters the hill and runs back almost
parallel 20 the old slope. which is now
used as a main haulage way. About a
mile IN the portal Of the new entry cross
sut connects II with the old entry Five
thousand feet beyond this erosscut along
the new entry was located the big fan. the
chief reliance for mine ventilation which
was put out OF commission by the ex-
plOsion.
Back OF this fan in the ] entries south.
between three and four miles from the
portal OF the new slope were located the
principal workings. where It Is supposed
most OF the night force were working.
AS nearly as can be determined al this
lime the explosion originated In one Of
he entries three or four miles from the
portal and AZ q point between the old
and the new slopes. The force OF the
shock followed the old slope. or main
haulage way, hurting timbers frcm the old
portal for more than 200 yards So severe
was the shock that the old slope was COM
plstely filled with a cave-in for moro than
mile into the black depths. blocking the
way OF rescue parties at the first cross
cut from the new slope. This iunoture is
about mile and a half from the new
portal and is the farthest point reached