Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-02-02
ONE MAN Is RESCUED ALIVE
He is a Mexican Who Was Working
in the Main Slope.
CAUSE IS STILL A MYSTERY
No Indication of Origin of Explosion
Which Snuffed Out Lives.
RELIEF WORK MAKES PROGRESS
Men from Nearby Mines work In
Relays and II In Expected Rest
of the Bodies VIII Be
Reached Soon.

Reached Soon.
PRIMERo. Colo Feb. 1-When darkness,
fell tonight on Prlmero. where yesterday
at 4:SO p m the lives OF seventy-nine min
ers were snuffed out by an explosion In the
main slope of the Colorado Fuel and Iron
company's mine the bodies OF forty victims
lay in the temporary morgue Installed in
! the machine shop.
A large force of men were still engaged
in restoring ventilation throughout the mine
and hundreds of Primeros citizens lin
gered about the mouth OF the shaft waiting
the recovery Of the entombed bodies.
Officials of the company on the ground,
who were not needed to supervise the mine
work, turned their attention to the relief
of families of the victims Coroner Gull
foil had impanelled jury to begin an in
vestlgation of the catastrophe. and rela-
tives and friends OF the identified dead
turned their attention to preparations for
their burial
Cause stin a Mystery.
The cause Of the disaster tonight is
shrouded in as great a mystery as yester-
day when the little town was startled by
the sound Of the explosion. Several the
orles are advanced, but definite informa-
tion as to the cause Is not expected until
the mine is completely cleared and an Of
fical investigation made.
Leonard Virgen, Mexican, and the only
surviving miner who is supposed to have
been working within a comparatively short
distance of the point where the explosion
originated is unable to give clear state
ment Of what actually occurred or TO tell
from which direction the force of the ex-
plosion came.
Immediately following the report which
warned residents of Primero that dis
aster had occurred, column of dust and
smoke poured out OF the main entrance
Large pieces of timber were hurled from
| the entrance more than 100 feet, and so ter
! rifle was the force that string OF cars
near the mine mouth was ,plown clear off
/ the track. aifg
Attention OF those outside was turned
Immediately to the huge ventliating fans
and within an hour, two OF these were
put in operation and rescue parties were
forcing their way into the gas-fllled work
| ings. huge cave-in at the mouth of the
main slope blocked entrance at that point,
but the rescuers followed the main ven"
tilating shaft for several hundred yards,
gaining entrance to the main slope through
cross cut.
Man Found Alive.
1t was not until tho relief party reached
entry on the main slope that they
found the first evidence Of the destruc-
tion wrought by the explosion. Here
probably dozen bodies were encountered,
but the rescuers pushed on In the hope Of
finding signs Of life, A little further on
near the mouth Of entry A the party in
charge Of j. b. Manly, local mine In
spector came across Leonardo Virgen
shortly after o'clock this morning.
AS il waking from deep sleep, Virgen
opened his eyes and said:
| please, may I go home now7'
| virgen was hurried TO the temporary
hospital. Today he had sufficiently recov-
cred to join the ranks OF watchers around
the mine entrance.
Encouraged by the finding of virgen,
rescuers worked with renewed energy.
hoping to find others alive within the
recesses OF the mine, but failing in this
up to this evening, those still missing were
given up as lost
Pushing Rescue work.
Early last night local workers had been
reinforced by squads OF miners from the
surrounding camps OF secundo. Starkville,
Berwind Engle, Cokedale and Frederick.
All night and all day rescue work was
pushed with frequent rellefs until tonight
the advance guard had pushed within 400
yards Of the face Of the main slope.
Leaders in this work we're j. p. Manly,
William Fitzpatrick, the mine superintend-
ent. and William Morgan Of the Rocky
Mountain Fuel company's Piedmont mine.
NJ a.
having been superintendent OF the Primero
on January g. 1907. when twenty-four
lives were lost In an explosion. ]. 8.
Thompson, division superintendent; Joseph
Ball. David Griffith and other officials
hurried from Trinidad on a special train
and Joined In the rescue work.
This morning officials on the ground were
further increased by the arrival Of Fred
erlck Harrington. general COUNSEL II. II.
Weltzel, manager Of the fuel department.
and f. p. Bayless. superintendent Of the
Guggenheim properties at cokedale, and
| others.
Company Issues Food.
Today orders were issued through Off
cials OF the Colorado supply company. a
subsidiary OF the Colorado Fuel and Iron
company to issue provisions to families
OF the Victims until permanent system
OF relief could be organized
| Work of checking off the dead pro-
ceeded slowly the only means OF identi-
flcation being 10 check the missing num-
bers carried By each miner with the COM
panys roster.
The scenes around the mine today failed
TO indicate the magnitude OF the disaster.
The ground ropsd Off around the
entrance and a force Of deputy shertffs
kept the crowds back, giving the workers
a clear field. Men, women and children
among the watchers restrained their grief
with amazing fortitude.
Shortly before 1 o'clock this afternoon
the watchers were electrified by the re-
port that another man had been recovered
alive. but hope thus revived was quickly
lch I.tf