Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-02
DISASTER DUE
TO fire DAMP
PRiMERO MINE EXPLOSION Is
FATAL TO 79
Officials Refuse to Make Statement.
At Bodies Removed-Work
of Rescue Goes on
Heroically
Associated Pressl

PRIAIERO, Colo, Feb. Yesterday 5
disaster in the main mine of the Colo
RADIO Fuel and Iron company, which
claimed the lives of at least seventy
nine men, was caused by an explosion
of fire damp, according to a survivor
of the catastrophe in the same mine
January %, 1897, when tWenty-four lives
were lost,
This same authority holds the explo-
sion was caused by the ignition of gas
from flame originating probably
through the careless of some miner IN
direct violation of the mine rules, either
through the carelessness of some miner
in direct violation of the mine rules,
either through the crimping of a cap
for a, fuse or the lighting of match
surreptitiously carried into the work
ings.
officials refuse to give out any state
ment regarding the cause, claiming II
cannot be determined until the works
have been cleared. However, they ad-
NIT some violation of mine rules VIII be
found to be responsible.
The Primero mine was equipped with
the most modern appliances, and all
miners are searched for matches before
entering the workings.
At 9 D. m, the situation in the work
ings continued unchanged. Relief work
was being pushed by frequent changes
of shifts. the rescuing party having
reached entry No. 12A, seYen-eiShths of
a mile from the mouth.
Many Entombed
A check of bodies recovered tonight
reveals that forty-seven have been re-
moved, leaving thirty-tNo still IN the
workings.
Tonight a large force of men was put
TO work digging graves in the ceme-
ferries of Trinidad and tomorrow the
bodies recovered will be taken to Irln-
idad for burial. Nine japanese miners
recovered will be buried in the CathoIlc
cemetery.
Three large drays have been trans
formed into temporary hearses for use
tomorrow to convey the bodies from the
train to the cemeteries. Seventy cofhns
were brought here today and TINS sup
nlv will be further increased tomorrow
0fciaIs of the company on the
ground who were not needed TO super
wise directly the mine work turned
their attention to the relief or Ianillles
of tbe victims Coroner Guilfoll had
innaneled q Jury TO take up an inVes-
tieatiOn Of the catastrophe, and rela-
tiTes and friends of the identified dead
turned their attention to preparations
for their burial.
The cause of the disaster tonight re-
mains shrouded by as great mystery as
Yesterday when the little town was
startled by the sound of the explosion
Several theories are advanced, but den
nite information on the cause OF tue
avn1osion is not expected until the mine
is completely cleared and an oIfClal III
vestigation made. ...
Leonardo Virgen, a Mexican and the5
only surviving miner who Is supposeu
to have been working in a comparallN
II, short distance of the point where the
explosion originated, is unable TO give
q clear statement of what actually oc-
CURED or tell from which direction tlle
force of the explosion came
Rocks Hurled in Air
1n,n7ediately following the report
,,biab warned residents of Primero
mat disaster had occurred column
of dust and smoke poured out OF the
main entrance. Large pieces OF tllll-
hers were hurled from the entrance
more than a hundred feet, and so ter
rife was the force that a string or
cars in the mine mouth were blown
from the track.
Attention of those outside was
turned Immediately to the huge venti-
| lating fans and within an hour two
| Of these were put in operation and
] rescue parties were forcing their way
! into the gas-flled workings a huge
! cave-in at the mouth of the main
| stope blocked entrance at that point,
! but the rescuers followed the main
! ventilating shaft for several hundred
yards, gaining entrance to the main
| stope through cross-cut.
1t was not until the relief party
reached entry AT on the main stope
| that they found the first evidence Of
| the destruction wrought by the eX-
! plosion Here probably a dozen bodies
Bauer Helen Beck, Virginia Beringer
Jessie Cummings. Eunice Carr, Helen
| Curl, Alice Delton, Blanch Easton
| Veda Ebert, Francies Estes Edith Fer
guson. Elsie Herman, Eiffel Kellogg.
Louise Kohlmeier, Rose McGonigle,
Jeanette Niederer. Dorothy Olmstead,
Blanche Sherer Ruth Sidey, Mamie
Sinclair, Ruth Tettlebach, Gladys Van
Busklrk, Effie Wheeler. Gladys Wal
lace, Dorothy White and Alice Wilson