The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1910-10-12
BLACK DAMP THE
CAUSE OF HORROR
Colorado Mine Disaster is
Appalling.
AT LEAST So MEN ENTOMBEO
In ImpenetrabIe Regions and
Poisonous Gases Follow
Recent Explosion.
THE CAUSE is YET A MYSTERY

Starksville, Col, Oct. EN-
tombed by an explosion in the
Starksville mine OF the Colorado
Fuel & Iron Company, at least fifty
two men are the objects of heroi, eff
forts Of rescuers, who worked
throughout the day trying to pene-
trate the black depths of the mine
in the h 'pe that some or probably
al, of the Imprisoned miners might
be rescued alive.
The presence of black damp
VII CHI almost Invariably folio VS. In
tie wake o. ,: al nina expl - on ),
made the WORK OF rescuers extreme
IT, hazardous and time an again -
Gay members e parties were over
come, necC Stating retro lting to the
Cl en- air il oder that their lives
could bc saved.
Late this eilC rloon those superir-
tending the work of rescue decided
AA'ttA llOlAt SllA'IlA tllltl the lhlnt UNI
I'll a medium of protection in ire
shape of a portable fan was Install
ed, and rescue work was called off
for the time being. The fan reach
ed the portal of the mine at 4
O'Clock, and under the supervision
of the chief electrician of the Fuel
& Iron Company was mounted upon
an electric motor car and gradually
pushed forward into the new stope,
working as it went, driving the gas
ahead, and, as was hoped, to an air
shaft thousands of feet inside the
mine, where 1t might escape into the
open air
The greatest caution possible was
exercised that the motor carrying the
fan should not be advanced too rap
idly and a sudden rush of gas, or
kick-back, overwhelm the men OPP
Grating the machine and snuff out
their lives.
According to a statement given
out officially by the Coroner, there
are known to be in the mine twenty
eight Poles, three Russians, ten
Americans, four Mexicans and one
Servian.
These nationalities represented in
the list of the entombed were CLASH
fed after a careful house-to-house
canvass OF the camp made by two
men well acquainted with the inhabi-
tants, one being a mine clerk and
one the town marshal.
While this list totals only forty
six, the Coroner is positive there are
tifty-two men in the mine, and ex-
plains the difference in figures by
saying the nationalities of some of
the men believed to be among the
missing are not known and no at
tempt was made to classify them.
Hardened by previous experiences
surrounding explosions in mines, the
residents of Starksville, in most in
stances, silently watched rescuers as
they entered the mine and later as
they were dragged to the open air
for resuscitation.
The helmet men, better able to
cope with the afterdamp, assisted
their unprotected companions out of
the mine and resuscitated them.
The explosion practically destroy
ed the east or old stope of the Stark
Vile mine. It's origin is a mystery.
The mine has been claimed as nom
gaseous and safety lamps were not
believed to be necessary. 1t is also
a pick" mine, no shot-iring being
allowed.
Theories advanced, such as the
presence of gas pockets, blast and
other combustible material, are not
accepted by officials of the Colorado
Fuel & Iron Company as having
caused the explosion.