The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-10-10
FIFTY-TWO MEN
ENTOMDEQ IN MINE


bored through the wall and a test CT the
Ar showed IL 10 be surprisingly good.
orders were Immediately given 10 en-
isfge the opening and II the air was
round 10 be pure, the men were TO go
on through and proceed along the cuts
permitted.
This information was followed by
news that the men who were installing
the portable fan had been overcome
end barely escaped 10 the entrance OF
the. west portal with their lives. They
had penetrated 500 feet when they
we're suddenly envelOpd in black damp.
The ltalmet men. better able 10 cope
with the killing after-damp. assisted
their unprotected companions out OF
the mine and resuscitated them.
Origin n Mysser.
The explosion practically destroyed
the east or old slope OF the Starkvill0
mine. It's origin Is a mystery. The
mine has been classed as nOn-gaSseOus
and for this reason safety-lamps were
not believed TO be necessary. 1t Is also
a pick" mine, no shot-firing for the
purpose or dislodgins the coal being
allowed.
ence Of gas pockets, dust and other
cOmbustible material are not accepted
by officials OF the Colorado Fuel & Iron
company as having caused the expio-
sion.
Although everything in the range OF
human effort was done all today and
tonight TO rescue the imprisoned men.
the diff ;ulty OF overcoming the spread
OF the tfter-damp told plainly upon
the temper Of the rescuers, who were
Visibly discouraged, but continued TO
work.
First Evidence of Horror.
A low rumbling sound, and slight
earth tremOr, resembling a seismic dis
turbanee. noticed in StarkVille. several
surrounding camps, and Trinidad i've
miles AWAY, were the first evidences
of the disaster Within Few minutes
thereafter Mine superintendent James
Wilson had organized the first rescue
larJy. equipped with oxygen helmets,
and started into the black depths. On
through the darkness the men plunged
for an unknown distance, until VIII
son, weakened by previous Illness, Tell,
overcome by the poisonous black damp.
Carrying their former leader, the party
Tetraced their steps, reaching the outer
air just in time TO prevent others from
cOllapsing.
BY this time a rescue car OF the
Colorado Fuel & Iron company had
arrived from Jansen. Reinforced by
mine superintendents and experts from
neighboring camps. additional rescue
parties were formed and took up the
work OF Wilson and his followers, and,
foot by foot. fought their way through
the poisonous gases, led by General
Superintendent James Thompson and
other expert mining men,
All night long the unequal battle
continued. Shortly after o'clock this
morning General Manager E. II. Welt
zel Of Pueblo arrived and took active
supervision Of the work.
Little by little the underground
workings were reclaimed and shortly
before noon word that the rescue par
" had reached the junction OF the old
slope and the first cross-cUt, a mile
and half underground. was received.
CaVe-In RIoclSS Work.
Further. progress was blocked by the
cage-in OF the old slope and by the
after damp along the new slope be-
yOnd the crOss-cut until the portable
ian had been installed late this after
noon.
Since Saturday at midnight the Stark
Vile camp has been practically desert
ed, men. women and children flocking
TO the portals OF the mine TO seek
missing fathers. husbands and sons.
Conviction that none OF the entombed
men would be found alive grew
stronger steadily.
The pan OF the nights blackness was
penetrated by the flicker OF Miners
lamps. while the sky was lighted by the
glow of Starkvtlle's coke ovens IN the
distance.
Upon arrival OF General Manager
Weitzel this morning orders were is
sued 20 provide survivors families with
all needed provisions.
Throughout the day railroads and in
terurban lines continued 20 unload their