Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-12-29
Two Men Dead, Four MiSSing|
and Half Hundred Injured By|
Accidental Explosion in Tun-
mel at SmeIter.
VICTIMS BURIED IN
HUGE STAG PILE
Homes Of Workmen Wrecked
and Many Women and Child
rem Are Hurt By Flying Frag-
mentS; ReSCuerS at Work,
IBy Morning journal Special Leased wirel

fBy Morning journal Special Leased wirel
El Paso. Texas, Dec. 2s.-Two men
are known to be dead, four others are
believed to have perished; at least
fifty men, women and children were
injured, and number of small hous-
es We're wrecked by an explosion of
nearly 1000 pounds of powder, in a
huge Stag pile at the Ell Paso plant
of the American Smelling and Refin-
ing company today. The dead and
missing are Mexicans.
Three tunnels had been bored in
the Stag pile by the El Paso & South
western railroad, for the purpose of
removing the Stag for road ballast A
premature explosion of powder on
one of the tunnels. where a gang was
at work. buried four men, Foreman
John Skies, who was standing near
the mouth of the tunnel was blown
twenty feet away, and suffered a
broken collarbone and other painful
injuries.
The shock of the explosion caused
the Stag TO slip, blocking the entrance
to the other tunnels. Just how many
men were working in these tunnels is
not3l.nown. but six wegs rescued alive
and two dead bodies were recovered
Three men are imprisoned, but alive,
and are pleading with rescuers to
save them.
The four men buried in the tunnel
where the explosion occurred are
probably dead. as they have been en-
tcmbed for over nine hours.
Tonight a steam shovel was placed
in commission to assist in reaching
those inside the tunnels.
Eusivio Aguillar was still confined
in the third tunnel of the Stag dump
where the disastrous explosion of
this morning occurred and there
seemed little likelihood of his rescue
before morning. The man is par
TALLY buried in Stag, but is able to
talk to the men trying desperately to
effect his rescue.
AT 10 o'clock Joaquin Chaparro was
taken alive from the first tunnel, after
twelve hours of Imprisonment. Cha-
parro was prevented from escaping
sooner by the dead body of fellow
workman which completely blocked
the passage The rescuers finally
reached and fastened a rope to the
body and it was dragged forth.
The body was that of Guillerimo
Dominguez, who early tonight was
reported as one of the three men stlil
alive in the workings.
Four men, undoubtedly dead, still
remain in the middle tunnel where
the explosion took place. 1t is not
probable that the bodies viii be
reached until some time Thursday.
A large force Of men worked des-
perately throughout the night to res
cue the imprisoned men and recover
the bodies. The work was slow and
laborious and the crumbling Stag had
to be dragged from the narrow
tunnels with hose The fact that
200 cans of powder remained in two
of the tunnels lent an element OF
danger to the situation which was
heightened by the theory held by
many that the explosion was caused
by heat, contained in the Stag.
No demonstrations accompanied
the rescue of the men and bodies last
night. BY o'clock the crowds had
dwinded to those actually engaged in
the rescue work and the families OF
the imprisoned workmen remained
quietly in their homes.
1t is considered marvellous that the
loss of life was no greater, as hun
dreds of children were playing in the
vicinity of the Stag dump at the
time