The Elk Mountain pilot., 1911-02-16
ELK MOUNTAIN PILOT
. .. Rsslnsen. Editor and Prepristss.
CRESTED BUTTE COLORADO
SEVENTEEN
ENTOMBED
EXPLOSION OF cokEoALE MINE
NEAR TRINIoAD-sHoT FIR.
ERs ARE TRAPPED.
RESCUE CARS AT SCENE
TERRIBLE BLACK DAMP HAMPERS
RELIEF WoRk-ALL MAY
PERISH.
RESCUE CARS AT SCENE

Trinidad.-Seventeen men were en-
tombed in the Cokedale coal mine of
the Carbon Coal Coke Company by
an explosion at S:55 O'Clock Thursday
night
Two of them were rescued by hercu-
lean work, but the other fifteen can
not be reached and II not dead are
likely to be overcome by foul gases
and perish before the mine is cleared
CT black damp. or penetrated by the
oxygen helmet brigade.
The Cokedale mine is one of the
best equipped in the country and was
considered perfectly safe from such a
disaster.
The company operating II is a sub
s:diary OF the American Smelling 4
Refining Company and no expense was
spared in making 1t as safe as human
ingenuity could make 1t for men to
work in.
The entombed miners are shotfirers
and the only theory regarding the
explosion is that some one or more
Of them. grown careless from long i'm
munity or from confidence in the
mines equipment and safeguards.
made a fatal mistake in handling
lights or powder and in an instant
the blast which meant death and ruin
followed.
Two other shot-firers. engaged IN
breaking down coal after the day
shift mad gone off work. were res
cued within half an hour after the
explosion.
These men were found In entry six.
west. They were barely alive when
found, having suffered from the ef-
fects of the dread deadly black damp
which followed closely on the heels
OF the blast.
So great was the force OF the ex-
plosion. which apparently occurred
within n few hundred feed from the
mouth of the main slope that tim
hers from the stope were blown 500
feet from the entrance of the mine.
the engine house and other small
buildings near by were badly dam
aged.
Within twenty minutes after the ex-
plosion crew of forty men under the
direction OF the mine manager entered
ciently good to enable them to proceed
TO entry six. west. where they knew
two of the employees were working.
There they found the two men. un.
conscious. hurried them to the sur
face and soon revived them.
Attempting to go further. the res
cuing rarty was driven back by the
encroachment OF the black damp.
The fifteen men remaining in the
mine are believed to be deep In the
workings. where the day shift. which
Is the only one working there at pres
ent, is taking out seam of extra
good coal for the Guggenheim smelt-
ers. which take the entire product of
the mine.
The force OF TIE explosion was so
great that 1t was felt in Trinidad.
several windows being shattered by
the conclusion.
In spite of this the huge fan which
supplied air to the workings was not
damaged. and for this reason officials
at the mine believe there Is an ex-
oellent opportunity that the entombed
men may be rescued within a few
Eours.
The safety cap OF the farmhouse,
which is but one OF the many appli
ances provided by the company for
the safety of its employees. was blown
off by the blast, but after a temporarY
cessation, the fans were again work
ing. pushing good air into the mine
and pulling the deadly black damp
out
Immediately after rescuing John
Kristen and Nicol Pomcambagc, the
shot-firers taken alive from entry 6
west, the rescuing party was driven
to the open air. There 1t reorganized.
secured material for brattices anil
again entered the mine, pushing fof-
ward over the debris near the mouth
of the slope and venturing far within
the workings.
Unlike most mine disasters in this
state, and particularly in this district,
the fall of rock and shale was incon
siderable, in spite of the fact that the
timber'ng was blown away from the
walls by the explosion.
Assistant Superintendent A. S. Sut-
tors had charge of the rescue crew.
and it was largely due to his efforts
that the two men rescued wera
reached in time to save their lives.