Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1913-12-16
30ENT0MbEDIN
COLORADO
MINE:
EXPLOSION IN VULCAN MINE OF THE
ROCKY MOUNTAIN FUEL CON-
PANY, FROM UNKNOWN CAUSES
MAY RESULT IN Big DEATH
LIST.
REScUERS AT WORK
TO RESCUE MINERS

Newcastle. Colo, Dec. 16-Thirty
eight men entombed with practically
no hope of finding any alive. was the
statement Of officials at 2 O'Clock this
afternoon as to the probable results
of the explosion in the Vulcan mine
at 1920 this morning. The officials
also expressed the view that the eX-
plosion was caused by dust. Several
bodies were found by the rescuing
party headed by Superintendent Chas.
S. Meerdink.
Three brought to the surface are:
Wallace Baxter
------------- Starbuck
---------------- Filson, an Italian.
Superintendent Meerdink. who came
out of the workings early this after
noon, said that his party had penetra-
ted to the face. that many bodies had
been found. and conditions were such
that he had no hope of recovering any
alive.
Of the men entombed all but six
or eight are Americans. A number of
men were in the upper levels. which
are reached by long incline from the
tipple, at the time of the explosion.
These FASTENED to the main tunnel and
are said to have been met by sec
ond explosion. At 1:25 this afternoon
/ two bodies had been recovered.
{ of a
I big mine disaster in Colorado in 1889.
when Is men were killed in the Santa
Fe mine.
{ The Vulcan mine penetrates one OF
| the richest coal belts in Colorado. The
whole district, however, is considered
dangerous, as many Of the mines are
unusually "gassy." II is said that ace
teene gas is found in some of the
mines in the vicinity.
In 1895 an explosion Of gas and dust
in the old workings of what is now
the Vulcan mine killed forty-seven
men.
Newcastle, Colo, Dec, 1G.-An ex-
plosion in the Vulcan mine of the
Rocky Mountain Fuel company, one
a half miles east of here at 1920 this
morning, entombed Mine Foreman L.
il. Crawford, Fire Boss Il. Walters
and at least thirty miners. This es
innate was based on a hurried check
cf the company's rolls. Some officials
expressed the belief that the number
in the workings might be increased tt
10. Only about eight of the men in
the mine are foreigners. Charles S
Meerdink, mine superintendent, will
five companions equipped with hel
NETS at once began an exploration OF
the workings. 1t was believed tha'
the explosion originated in the wes
workings at a point at least 1900 feet
from the portal of the main tunnel
but whether ii was caused by gas OF
dust had not been determined. Ac
cording to mine officials, six men are
known to have been working in the
west entry, and believed to have beer
killed.
Hasty examination led to the belief
that the east entry was comparative
lv free from the force of the eXplo
sion and this led to expressions OF
hope that some of the men employed
there would be found alive.
The force of the explosion was suf
ficient to wreck the fan but rescuers
reported that they had gone several
hundred feet from the portal before
encountering any serious obstruction
in the main tunnel.
Miners from the Colorado Fuel d
Iron companys mine at Spring Gulch
- miles distant, equipped with he'll
NETS, started at once for Newcastle
to aid in the rescue work. The mine
has been in operation about one year
it's output approximately 400 tons
daily being used by railroads. The
mine is of the slope variety.
The detonation brought hundreds of
persons from Newcastle to the mouth
of the mine, civilians giving what aid
they could in the rescue work.
/ At | o'clock it was reported that a