The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-12-06
TUNNEL TO yAMPA
MINE WAS Open 10
LOPEZ, IS REPORT
Mexican Knew Of Abandoned Passage
Leading From Apex to Separate
Property, Says Partner.

Bingham, Dec. 3-Another possible
avenue of escape from the Utah Apex
workings, of which he knew, according
to julius Corrello, his partner, and
which, it is believed he could have
utilized to gain access to freedom at
comparative ease and with little or
no danger himself, was open to Rafaei
Lopez. according to report made to
Sheriff Smith tonight.
This way to the exterior is said 10
be through an abandoned tunnel con-
Meeting the Utah Apex mine at about
the sOo.foot tunnel with the Yampa
properly, an entirely separate mine.
The first intimation that Sheriff
Smith or the Utah Apex officials had
of its existence was when ]. Phillips,
an old.time miner who has been do
ing duty as a special deputy, Informed
him of It. Phillips had been given
notice of his dismissal as member
NJ the posse. in line with the Sheiff's
plan to reduce the force Of deputies
to the minimum.
Phillips told Sheriff Smith that he
was Of the opinion that Lopez had al
ready made good his escape from the
mine and that It was useless to con-
tine further the campaign of smoking
| him out.
Sheriff Smith asked him to explain
Phillips stated:
There Is a blind tunnel leading
from the so0-foot level to the 7oo.foot
level, and from there through an
abandoned shaft up an incline and in
to a tunnel near the 30o-foot level.
This tunnel is supposed to be filled
in by ore dumpings, but as a matter OF
fact is only about two-thirds filled.
Lopez, / believe, knew Of the exist
ence OF this tunnel, took advantage
of It to escope. He could easily have
crawled on top of the ore dumping
and once over them had free pas
sage through a tunnel leading into
the Yampa workings. Once in there
he would have little difficulty In es
Gaping"
:. correiIo Tells Of Incident
Phillips report of the existence Of
this tunnel was substantiated by
julius Corrello, mine leaser and part
ner of Lopez, who made the statement
that Lopez has told him twice Of go
ing through this tunnel from the Ape
mine into the Yampa property. Once
Corrello said. Lopez had told him o
!. crawling through to the Yampa min'
and conversing with Mexican acquain
tances.
Lopez was always exploring whel
our work was light" said Corrello
He knew every nook and corner o
the Apex mine, and he knew NOR,
about many of the other mines thai
did some Of the miners who worke'
. in them. He told me he had to craw
through some parts Of the TUNE
running into the Yampa mine. II
said the tunnel was several years ole
never tried to 60 through the TUNE
myself"
Mine officials when informed G
Phillips and Correllos statement
/, said that they knew Of no such tunnt
/. but an investigation was started b
e Sheriff Smith and Nine Superintent
ent v. s. Rood to ascertain whethe
!, such b tunnel does lead into the Yam
y pa property.
Sheriff Smith has not abandone
J, hope Of smoking Lopez from his lial
d There is however possibility that Il
p fumes arising from the coal and 81
phur fires which have been kept goii
at each tunnel entrance since Mo
day may not have been SUGGEST
as anticipated by the officers. IT
ID smoke, some declare. is not OF SUI
IT cient density to FIJI completely all
n, the workings OF the Apex mine a.
N | aspl.yxiate Lopez. Tomorrow &C
ly tar will be used as last
s sort.
" 1t is the intention Of Sheriff Smi
ef and his assistants in the hunt pl
at simply a waiting game in hopes
Dp wearing Lopez out If he is in the mi
and still alive. The sheriff this a
ernoon admitted that bare possib
exists that the Mexican Is alive In
ID mine because of the Intellectual sm'
ing OF certain levels.
rm Fresh Air In Workings.
Fresh air is apparently entering
workings from various sources a
two currents were traced direct
,sr one to Phonix tunnel No. 2 on the
ce. foot level and other to the PEI
MT tunnel near the top of the mine. Thu
'as two tunnels were drawing in air
NO all times despite the fact that a