The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-04-28
Not Much Hope Is Held Out for
the Safety of the Men Entombed
at Hastings, Colo. Rescue Crews
Actively at Work
CAUSE OF BLAST STILL
REMAINS DEEP MYSTERY
Rumors That Explosion Was the
Act of an Alien Enemy Are Be-
ing Thoroughly Investigated by
Officials of the State.

49, Associated Press
Hastings. colo. April IS. Nine more
bodies. making total of fifteen. were
found hN the rescue crew which enter
ed the Hastings mime Of the victor
American fuel company an midnight.
Tho crew came out shortly after y
o'clock thi- morning. one hundred and
nineteen men were entOmhcd la tins
mine by an explosion yostcrdas and {
is feared an nave persisted
a. soon us the first rcscucr- cIperr-
cd another crew entered the Win"
bearing strotohcrs to bring out the
bodies.
outside the mine scores uf yoluN-
tccrs pressed forward eager to bc tho
next SHIFT 20 go inside t'iremen went
about among the crowd picking out
the sturdicst ana most experienced
men
The rescue crew reported the fire .n
the mine was out and that work "r
repairing damaged portions and clear
ing fallen rock coal which partially
blocked the air passage was proceed
ing rapidly.
G 4. Bartlett, president OF the Vic.
ur-Amcrican company, said he be-
licVed some OF the men had chanl q
ior their lives, because among those
cntrappcd we're several trained IN res
cue work David Reese, safety In
spectur for all of the Victor American
company prupc tiles, was m the mine
making an inspection when the eN-
plosiou occurred tie is believed to
have been lost
Cannot Explain the Blast
we cannot explain the explosion
said Bartlett Electric lights were
used lu the mine 40 miner was per-
uitted tn have electric caps FOR firing
blasts ana all blasts were firod hy a
shot frrr. The nine was frequently
Inspected Every prcoautiun was
taken To make It safe"
In an explosion la the same proper
T. n 1912. twelve men were ktiled
Leslie T.. Hubbard attorncv general
Of Colorado, ana an assistant arrived
this morning "a investigate rumors thnt
tn, explosion wac the act oI an alien
enemy and to probe into conditions
t"uchtEs the Observance of mime safety
laws
The condition oG tJr mime lends
some color to the theory that tho IS
plosiou was of an origin that you don't
thub off, said Hubbard
Besides Mr Hubbard and his as-isr-
ants Bcrtram Bcshoar, James Dali
r'Wplo state Inspector. Joe hason'.
Italian consul and Frank ohc' dep
uty mnc Inspector of DtIrymplc went
into the mine thls mornue BtS"ul
Is looking after the Interests of amy
Italians among thu cntombcd miners.
Report of iirc Boss.
Mr. Hubbard said Tho fii. boss
who Inspected the mime yesterday
morning, coming out three hours be
fore the explosion. Says iu hls report
uu rIe ia the office that ma, mine ~,
m excellent condition then and th't
he would mot nr afraid tp carry %
lght'd flame iu H.
The mon coming uut report up v'I-
dyurc II fire lu the mine There vu-
evidence OF an explosion There can nc
no explosion without gas cor th, actual
setting OF or something
james r. Moran of Pueblo pre-l-
dent OF this district of the United Mine
Workers. offered the local union
through it= secretary uil the financial
aid II needed
- can telephone aud get SlO.uuu
for .uu uum,diatylN. De- told the local
The secretary told hm the miners
would not need any financial ussH ,-
tuor immedintcly.
Moran said "AlI the rutumhcd w"u
vcr. mrmhcrs pl the organization.
Tom Jolly. who met tu, rescue crew
coming out this muruius au,, tho tul-
lowing 1DCourt ot hi~ experience
M Bodies IdcnIificd
"N- did not get u much farther
than the fourth north entry ,Ihuu.
Ia