Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-04-28
Victor American Fuel Com
pany Property Is Scene of
Disaster Seldom EquaIed in
Colorado History.
FIVE BODIES FOUND
CRUSHED AND BURNED
No Hope Entertained That Any
One of Men Entombed Can
Be Rescued Alive, Is An
nounCement.
lay MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL l.Asso w,a.

Trinidad, Colo, April 27.-One
hundred and twenty-five men, caught
in the Hastings mine OF the Victor
American Fuel company by an explo-
sion at $50 this morning, still were
entombed tonight.
There has probably been 100 killed
in the explosion which took place at
Hastings today. As matter of rec
ord, the names of 119 men have been
reported by the officials, but 100 men
have perished. according to reports.
There is no escape for the men be-
hind the explosion. Rescuing crews
reporting tonight say they cannot
reach the men because of the wreck
age, the explosion having torn down
ceilings and walls. II the men are iiv-
ing behind the explosion 1t Is because
of n miracle.
The superintendent OF the Hastings
mine tonight admitted that he has lit
tie hope Of saving the men who were
in the mine at the time OF the explo-
! sin1i
Names of no Missing.
A list containing 119 names of miss
ing was given out by company offic-
ials tonight 1t included David Reese,
mine inspector: David williams, pit
boss; H. ]. Millard, fire boss, twenty
five company men and ninety-ono
miners
The company men follow: Jeff
Jones, Paul Vincent, Steve Stuhias.
Joe Layba, william Short. Ben Valdez.
Frank Mauro. Steve Antonucci. Fellpo
HnrrnTD II AtwnAl Iipn Vdnnto orf
Jim Howard Bruno Nlccoli, Charles
Niccoli, Alex Virgil, Steve Badei. Con-
zales Folres. Pete NeniGh, Frank Pa
| per, Joe Tater, Joe Hernandez, George
Markas and three unknown men.
Virtually all of the miners listed
are foreigners.
The disaster is one OF the greatest
| in the history of the southern Colo
RADIO coal mining district and al
though the rescue work was unabated
/ tonight, company officials hold out
little or no hope that any of the men
will be taken out alive. The few II
any who escaped the flames that
swept the interior of the mine are be-
| lieved to have been suffocated.
Rescue Crews at Work.
The helmet parties are working 400
feet ahead Of the rescue crew and to-
night had penetrated TO the fifth
north" one OF the main partings,
where the cars are gathered for the
! long drive to the surface.
| One body. that OF Jim Lochart, q
negro, has been discovered half buried
under fallen rock.
The rescue parties are working con-
stantly to reach the innermost recesses
of the pit, but are hampered by lack
| of air and by falls that have torn
| ho hrat in irnp a ne mis-
and make ventilation almost imposSi-
| bic until the breaks have been repair
ed. All lumber and canvas for this
repair work has been carried by the
men on their backs for more than
! three-quarters of a mile.
Five Bodies Found.
| At 1880 tonight 1t was reported
that five bodies had been found.
Rescuing crews, working continue
ally in short shifts. expect to reach
the remaining before daylight tomor-
row. No hope is held out that any of
| them will be rescued alive.
| The explosion which caused the dis
aster is said to have been caused by
a sudden change of temperature this
morning. resulting in spontaneous
combustion of coal dust.
| All the bodies found were badly
burned, it was said, indicating that
sheet OF flame swept through the mine
after the explosion, probably killing
| all of the men in the mine instantly.
Crews Re-enter Mine.
! At midnight the rescue crews re-
entered the mine. superintendent
Cameron said no further reports would
be made by the rescuers before morn
ing, even if additional bodies were
found.
No effort to identify the bodies re.
covered will be made tonight, he said
Late tonight ninety additional
guardsmen stationed at Trinidad left
for Hastings for guard duty around
the damaged mine. Excitement
among the people has subsided but the
guardsmen were sent as a precaution-
! airy measure.