Evening journal., 1923-02-09
las MAY BE
TOLL Of BIG
Mine BLASTS

CONTINUED from First Page)
Of the remaining men IN the mine
alive rapidly faded.
A consignment OF twenty-siH coffins
arrived from Denver and arrange
ments were made 10 bury the dead.
Gaseous fumes which gathered in
the mine following the blast were
believed to have caused almost in
slant death 10 the victims.
Rescue workers encountered few
obstacles after penetrating beyond
the mouth Of the mine. The greatest
property damage was caused at the
main shaft.
The bodies were located nearly a
mile and a half from the opening
according 10 word brought 10 the
surface.
The one hope OF finding the men
alive lay in the possibility that they
were able to wall up a room TO pro-
tect themselves against the deadly
gases which followed the blast. One
hundred and fifty rescue workers
are toiling like qnsdto reach the rs
men,
Mine rescue cars from Trinidad
and other points were modified here
within a few hours to reinforce the
miners officials and doctors and
nurses battling with the fumes On
the shafts and tunnels.
Rescue depends largely on the
distance of the explosion from where
the men were working, the extent
OF workings caved in and whether
FIRE followed the blast.
Possibility that some Of tho men
reached levels higher than that on
which the blast occurred also held
out slight hope. Practically all the
men Inside the shafts are married.
a mine explosion here in October
1918, took a toll OF 261 lives.
As the rescuers worked rapidly
throughout last night aided by
crews OF a mine rescue car, officials
said that much progress had been
made in clearing out the gas and
the torn workings. All
debris choking tho entrance had
been moved away.
The mine rescue cans enroute and
already here were rushed from a
half dozen States, including Colo
RADIO, wyoming and Nevada.
Dawn found the wives and daugh- !
.ers OF the entombed men huddled |
IN small groups about fires kindled I
Turing the bitter cold night. Oc-
,asionally monotone OF the foreign
yabble was broken by loud sobbing
If one whose nerves no longer would
tand the strain OF waiting for the
ate OF relative.
Miners, with faces tensely set.
assisted rescue workers in bringing
he bodies Of tho four victims to
he surface. Questioned regarding
he chances OF the others being
alive, they only shook their heads
iubiously.
The Dawson No, is the oldest
Ind largest of the Phelps-Dodge !
holdings here. IL ex-
ends into the earth more than a |
nile and the men were believed |
about a mile from the |
rated nearly to the main shaft.
Scores OF curious rushed to Daw-
on as word OF the disaster spread.
he force OF the explosion was terri
C. The town OF Dawson was
haken. Timbers at the mine en-
1nce were hurled into the air and
he passage was choked with de-
ris.
Rescue workers sent backward at
a. m. that little difficulty was be-
Is encountered in forging ahead
trough the lower level.
VAN COUVBR. 3. c., Feb. o.
United Press -Twenty-ei bodies
ere reported recovered today from
he Cumberland mine on Van Couver
land following a fire damp. explo-
on last night. Rescue workers
stimated that probably the death
st would not exceed As. Up to
80 a M, rs bodies had been re-
,rareH