Sixteen Die in Mine
Washington Post, District of Columbia
February 20, 1906
Walsenburg, Colo., Feb. 19. -- As a result of a gas explosion this morning in the Victor Fuel Company's big coal mine at Maitland, four miles from here, sixteen men are believed to be dead.
The explosion was of a small pocket of gas, which was ignited from the lamp of a miner. There were nearly two hundred men at work in the mine, and had the explosion been caused from dust, in all probability, all would have been killed.
Only Two Americans
The dead men were all Italians or Austrians, except two, whose names are Miller and Moran, Americans.
Among the dead are:
Archie Miller, fire boss
Billy Moran
James W. Titters, Kansas
Battista Robera
Corona Costa, Sopris, Colo.
Joe Costa
Nicholas Tockibetz
The scenes around the opening of the mine beggar description. Men, women, and children in their excitement were fighting each other in an attempt to enter the mine, or, falling upon bodies brought out, were weeping and wailing with grief.
The explosion occurred in the old workings. Fifty miners working in an adjoining entry were slightly burned, but all escaped.
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