Tank's Poetry
|
united states mine rescue association
|
Tank's Poetry |
|
The dead are:
The government mine rescue crews that were fighting the fire in the Bookcliff Mine arrived an hour after the explosion, and located four bodies. Jim Benda, the other miner in the workings at the time of the explosions, was badly burned. He crawled three quarters of a mile through the smoke and gas to safety. It is said that he will recover. The usual force at the Midwest mine is 40 men, but only a short clean-up crew was at work today. Superintendent Scott had entered the mine on an inspection trip. The explosion wrecked the mine badly, it is said. The mine entry is far up on the side of Grand Mesa above Palisades. It is now believed that the mine did not take fire but that the smoke was from the explosion. The body of George McKee was the first to be recovered. He was found among wreckage of cars which had been started down grade toward the portal by the force of the explosion. The string of cars hit his body and were derailed by it. He was mangled by the cars. The bodies of J. K. Keys and one of his sons were found close to the air shaft which was wrecked by the blast. The younger men had been blown against one of the mine timbers with such force as to crush his body. The great exhaust fan at the top of the airshaft on the surface was blown from its foundation and hurled down the hill. |
|
Mine Explosion Snuffs Out Six Workers Lives