Colorado Mine Accident Index: Fatal and Non-Fatal

1 Colorado Mine Accident index : Fatal and Non- Fatal Colorado Mining Fatalities was created in 1995 by Gerald Emerson Sherard. An expanded index is created as he discovers previously unreported deaths or accidents. Colorado Mine Accident index (Fatalities) is an alphabetical listing of people who were killed in mining accidents in Colorado from 1884, when state legislation first required mining companies to report their accidents, through 1981. The index always includes the date of the death and name of deceased miner. If known or provided the following information may be included, nationality or ethnic group, occupation, number of years mining, their age, marital status, and number of children. Colorado Mine Accident index (Non- Fatal ) is an alphabetical listing of people who were in an Accident but did not die at the time of the Accident .

2 It covers the years 1883 through 1902, with additional scattered entries through 1951. The index is consistent in listing the date of the Accident , name of person, name of mine, and abbreviated name of the county where the mine was located. Frequently the source, page of source and year of mining report will be noted. Researchers can find other mining Accident reports by Gerald E. Sherard at Arthur Lakes Library, Colorado School of mines Gerald E. Sherard's source materials for his mining Accident and fatalities reports have been deposited at the Arthur Lakes Library, Colorado School of mines 1500 Illinois St. Golden, CO 80401. They may also be reached electronically by contacting them at PRE-1963 Colorado MINING FATALITIES. by Gerald E. Sherard Lakewood, CO 80226-2629. (2006). The State of Colorado has a rich history of mining which began in the mid-1800s.

3 Many books have been written about Colorado 's mining towns with the most noted authors being John K. Aldrich, Robert L. Brown, Perry Eberhart, and George R. Eicher. In the mid-1800s there was no organized reporting of mine fatalities but in 1884 the death of 59 miners at the Crested Butte coal mine in Gunnison County inspired the State of Colorado to pass legislation requiring mining companies to report their accidents, both Fatal and nonfatal. These annual and biannual reports which are listed in the Bibliography were used in the preparation of this book. Colorado 's major mine accidents, their causes, and number of men killed are as follows: January 24, 1884, Crested Butte Mine, Gunnison Co., Colorado Coal & Iron Co., gas and dust explosion ignited by a lamp, 59 killed. November 13, 1885, Bull-Domingo Mine, Custer Co.

4 , explosion and fire, 10 killed. September 9, 1889, White Ash Mine, Jefferson Co., White Ash Coal & Mining Co., inundation with water when Old Loveland shaft broke into White Ash workings, 10 killed. January 10, 1893, Como No. 5 Mine, Park Co., Park Coal Co., gas and dust explosion form blown out shot, 24 killed. January 4, 1896, Anna Lee Mine, El Paso Co., caving in of shaft, 8 killed. February 18, 1896, Vulcan Mine, Garfield Co., Coal Co., Explosion of gas and dust ignited by firing shot in the chute, 49 killed. September 3, 1897, Sunshine Mine, Garfield Co., Colorado Fuel & Iron Co., explosion of gas and dust ignited by a lamp, 12 killed. November 20, 1901, Smuggler Union Mine, San Miguel Co., fire, 28 killed. August 7, 1902, Bowen Mine, Las Animas Co., Victor-American Fuel Co.

5 , explosion of dust ignited by giant powder, 13 killed. January 26, 1904 Stratton's Independence Mine, Teller Co., Victor Teller Co., cage Accident , 15. killed. October 28, 1904, Tercio Mine, Las Animas Co., Colorado Fuel & Iron Co., explosion of dust ignited by blown out shots, 19 killed. February 19, 1906, Maitland Mine, Huerfano Co., Victor-American Fuel Co., explosion of gas caused by open lights, 14 killed. April 22, 1906, Cuartro Mine, Las Animas Co., Colorado Fuel & Iron Co., explosion of gas and dust ignited by open light, 19 killed. January 23, 1907, Primero Mine, Las Animas Co., Colorado Fuel & Iron Co., explosion of gas and dust ignited by a safety lamp, 24 killed. July 6, 1909, Toller Mine, Las Animas Co., Cedar Hill Coal & Coke Co., explosion of gas caused by open light, 9 killed.

6 January 31, 1910, Primero Mine, Las Animas Co., Colorado Fuel & Iron Co., explosion of gas and dust, 75 killed. October 8, 1910, Starkville Mine, Las Animas Co., Colorado Fuel and Iron Co., explosion of dust caused by arc from runaway trip, 56 killed. November 8, 1910, Victor-American Fuel Co., Las Animas Co., explosion of gas and dust caused by a fire, 79 killed. December 14, 1910, Leyden mine, Jefferson Co., Leyden Coal Co., mine fire, 10 killed. February 9, 1911, Coakedale Mine, Las Animas Co., Carbon Coal & Coke Co., explosion of dust caused by a blown-out shot, 17 killed. June 18, 1912, Hastings Mine, Las Animas Co., Victor-American Fuel Co., explosion of gas caused by a defective safety lamp, 12 killed. December 16, 1913, Vulcan Mine, Garfield Co., Coryell Mine Leasing, explosion of dust powder caused by an open light, 37 killed.

7 1. April 27, 1917, Hastings Mine, Las Animas Co., Victor-American Fuel Co., explosion of gas and dust caused by an open safety lamp, 121 killed. March 31, 1919, Empire Mine, Las Animas Co., Empire Coal Co., explosion of gas by short circuiting of electric feed wires, 13 killed. August 18, 1919, Oakdale Mine, Huerfano Co., Oakdale Coal Co., explosion of gas caused by defective safety lamp, 18 killed. March 24, 1922, Sporis No. 2 Mine, Las Animas Co., Colorado Fuel & Iron Co., explosion of gas and dust ignited by an electric arc-cutting machine, 17 killed. May 5, 1923, Southwestern Mine, Las Animas Co., Rocky Mountain Fuel Co., explosion of gas and dust ignited by an open light, 10 killed. January 20, 1936, Monarch No. 2, Mine, Boulder Co., national Fuel Co., explosion of gas caused by an electric arc, 8 killed.

8 January 27, 1942, Wadge Mine, Routt Co., Victor-American Fuel Co., explosion of gas caused by arc-electric machinery, 34 killed. December 28, 1965, Dutch Creek Mine, Pitkin Co., Mid-Continent Coal Co., explosion of gas, 9 killed. April 15, 1981, Dutch Creek No. 1 Mine, Pitkin Co., Mid-Continent Coal Co., 15 killed. The major mine accidents in Colorado which resulted in a large number of fatalities at one time were caused by gas and dust explosions in underground coal mines . However there also were a large number of fatalities which resulted from accidents involving one or two people. Based upon the 1934 to 1938 time period, the leading cause of these small accidents in decreasing order of frequency are listed below. Causes Underground: 1. Falls of roof (rock, coal or draw slate) - the most common cause of fatalities 2.

9 Falls of face or rib 3. Mine cars and mine locomotives 4. Explosions of gas or coal dust 5. Explosives (not including those in No. 4). 6. Shaft and slope 7. Electricity (not resulting in explosions). 8. Suffocation from natural gases (not from mine fires and explosions). 9. Mine fires (burns, suffocations, etc.). 10. Roof fall due to car or machine knocking out post 11. Rush of coal, rock, or gob 12. Other falling material or objects (not being handled by injured worker). 13. Falls of persons 14. Hand tools 15. Handling materials 16. Stepping on nails or other sharp objects Causes Surface (including tipple, breaker, shops & yards): 1. Explosives - the most common cause of fatalities 2. Mine cars and mine locomotives 3. Railway cars and locomotives 4. Electricity (shock or burns).

10 5. Machinery on surface 6. Falling objects 7. Falls of persons 8. Handling materials 9. Hand tools 10. Boiler explosions or bursting steam pipes In 1920, a poll was taken to determine the nationality of the 12,799 men employed in and about 2. coal mines in Colorado . The results of this poll for the more common nationalities is as follows: Nationality No. of Men American 3651. Mexicans 2325. Italians 2292. Croats 857. Greeks 405. Slavonians 369. Negroes 258. Bulgarians 245. English 223. Austrian Germans 221. Scotch 210. Welsh 192. Poles 176. Germans 153. French 148. Spaniards 122. Russians 116. Irish 104. Hungarians 93. Servians 72. Bohemians 63. Swedes 63. Finlanders 54. Rumanians 38. Japanese 18. Montenegrins 18. Belgians 16. In 1984 a survey was conducted to determine which counties had major coal and precious metal mining activities.