Huerfano-Lake County CO Archives News.....Two Leadville Miners Killed at Walsenberg August 3, 1909 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/co/cofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 February 6, 2009, 11:37 pm Aspen Democrat August 3, 1909 Two Leadville Miners Killed at Walsenberg By An Explosion of Fire Damp in the Solar Mine One of the Men Thoughtlessly Struck a Match to Light His Pipe WALSENBERG, Colo., Aug. 3 - Joneph Henderson and Oliver Fraser, pioneer mining men of Leadville, and expert timbermen, were killed in an explosion of fire-damp in the Solar mine last evening. The men were engaged by Henry Holland on a contract to retimber an air shaft and had come here for this purpose. Accustomed to working in mineral properties where danger from fire is practically unknown, Henderson in a moment of thoughtlessness, struck a match to light his pipe while working far down the shaft and a second later a explosion followed. They were hurled 160 feet to the bottom of the shaft and both men were picked up dead. It is believed that the fall was the direct cause of their death although the explosion maimed both men. They were working on a platform 160 feet from the bottom at the time the blast occurred. Fraser was 40 years old and leaves a wife and two children at Leadville. Henderson was 35 years old and leaves a wife who was visiting in Walsenberg when the accident occurred. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/huerfano/newspapers/twoleadv8nnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cofiles/ File size: 1.8 Kb