Las Animas County Colorado
Las Animas Mining Disasters
Las Animas Mining Disasters
At the beginning of the great mining history of Colorado, there was no organized way of reporting mine fatalities.
That changed in 1884 when 59 miners at the Crested Butte coal mine in Gunnison County lost their lives.
The State of Colorado introduced and passed legislation which required mining companies to report their accidents and loss of life.
The following list documents the major mining disasters in Las Animas by date, mine, mining company, number of lives lost and the cause of the accident.
Included in the list of resources is one for the Denver Public Library which allows you to browse alphabetically a list of fatalities in Colorado Mining Disasters.
August 7, 1902
Bowen Mine, Victor-American Feul Co.
13 killed in an explosion of of dust ignited by giant powder
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October 28, 1904
Tercio Mine, Colorado Fuel & Iron Co.
19 killed in an explosion of dust ignited by blow out shots
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April 22, 1906
Cuartro Mine, Colorad Fuel & Iron Co.
19 killed in an explosion of gas and dust ignited by open light
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January 23, 1907
Primero Mine, Colorado Fuel & Iron Co.
24 killed in an explosion of gas and dust ignited by a safety lamp
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July 6, 1909
Toller Mine, Cedar Hill Coal & Coke Co.
9 killed in an explosion of gas caused by open light
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January 31, 1910
Primero Mine, Colorado Fuel & Iron Co.
75 killed in an explosion of gas and dust
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October 8, 1910
Starkville Mine, Colorado Fuel & Iron Co.
56 killed in an explosion of dust caused by an arc from a runaway trip
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November 8, 1910
Victor-American Fuel Co,
79 killed in an explosion of gas and dust caused by open fire
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February 4, 1911
Cokedale Mine, Carbon Coal & Cole Co.
17 killed in an explosion of dust caused by a blow-out shot
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June 18, 1912
Hastings Mine, Victor-American Fuel Co.
12 killed in an explosion of gas caused by a defective safety lamp
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April 27, 1917
Hastings Mine, Victor-American Fuel Co.
121 killed in an explosion of gas and dust caused by an open safety lamp
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March 31, 1919
Empire Mine, Empire Coal Co.
13 killed in an explosion of gas by short circuit of electric feed wires
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March 24, 1922
Sopris Mine #2, Colorado Fuel & Iron Co.
17 killed in an explosion of gas and dust ignited by an electic arc cutting machine
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May 5, 1923
Southwestern Mine, Rocky Mountain Fuel Co.
10 killed in an explosion of gas and dust ignited by an open light
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This page was updated on November 15, 2008
List of Colorado Mining Disaster Resources
DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY - Visit the Library's Western History and Genealogy site to view listed fatalities in Colorado Mining Disasters.
Click on the Western History and Genealogy and search on Colorado Mining Fatalities to be taken to the webpages with the names.
COLORADO MINE DISASTERS - Visit this site for more information on other Colorado County mine disasters, detailed information on other causes of mine accidents other than explosions, nationality of miners and a county summary of the types of mines worked.
www.usmra.com/barrick/colorado.htm
HASTINGS MINE MONUMENT
Visit this site to see a photo of the monument marker erected to honor the 121 dead at the Hastings Mine and to read text of the local newspaper report.
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/hastings_121dead.html
GENDISASTERS - Events that Touched Our Ancesters Lives
Visit this site to see photos and read accounts of disasters that may have affected your ancestors.
http://www3.gendisasters.com/taxonomy_menu/2/7
MINING RELATED PROPERTIES
Visit this site to see a PDF version of a booklet which identifies mining related historical sites. Great photos and brief histories of sites.
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Do YOU have a site that pertains to Colorado mining disasters that you would like to see here? Feel free to contact me and I will post it here.
