"Wadge Mine Explosion 1942
FOUR ESCAPED SAME FATE BY TAKING AIR COURSE TO SAFETY
ROUTT COUNTY’S WORST MINE DISASTER
Thirty-four coal miners lost their lives in the Wadge Mine explosion at Mt. Harris on Tuesday, January 27, 1942 in an explosion of undetermined origin. The Wadge Mine is owned by Victor American Fuel Co.
The fatal blast, which claimed the largest number of lives ever taken in a western Colorado mine disaster, came at about 9:45 p.m. Four men, working near the mouth of the mine heard the blast, saw and smelled smoke which followed the explosion, and then hurried to the air course which they followed to safety. Incredibly those four miners survived: Joe Gall, Bill Fickle, Elmer Everson and Mike Alansoff.
First word of the tragedy, which touched nearly every family in the Victor camp, came to the outside after the four survivors climbed uninjured out of the air shaft near the mine office, at about 10:30 p.m., Tuesday, 45 minutes after the blast. Telephone lines into the mine had been put out of working order by the explosion.
Immediately upon receipt of word of the explosion a call for emergency rescue crews was sent out by mine officials. A crew from the Colorado-Utah mine, under the leadership of pit boss Joe Burns, was soon on the scene to enter the mine. Although hampered by after-damp the squad investigated sufficiently to learn that the terrific blast had surely snuffed out lives of all still in the mine. They found broken and charred bodies, terribly mangled, lying at the stations where they had been employed in the various duties.
Because of the dangerous gasses only preliminary investigation was made at this time. Then arrangements were made for airing out the gas-laden chambers of the mine. Phone lines had to be repaired, the signal system put back in working order and other precautionary measures undertaken before sending volunteer crews to bring out the bodies.
The first bodies, eight of them on stretchers and wrapped in burlap, on a train of pit cars, were brought out at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday and taken immediately to Liberty Hall where other volunteer crews had prepared wooden slabs to receive what remained of the battered and burned bodies.
Among those first identified were Tom McKnight, Harvey Hardin, Chas. Vukoman, Ross Cable and Joe Sertich.
Some of the bodies were so badly burned and mangled that identification could be made only through dental work, bits of clothing, or other similar clues. One of the first group was completely decapitated, others had gaping wounds on the body or mangled and broken legs and arms. All were completely blackened and most of them had most of the clothing burned off. Faces and hands were completely blistered and charred.
It was a gruesome sight to see the broken hulks of men, who only a few hours before had bantered and joked as they entered the mine on what they didn’t know was their last shift on the job. Relatives and friends filed solemnly past the row of bodies, grimly making the identifications. The bodies were cared for by a corps of undertakers working under the direction of county coroner A. W. Heyer. Assisting him were Robacker and son of Craig, A. H. Brentlinger of Oak Creek, R. A. Dodd of Steamboat and Willard Wilson of Mt. Harris.
Two hours after the first bodies had been brought out six more were delivered to the morgue by rescue crews, where the same process was repeated. Again a steady, solemn stream of people filed past the burlap covered forms, hoping to be able to help with identification.
By 4:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon thirty-three bodies had been placed in three gruesome rows in the morgue. Only one remained to be brought out. Two of the thirty-three were still unidentified.
Wednesday evening two undertakers from Rawlins, Wyoming joined those already on the job. The entire force worked until late Wednesday night preparing the dead for burial.
Because so many families in Mt. Harris were affected by the tragedy, classes at the Mt. Harris school and the Hayden Union High high school were dismissed Wednesday and for the reminder of the week. Flags at the schools were at half-mast in respect for the ill- fated miners.
Rescue squads came from Oak Creek and Lafayette to help with the work. All labored untiringly until their task had been completed.
Other volunteer groups administered aid to the members of the families of the victims, prepared food for the workers and took care of other numerous tasks connected with the rescue operations.
Although accumulated gas and dust in the mine is thought to have caused the explosion, officials stated they did not know the exact cause. R. L. Porter, U.S. Mine inspector; Tom Allen, state mine inspector; Finlay McCallum, deputy state mine inspector, were at the mine all day Wednesday and their reports will no doubt bring additional information.
Source: Routt County Republican, January 30, 1942" (from (
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