Show SINGULAR ACCIDENT AT THE 3IIXES OF THE GILSOXITE ASPHALTUM COMPANY Two Men Killed and One Perhaps Fatally Injured Said to Have Been an Explosion of Fire Damp Xews came in from Duschesne yesterday yester-day that an heretofore unheard of accident ac-cident attended by the loss of two and more than likely three lives occured on Monday at the deposits of the Gilsonite Asphaltum company to which a railroad rail-road is now being constructed from Grand Junction It is said an explosion of fire damp occurred just as two of the companys miners entered the cut made in mining the gilsonite for the purpose of resuming operations Both men were killed outright and the watchman above was frightfully and more than likely fatally injured One of the dangers of the working ot these peculiar deposits which are always al-ways encountered in fissures between stretches of grey sandstone and usually on level country is the frequency of combustion the minute particles or dust of pure asphaltum burning like powder This dust collects on the sides of the deep trench which is made in the development of the properties and ignite very readily Under ordinary circumstances circum-stances the stuff goes off with a flash and the miners escape by lying flat on the floor of the tunnel Such was not the case however at the Gilsonite com panys works for the miners were unable un-able to make their escape and met their death in the trench the fire having started from their candles It is thought that the damp had affected the asphaltum dust and so changed its nature na-ture that the burning was entirely different from that which had always taken place As a result the miners employed by the several asphaltum companies are considerably more nervous nerv-ous than before and in consequence I more careful |