This week in Aspen history

“Three men blown up in Smuggler Mine,” proclaimed a headline in the Aspen Democrat-Times on March 16, 1910.

“Shortly after 4 o’clock this morning, three men were blown up in the Smuggler mine, an Austrian named John Verhovec and two Italians, named Louis Madelene and Santa Cundari. The three men went out on “graveyard” shift last night and, as is the custom at about 4 o’clock a.m., went out to the station to eat lunch. After eating lunch Verhovec, who is a machine man, began preparing fuses to fire the holes when they came off shift at 8 o’clock this morning. After opening a box of caps, it is said that in order to ascertain the quality of the fuse he cut off a piece about two inches long and “spit” it. In some manner the sparks from the burning fuse fell into the box of caps, exploding them. Men working in the vicinity, hearing a shot at such an unusual hour, suspected an accident and rushed to the scene of the explosion and found the three men covered with blood and grimy with dirt. The men were speedily taken to the surface and a “hurry up” call sent to Everett’s barn for a conveyance. On arriving at the Citizen’s hospital Dr. Lof attended the injured miners and found their bodies from the waist line to the top of the head plentifully nicked by pieces of the copper shells of the caps. Verhovec received a severe injury in one eye. The latest report from the hospital is to the effect that the men are not very seriously hurt. Later this afternoon Dr. Lof reports that there is a probability of Verhovec losing one eye and one of the Italians may suffer the same misfortune. The bodies of all the men are thoroughly peppered with dirt, pieces of caps and rocks and it is impossible at this time to predict the outcome as complications may set in. The men are receiving the best of care at the hospital and their complete recovery is hoped for.”