"A Look Back"

The Stories presented here are about people and events during the early days when this corner of Colorado was first settled.

Tragedy At Wadge Mine Part 5
By Compiled by Chuck Mack

(Newspaper Articles from the Steamboat Pilot, And Craig Empire-Courier)

The Steamboat Pilot February 5th 1942. State Provides Compensation for Mine Deaths. ----------------------------------------- United Mine Workers Also Is Donating Liberal Sum. (By Alva A. Swain)

Last week 34 men were killed in one of the worst Mine accidents in the history of the state of Colorado. This week Colorado takes over in support of the widows and orphans of those men. She will provide burial costs for all of them. She will distribute $4,375 to each of the 34 families during the next six years. That is about $750 a year for each family until January 1948. This money is paid out by the State Industrial Commission. That mine accident will cost the state of Colorado $153,000 plus the cost of administration. Certainly Colorado mothers her own. The United Mine workers of America has donated $3400 to the families of the 34 men killed by gas explosion in the Wadge Mine at Mount Harris a week ago. Frank Hefferly, President of District No. 15 of the Union, announced Monday. Hefferly said John L. Lewis, National President of the United Mine Workers of America, telegraphed that a donation averaging $100 would be made for each blast victim. The district office of the UMWA made a gift of $25 to each of the families the day after the blast. Hefferly and 0.F. Nigro, Secretary-Treasurer of the District Office came to Mount Harris to distribute the money. (See notation at end of article) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Steamboat Pilot February 5th 1942. -------------- Mount Harris News by Mrs. James Clifton. --------------------------- Funeral services for Wadge Mine victims.

Funeral services for victims of the mine disaster were held as follows: Friday, January 30th, at 2:00 PM at Mount Harris for Antonio Adame, Plutarco Adame, Max Bustos. Saturday January 31st at 10:00 AM at Mount Harris for Tony Skufca. Saturday January 31st at 3:00 PM at Mount Harris for Kenneth Hockman. Saturday January 31st at Mount Harris for Tom McKnight and Harry Oliver. Sunday February 1st at 10:00 AM at Mount Harris for Truman Been. Sunday February 1st at 1:30 PM at Mount Harris for Philip Gonzalez. Sunday February 1st at 2:30 PM at Mount Harris for George Searles. Sunday February 1st at 3:30 PM at Mount Harris for Walter Blount. Monday February 2nd at 2:00 PM at the graveside for Joe Martinek. Monday February 2nd at 4:40 PM at Mount Harris for Pete Creton. Tuesday February 3rd at 2:30 PM at Mount Harris for Joe Sertech. Burial in each case was in the Hayden Cemetery. Flowers were numerous and beautiful at each service. Rev. Stephenson of Hayden held services for each funeral except those of Tony Skufca, and Philip Gonzalez, which were conducted by Father Prinster of Steamboat Springs. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Steamboat Pilot February 5th 1942. -------------------------- Wide Interest is Shown in Mount Harris disaster.

Radio announcements all over the country of the mine accident at Mount Harris last week, brought immediate request for copies of the Steamboat Pilot carrying the casualty list and story of the disaster. Almost before the paper was off the press letters had been received from former employees in the Mount Harris mines, from people who were located in Washington state, California, and Illinois asking for the paper in order that they might be informed about the extent of the damage and if any of their friends were among those caught in the mine blast. During the week requests have continued to pour in from many of the states in the country, mostly from former residents and a few from relatives of victims who live at a distance. The Pilot has been glad to care for those demands, which shows such great interest in the welfare of relatives and former friends. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Survivor's Insurance Claims of Mount Harris Disaster Being Adjusted. -------------------------- Craig Empire-Courier ----------------------------------------------- Craig, Colorado, Wednesday, February 11th 1942

Protection provided by the Federal Old Age and Survivor's Insurance provisions of the Social Security Act, will be extended for a period of years to surviving widows and children of the recent Mt. Harris mine disaster, the Empire Courier learned today from the Grand Junction office of the Social Security board. Immediately following the disaster Leonard Smith, manager of the boards Grand Junction office, went to Mount Harris. In cooperation with officials of the company, the necessary proofs of age, birth, wedding certificates, and other forms of evidence were secured so that 26 claims now have been filed and completed. Over a period of years it will result in many thousands of dollars being paid under this federal insurance system. Of the 26 claims completed to date, 11 will bring surviving widows and their young children more than $400 each month. These monthly insurance payments are made to widows of covered industrial or commercial workers when the widow is 65, to children until they are 16 or 18 if they are still in school, or to the widow of any age if she has such children in her care. Fifteen lump sum claims totaling more than $2000 already have been filed in cases where there were no qualified surviving widows, children or totally dependent parents. Nine of these lump sum payments are being made to widows without young children, who when they become 65 may be eligible for monthly insurance benefits. Manager Smith said that other claims temporarily are being held to complete evidence of the widow's marriage, and the children's birthdates. Claimants must establish their entitlement to these insurance benefits, by submitting the proper proofs, it was explained. These safeguards have been set up as protection to the millions of covered industrial and commercial workers. This is but a dramatic demonstration of the increasingly important part that the Social Security program is playing in the lives of a lot of people, manager Smith declared. Daily claims are filed from all parts of the western slope. All Social Security records are confidential, but each tells its own story of families held together and children being able to stay in school when the breadwinner of the family dies; or a decent respectable existence is insured in his own home for the worker who becomes too old to remain in active occupations. The fact that a very few of the claims have not been completed and must be held up a few days to secure the necessary proofs is a good illustration of how important it is for every worker to protect his Social Security insurance rights with Uncle Sam. He should make sure that he not only has given his Social Security account number to each employer but that marriage certificates are carefully kept and that a birth certificate is issued and recorded at the time of each child's birth. (Notes By: Chuck Mack.) (In 1942 Social Security could still be considered in its infancy, The laws enacting Social Security were adopted in 1937). (It was a very sad thing, The mine explosion devastated lots of families. It is October 2005, and I’m just now getting around to researching these newspaper articles so I can bring them into the story I wrote many years ago. Some of the things I remember about the tragedy at the Wadge Mine still today make me tremble just remembering them. Even though I was only 11 years old at the time, I was acquainted with most of the people mentioned in the articles. You know how that goes, in a small town you get to know just about everyone. As I grew older I got to be on a first name basis with lots of these people, even had the pleasure of working in the mines with some of them. In my involvement with the Union, I got to know Frank Hefferly real well. Same thing goes for Tom Allen; in the 1950s I was on the State Board of Mine Examiners, so Tom became a real good friend of mine. A lot of the Inspectors and examiners mentioned in the articles were still working when I started my mining career. So researching these articles has brought me great pleasure, by reviving lots of fond memories. Even though I was only an 11-year-old boy at the time of the explosion, just five years later in 1947 at the age of 16, I started my own mining career, which would span the next 45 1/2 years). (Considering the cost of living in 2005 it seems that the amount of compensation monies the survivors received from the various sources amounted to a very piddling sum. But that was 1942 and the cost of living was much less back then. In the same newspaper from which these articles came were some advertisements, one was from the Safeway store in Steamboat Springs. So I thought it would be fitting to quote some of the prices from that advertisement, and maybe make that piddling amount the survivors received a little more realistic with the time. Edwards coffee: 1 pound bag 29 cents, Nob Hill coffee: 1 pound bag 26 cents, Canterbury Tea: 1/4 pound package, 20 cents. Tomato juice: No. 300 can, 3 for 17 cents, Tomatoes: 2 pounds 35 cents. Lettuce: 9 cents a head. Corn or Bran flakes: 31 cents per 24 oz. box. Pepsi-Cola: six bottles for 25 cents plus bottle deposit. Salad Dressing, Miracle Whip: quart jar 41 cents. Peaches: number 2 ½ can, 21 cents. Plums, Del Monte Deluxe: number 2 1/2 can, 15 cents. Kuner peas: No. 303 cans, 12 cents. Tomatoes, Del Monte: number 1 can, 11 cents. Corn: cream style, number 2 can, 10 cents. Spry, shortening: 3 pound can 26 cents. Beef Rib, boiling meat: 15 cents a pound. Beef Roast, sirloin: 30 cents per pound. Hamburger: 11 cents per pound. ---------------- In another advertisement from the Gambles Store. Motor oil was selling for 69 cents per gallon, A new car battery would cost you $4.95. ------- At F. M. Light & Sons. A new pair of Wolverine work boots would cost you $4.69

Diesel fuel was selling at 8 cents per gallon. Regular gasoline at 16.9 cents per gallon, Bronze gasoline 18.9 cents per gallon.

Now I will agree that the amount the survivors received was a piddling amount, but to me anyhow, it doesn't seem quite so piddling when you compare it with the prices back then).