JEROME MINING DISASTER
Arizona Republican Newspaper
April 3, 1905

About four o'clock this morning as shifts of miners were 
changing, a cave-in resulting from an explosion occurred 
at the United Verde Mine near the old shaft house where the 
railroad crosses the property.  The cave in forced out the 
bulkheads on the 400 foot level, allowing the gases to escape 
into the 200 and 250 foot levels where twelve miners were 
awaiting the cage to be taken to the top.  The gases overcame 
the men in these levels.  The alarm however was taken in the 
lower levels and the miners there gave the fire alarm.  In a 
very few minutes the levels were clear of gas and the men 
hoisted to the surface and taken to the company hospital.  
Late this evening five of the men had died and two or three 
more are past recovery.  All the men dead except one named 
Crofut are foreigners.  Dead are: Peter Seder, A.J. Halladam, 
J.M. Roe, T.W. Crofut and E.R. Ruffin.  Injured are: N. 
Novonich, B. Garcia, J. Discio, J.P. Roe, B. Caropa, J.
Wilovich and M. Sullivan.

On account of recent heavy rains the surface water found its 
way to that portion of the mine where a fire has been smoldering 
for several years and the steam thus generated caused the 
explosion.  The men were suffocated by smoke and steam.  
Had the accident happened fifteen minutes earlier hundreds 
would have been caught.