The Dangers of Ghost Rock Take their Toll on Paradise Falls

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By Lacy O'Malley, reporter for the Tombstone Epitaph

The Dangers of Ghost Rock Take their Toll on Paradise Falls, by Lacy O’Malley. Let’s all take a moment of silence for the 812 dead reportedly from a ghost rock mine explosion in Paradise Falls, Colorado. The town, hailed for its ghost rock and silver discoveries in the mid 1870s, had become a major destination for prospectors, pushing the town’s population to over 2000 until they fell on hard times when the mine dried up a year ago and many left. Reports say that a new, very rich vein of ghost rock had been discovered just days before a massive explosion that leveled the entire town. The smoke cloud could be seen from 50 miles away. Only a handful of survivors managed to escape. Among the dead are famous names Bat Masterson, journalist and gambler; criminal Robert Ford; racketeer Jefferson “Soapy” Smith; and the town’s founder and mayor, Bill Jenkins. Well-known gambler “Poker” Alice Ivers was among the few known survivors, and she has since relocated to Chicago with her as-yet-unknown new beau. She declined to comment for this article.