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under constructionPAGE UNDER DEVELOPMENT, OCTOBER 30, 2014

ALEXANDER BLILEY

September 14, 1848--August 25, 1905
Born: Wesleyville, Pennsylvania
Buried: Cripple Creek, Colorado
Spouse: Hulda J. Johnson
Children: Charles and Harold Bliley

Alex in 1908

Alex in 1897 at 50th
wedding anniversary Party
in Erie for his parents.

(Click on photo for enlargement)

  • Alex was an adventurous man who spent the last half of his life in several cities in Colorado—Aspen, Leadville and Cripple Creek.
  • In 1886, while living in Aspen, Colorado, he and his younger brother, Frank, joined a group of volunteers to fight the Ute Indians near Meeker, Colorado. The "war" appeared to be a fiasco and when they arrived, their services were not needed.
  • He accidentally died attempting to repair a broken water pump in a mine in Cripple Creek. His son, Charley, was there to help and discovered his father's hat as he searched for him when he failed to return from the mine shaft.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ON THE DROWNING OF ALEX BLILEY

newspaper The Evening Star, City Edition
Cripple Creek Colorado
August 25, 1905

ALEX BLILEY DROWNS IN SHAFT OF C. OF C.C. MINE IN TOWN (Headline)

Alex Bliley, a well-known business man and contractor, was drowned at 6:30 o’clock this morning in seven feet of water in the shaft of the Cripple Creek Mining company, corner of Fourth and Myers avenue.

Mr. Bliley and his son Charles, 20 years of age, had descended to the water level of the mine. Mr. Bliley had a contract with the company to pump the water from the shaft and had installed his pumps about ten days ago. Mr. Bliley was attending to some matters at the station while his son had gone up the ladder to get something.

The pumps had been started and [with] the noise did [could] not warn the son when the father slipped and fell into the water.

When Charley Bliley came down the ladder scarcely a minute or two after going up he saw his father’s had floating in the water. He at once gave the alarm, the whistle was sounded and J.S. Walker and Willard Wyatt went to the bottom and with an iron hook seven feet long grappled the body and brought it to the surface of the water. It was all the two men could do to get the body into the bucket. Mr. Bliley had on heavy canvass boots filled with water and his clothing became to heavy that he was unable to extracte himself.

The body was hoisted to the surface and Coroner Gesell notified. The remains were taken to the undertaking parlors of Hopkins & Gesell.

Alex Bliley was about 50 years of age and leaves a wife and two sons, Charley, 20 years of age, and Harry, 8 years old. The family resides at 100 Main Street, Old Town. Mr. Bliley came here about ten years ago from Aspen, but originally hailed from Pennsylvania. He has been in the second-hand mining machinery business for years at 408 East Myers avenue.

Mr. Bliley has been a member of the A.F. and A.M. and was highly respected and industrious citizen. No arrangements will be made for the funeral until relatives can be heard from in Erie, Pa. Coroner Gesell stated this morning that he did not believe an inquest would be necessary.

MINSCELLANEOUS ITEMS

(All images are large files at more than one megabyte.)

Charles Bliley
October 28, 2014

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