We see that in his own phlegmatic way, Don Pepe is just as fanatic as Charles Gould. Neither the Señor Administrador nor the Señor Gobernador (nor the narrator) seems to spare a thought for what would become of the workers caught inside the mine during this explosive blast -- for the paragraph makes it clear that the operation would have the character of a quick response, and evacuation is not mentioned. Even if we assume an unstated evacuation, the fate of the workers would be just as grim after such a disaster, and these are the workers whom Don Pepe takes pleasure in knowing by name.