Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-04-09
from the Richmond Esquirer of Fridav-I
DREADFUL DISASTER.
Great Golliery Explosion---More than
Seventy Persons Killed.
DETAILS OF THE CATAsrRopuE.

Z.
Most of our readers are familiar with the
coal dug from the Glover Hill Pits il ehcs.
terfeld county, about twenty-one miles from
tlchmond by road, and thir;y-one by rail-,
the cohHpany'S branch railroad nineteen miles
IN length, connecting at Chester, II miles
IRON this city, with the Richmond and Pc
tersburg railroad. These mines, which have
oeen worked for mnny years, consist at pre-
sent OF three pits, known respectively as the
bFlght Hope. RaccOon and Halls pits. and
IRON rom these pits were raised last year about
0VV,COV bushels of coal. Both of the last
named pits having been for some time sinh.
merged, operations in them were tcmporar;Iv
discontinued, and the Bright Hone mine was
the scene of Il terrific explosion on Wednes.
day last, which, without moments waruip.,
hurled nearly hundred human beires into
eternity What Tas the cause of the disas-
ter must eter remain an impcnetrablc secret
for the lips of all who might have explained
the mystery, are closed by the death which
spared none to tell the tale 1t is supposed
however, to have been caused by the neglect
OF drunken gasman to discharge the duties
OF his office, which are to examine, with one
OF Davy's safety lamps, the condition of tho
air, and attend to the proper ventilation of the
pits, this ventilation being kept up by means
of doors opening into various portions of tho
pits, the publication of the air in this mine
being additionally secured by powerful wind
fan driven by the pit engine.
There arc, however, many other causes
which may produce an explosion in the mines,
one of these being tumble, or Gas it is tech
nically. termed by the miners fall, which
occurs when portion of the roof falling in,
admits into the pit the impure gases which
may have accumulated above, and which, ia
king fire from the lights used by the work
men, is sometimes the cause of an ex plosion;
but, as VIC have already stated, the cause OF
the late disaster will never be ascertaiued.
We are informed, however, that n few days
since portion of this pit threatened "a
fall, and that Mr. Owen was preparing to
put in scalers to prevent the darger.
The pit has two shafts (used resp ectfully
for ascending and descending) running $50
feet beneath the surface of the earth, but so
powerful was the. explosion that the over
seers on the platform at the entrance to tho
shaft were greatly Jared, and so terrific the
heat OF burning gas that the rope to the
bucket in which two or three poor fellows
were at the time ascending to light and life,
was instantaneously Severed as though nv a
knife and the unhappy men with lightning
like raPidity were hurled back to an awful,
but happily, speedy death.
The number of operatives in the employ of
the Clover Hill Company is nearly 200, and
little village, with population OF about
one thousand, has sprung up in the vicinity
of the pits, and when the tidings of the dis
aster, which had killed some seventy men,
spread through tho village, the excitement,
suspense, and agony were intense.
he mouth OF the pit was soon surrounded
by some hundreds Of persons. and the shrieks,
means and lamentations of the femnle friends
of the victims were. indeed narrowing. Stern
men, WHO had faced the horrors Of many n
battle field, were unable to bear the heart
rcndiug scene, and, weeping like children,
turned away utterly unnamed.
The following letter which was received
on yesterday, will enable our readers family
to Imagine the extent aud tie horrors of tho
catastrophe:
CLOVER HILL, April i, 18C7.
d. S. U0oIriI.ge, E%q.,
Dear Sir-Whcn the pit bottom was reach
cd last evening it was asccrtaincd that tho
lumber house in the pit, which contained some
powder, was on fire. | endeayured to get tho
men to put it out, which. no doubt, could
have been done but the men feared the dan
ger of another explosion, and were unwilling
TO work. lie pit has been again examined
tbs morning, and the fire il so small that it
could be managed if tic men were willing to
risk the danger. Under all the circumstances.
| haze determined to save the pit by closing
beth shafts. We are now engaged in this
work.
All of the men, about serenity in number,
and all the mules that were in tie Dit are of
course lost. The bodies cannot be recovered
until the fire is extinguishcd and the pit is
reopened.
Very respectfully,
J. IT, Cox
OF the victims Of the explosion some twenty
or twenty-five were whites the remainder be-
ing negroes.