The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-04-19
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
Explosion at the Glover Hill Coal Mine
in Vrginia-Loss Of Sixty Nine
Lives.

in Vrginia-Loss OF Sxty-hlne
Lives.
From the Richmond va Enquirer, April s.
At four O clock on the morning of the Sd,
Thos. Marshall, Jr., gasman, descended
the shaft to examine the pit at the usual
hour the hands went to work, and at II
O clock Mr.. John Weale, gasman, went
down to relieve Marshall, who announced
that everything was all right.
1t is the duty of the relief to 60 down an
hour or two before the time of the other
gasman expires in order that he may be
made thoroughly acquainted with the con-
dition of affairs IF the examination be
thorough, so perfect is the system of ventil-
alton that no danger can possibly result, as
the safety lamp would warn the bearer OF
danger, which an old miner can almost de-
tect by the smell, and when the presence OF
such gas is detected, it is the duty of the
gasman to warn, and, if necessary to with
draw the hands from the dangerous locality:
No alarm had been lately given in regard
to any part of the pit, but few days PRIOR
to the accident door or stopping which,
when closed, drove current OF air IN up
shots and 9, situated on the main
northern level, about half mile from the
shaft, had been removed, but Mr.. Marshall,
ST., on being apprized of the fact, ordered
lit to be replaced, alleging that although
those upshots might be ventilated while the
fan was running during the day, there
might be an accumulation OF gas at night.
(These ''upshots'' are inclined planes in the
mine where the vein OF coal Is being dug
out from below
Thos Marshall, Jr., acknowledges that
be did not, on the morning OF the Sd, visit
as was his duty these upshots, and 1t IS
probable that Weale, relying upon Mar
shalrs statement, also omitted to DO So
| At all events, the hands who lett the mines
concur in the avowal that the air current IN
the main passages was almost strong
enough to blow out their lights. and one OF
them had just parted from Weale, VINO
was on his way to the. shaft to get hls din
ner, and who, on being asked how
times" replied "ali right.
Such was the condition of affairs when at
8: 80 the explosion occurred, column OF
Gas. smoke and dust rushing up to the top
| of the shaft, the lamp and shoe Of VIM. b.
Robertson, the banksman who stood at the
foot of the shaft being hurled to the sum
nit by the force of the conclusion. The
ropes which supported the ascending
buckets we're severed and it is supposed
| that they, in their recoil, broke through
the boarding which covered the sink Ia pit
some forty feet below the main level to col
lect the drippings) and hurled those who
were near the shaft into its depths.
| In the course of some two or three min
utes another slight explosion occurred,
which was followed ten minutes after by a
third, it being ascertained after the second
explosion that the pit was on fire.
The news flew like wild fire, and IN a
short time hundreds of people, almost fran,
tic with excitement, were crowded around
the scene of the disaster. Wives shrleked
in agony, and found brief relief in hysteric
fits from the agony which was insupporta
BILE to bear; and the wailings of the chill:
dren, who, pale and awe-struck, clutched
the dresses of their widowed mothers, was
pitiful enough to have moved heart OF
stone.
The men who had so narrowly escaped
death were, of course, and naturally some
what demoralized, but there were some who
With bravery above all praise, determined
on an effort to save their comrades or tt
die in the attempt.
| The rope to the north shaft having beer
severed, it was II ecessary to use that IRON
the south shaft and some TIME was 1ost II
the exchange. The (. legraph wire a wire
not electric, but which extending TO TIL
bottom of the shaft is USED Tor slgnalzlng,
being broken, it was necessar.' 70 piece ~
another, and this being at lenA IN ac'9nl
plished, through the exertious of l.. 'pt. yas Is
p. Cox, Mr.. Owens, Thomas M rshall
ST., and such laborers as could be ga. ner
ed, and after delay of nearly three hour.
T. Marshall, Sr, John Straughan and Jas.
Duggan descended, but after going down
seven hundred and fifty feet found the tele-
graph wire too short The dust and smoke
and heat were almost sitting, and the dan
ger might we'll have daunted the hero who
would have led forlorn hope without
tremOr.
At the top of their voices they shouted
but their voices only echoed through the
shaft, and no response being elected, they
were compelled to ascend, and the wire be-
ing spliced, they again descended, and re-
gaining the foot of the shaft, eudeavored to
explore the pit, but in vain. The debris Of
timber and earth so completely cboked up
the mine that it was impossible to proceed
more than twenty of thirty feet, and it was
discovered that the powder house was on
fire. Under such circumstances, nothing
but a retreat was left them, but before re-
firing they united their voices in common
shout, hoping that it might reach the ear
of some poor sufferer, and assure him that
friends were near. The shout reverberated
in hollow echoes through the recesses Of the
dark abyss, but no answering signal was
borne to their straining ears, and slowly and
sadly they sought the upper air.
The next morning another party, consist
ing of Thomas Marshall, Jr., Lewis Cox
and Richard Berry, descended again, but
found only mule at the foot of the shaft,
and being unable to proceed any distance,
returned and repo rted that the coal was on
fire; and the Oldest miners agreeing that
not a human being could have survived the
explosion more than few moments, and
that every one that was in the mine must
be beyond the reach Of human aid, it was
decided to close the pit, and although Mr..
James II. Cox offered reward Of $500 for
the extinguishment of the fire, it was tho't
that, with the men and means at his COM
mand, it was impossible, and the pit was
ordered to be closed
All think that the explosion occurred
near upshot No. 8, and some think it was
caused by the light of mule driver while
driving along the level in that vicinity,
while others surmise that the powder in the
| l. IL