The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-04-06

repeatedly, but could not hear the slight
est sound in reply. Fearing to go further
ON account of the fire, the men returned to
the top of the pit.
This examination not proving satisfac'
tory, another was made the next morning
by Thomas Marshall Jr., Richard Berry
and Lewis Cox, colored, with the same
result. The fire was still found burning,
and an attempt to get to the south shaft
through the "stoppings" for air proved
futile on account Of their being blocked
up with the wreck Of the explosion. The
party ascended, and upon making their re.
port, the dreadful and only alternative OF
closing the shafts was determined upon, SO
as to exclude the air, and thus smother the
| fire. The northern shaft was closed, but
the southern shaft was left open, for fear
that the expansion of heated air would
cause an air explosion. This shaft was
stopped yesterday "a slight aperture
being left toprevent an explosion.
THE SCENE AFTER THE EXPLOSION.
The scene at the pit after the explosion
was one of terror and confusion. The report
was so loud as to be heard for miles, and
such as to leave no doubt as to its cause.
In moment the miners in the vicinity,
the wives and cb1d 1dren of those who were
within, hurried 1wards the pit. Farm
ers who were ploughing in the fields un-
hitched their horses and galloped thither,
and in the course of an hour several hun
dred persons were gathered there. Men ran
here and there in the widest confusion ;
women and children gathered around them,
shrieking and implOring them to save their
husbands, their fathers, their brothers, or
their sons, and it was impossible to get
them from the spot. Quiet could not be
restored until the first party descended.
Then they awaited in dreadful anxiety to
hear what might be the result.
| The fruitlessneSs of the first attempt
made the suspense during the second but
the more awful; and when the worst was
made known, a wall of despair arose that
made the sternest and stoutcst hearts quail.
Who can tell the deep, bitter anguish OF
those women? But few hours ago their
husbands, sons, and brothers had left them
in the full bloom of health, and now they
lie dead hundreds Of feet below them, in
the very bowels ofthe earth, torn to pieces
by the dreadful explosion, some of them
perhaps still lingering in the agonies OF
suflocation.- Night fell upon the scene,
but they moved rot, and who dared dis
turb them in their desolation' The next
sun rose upon it, and there were wives and
sisters still there, their countenanceS filed
with dismay, and their hands clenchcd in
mute despair.
THE VICTIMS.
We give below list of those who were
Al, -, al
young men who had fought gallantly du-
ring the late war, and who were forced to
work in the mines for want of employ
ment. They survived the perils and hard
ships of war to meet with death far more
terrible than any upon the battle field.
George Moore and the two Puckctts were
members of the Manchester GrayS; and
Captain BoSSieuX, who formerly COM
manded the company, speaks OF them as
among its best soldiers. He met them at
the pits some days since, and was told by
them that they had preferred the altcrna-
tive of working in the pits to loating upon
the streets. The following is the list:
HhteS.-John Veal, gasman; Peter
Logan, George Moore, diggers; jim Har-
per, Albert Isaacs, Nat. Roberts, George
Pickett, Thomas Puckctt, John Bowman,
John T. kerner, Wm. Goodc, jim Puckctt,
Thomas Cosby, Sam. Fowler, Nick. Hack
EFT, William Cosby, trailers: VIM. Is. Ro-
binson, Hiram Magruder, banksmen; Geo.
Traylor, William 4. Cole, mule drivers
Thomas Layton, Patrick Donahoc, jim
Lockett, William Thomas, Beverly Amo-
nett, Joseph Condrey, Joseph Clayton,
John Ansko, James AinSko, coal diggerS.
Total, 80.
Coiored.-Curtis Cox, trailer; Beverly
Anderson, mule driver; Giles Patterson,
trailer: Gus. Cox, mule driver; Dick
Hobson, Andrew Branch, trailers; Henry
Finney, deputy; John Arts, mule driver !;
Washington Hurt, William SimmS, Asa
Coleman, Edmund Jones, Simon Stokes,
trailers; John Owens, mule driver; Ran
dali Jackson, William Thweatt, Price
Jackson, Charles Jefferson, Doctor FoulileS,
Rcdd Jefferson, Wiley Gibbs, Ellct Trent,
Edmond Johnson, trailcrs; Joe Turpin,
timberer Phil. Boisseau, Henry Bolsseau,
trailers: Aaron Wood, Elijah McTyre,
Jim Selden, Daniel Langtord, Robert Bel
man, diggers: Frank Miles, Albert Jones,
Dick Mann, trailerS; Daniel Osborne,
Henry Owens, Henry Howard, Jordan
Gates, William Kelly, diggers. Total, 80.
CAUSE OF EXPLOSION.
The cause of the explosion can, OF
course, be only matter Of conjecture.
There are employed in the pit three gas
men: Thomas Marshall, Sr., is the chlsl
gasman, and Thomas Marshall, Jr., and
John Veal, assistants. The duties OF the
assistants are to 90 down into the pits be-
ha s,rlyn ~
and see that everything is all right. The
first one goes down in the morning, and is
relieved at II O'Clock by the second. Both
of them are required TO make continual
rounds, and if any gas is found in any one
of the "upsets," he warns the hands not to
go there, and if there,i is any great danger,
he has them taken out.
Some time since one of the doors for the
regulation of air in "Upset" No. s, north
mine level, had to he taken down for some
cause or other. This fact was reported to
Mr.. Marshall, Sr., who ordered his assist
ants to put it up, for whilst it might not be
dangerous whilst the fan was running in
the day time, gas might accumulate at
night. 1t seems, however, that the door
had not been replaced.
Thomas Marshall, Jr., went on duty on
the morning of the explosion, and neglected
to visit this "upset' in his rounds.
When relieved by George Weale, he re-
ported to him "All right" Ii is surmlSed
that Veal did not visit the upset, and that
it had become choked up with gas, some OF
which was driven into the main level, and
was set fire to by a mule driver in passing
From accounts of parties who left the
mine shortly before the explosion, the ven
tilation in the main air-course was per-