The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-03-30

vrs.~aufn Coal-Mlnes
rn.nrn AND SIX oruJRs SERIOUS.
"mnssrrnssn--rrsRuFIc FoRcr OF TIE ExPLo.
. prscrryG PARTY 0vkRcoME-sAo
srxxrs AT rHE MOUTH or TIE PIT
,s,..r,., corrcspcndence Of the American'I
,s.,,uoxv w. Va, March ga iearl.'
..ias,on nj the CASTOR Companys
ul, an "a two miles away, took place yes
,erd.y n was known that there WEI
sho,t thirfv.fiye miners constantly eugageu
=, The works. and the 6rst news rece'so
w ~ Ell n the effect that all hut six OF !bem nsu
,,erishcd' The town II Fairmont Is loc@eu
In The south bank Of the Monongsneia
north brauch), ana Immediately opposlte
ON the other bank OF the river Is tvc .omn
Of Pa,atine, the two towns icing ccnhec.cu
by a suspension bridge. Tue start"ne "ow
spread with lightning rapidly, a"u ,uo
families Of the miners, nearly al oi "nom
live In Palatine. rushed iuto toes''ec'S' '""
grcupsof ,rerv
ran frantlcaIly down the railroad, scarce
stopping to draw breath nnu, ,he p'noi
were reached. Within bali an hour several
hundreds of excited people hsd gathered'
and scene ~ wild excitement ensued.
Cant.jn Reed. marshal Of Palaiine, aud Mr..
Tom siageers. a weILknown Lawyer, formed
a relief party. and Drs. Roger aud Brown,
field FASTENED with them 10 render medicai
assistance. The scene nj the mine upon
the arrival OF your informant beggars all
desc,iptiop. At the base OF great, ruggeu
mountain. covered with stunted limDer,
were gathered group Of men. women, ana
children. pressing forward to huge biacK
onenine in the hill from which was pouring
forth stream OF smoke, steam, ana Ioui
air. Among the crowd were many eXreir
enced old miners, who bad gathered 1iom
other mines in the neighborh0od-of wDicn
there are eight or piue-and who kept back
the crowd of shrieking aud wailing women.
who were crying aloud for their loved
ones,
FATHERS, HUSBANDS, OR SONS.
After the first great volume OF smoke and
flame, ashes, coal, and huge tlmDers hau
been belcbed forth from the mouth OF The
nit. the air caused the cloud 10 ascend some
What. and at brief intervals The poor uDfor-
tunates who were within the mine came
staggering forth, many cut, burned, and
bruised. clothing torn, hair singed from
their heads, and faces begrimed and black
ened beyond recognition. As each one
came out-for il Was as yet impossible for
any human beng 10 enter me pr-'ney
were received with shouts OF JOY, and were
socn in the embrace OF loving arms. re-
ceiying all possible attention; but tue num-
| Der who emerged fell far short Of the total
force at work. and an hour Of awful sus-
pense passed by before a full roll.call could
| be made.
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
The mine is drift" mine, running IN
| from the mountains base nearly mile.
| About half way in q side L" drift " meets me
main heading. 10 admit air, but The main
drift had been cut several hundred :eet De-
yopd thi--nearly far enough TO lntersect a
"shaft" just finishing, 10 give increased
ventilation. About one fourth OF mile IN
a boy named Charles Burns. aged hfleen,
mule.driver, was driving bis team. lie
knows nothing. except that great 'earth'
quake y took place and he was landed near
| tue mouth OF the pit. He came staggering
forth, horribly burned, in Il dazcd coDdl-
ton, and couldn't tell how he got out. he
| il supposed to be mortaily wounded, tut
| the miraculous part of il j. that he was not
instantly killed, as the mule he was driving
was blown TO atom.
THE WOUNDED.
| Next came Samuel Shuck, an old man, IN
experienced miner, who was ut work in one
of the "rooms 5" of from the main heading.
| His cheek was laid open, bis body bruised
and cut. and 1t is feared he cannot survive.
| G. Sbuck, bow. was seriously burned, ana
| it is feared is injured internally.
| Shoemaker, z lner cut and burned
from head to foot.
| Joseph Dougherty. John Barrtle, and e..
Watson were also seriously injured.
Robert LYNN was blown. as he believes,
about sixty feet and terribly bruised.
| Several others were more or less bruised,
| cut. and burned. but not seriously.
| At last all were heard from but two OF
the miners who had gone in, against the
warnings of their fellow-miners. TO The far
ter beading." beyond the air-drift, to
work.
TWO HALF-CRAZSD DAUGHTERS
of one OF them shrpked aloud, "For Gods
sake help save oui father J" They were the
daughters OF james Work, one Of the i'll
fated vic'Ims, The other one being james
Reese, an old and experienced workman.
No living person dared To enter The pr, aud
the cries OF the poo1 women were Of neces-
siiy unanswered, although great stout men
turned away to hide their tears. At last.
after Intervening the wounded, 1t was
learned that the TWO named were beyond all
hope. They had gone into The extreme end
vi tUt ullUt w NOlhs inC "a7
too heavy for safety. II Dad ignited from
their lamps, and the very mountain itself
was shaken by the explosion which fol-
lowed. Other men, hundreds OF feet away,
bad been horribly injured. What, then,
must have been their fate?
RESCUE PARTY.
About p. NJ. William Ralney. pit boss
OF the FalrmOnt mine, aud James Jack. an
old miner, organized "A rescue party and en-
tered The mine, statiOnipg men with safety
lamps at short intervals. They only got in
three hundred or four hundred feet, when
the roof was found caved in and the air be-
came so heavy that the two leaders staggsr.
ed and fell, and we're only gotten out after
great trouble. The search was, Of neces-
sity, given up, and it will take days TO re-
cover The bodies.
TERRIFIC FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION.
Old miners who were present, some oil
whom had witnessed such explosions Ia En-
rope. say they never saw such havoc as was
created by the explosion. Whole tons oil
earth, rock, black sand, and tlmbers were
blown out OF the mouth OF The pit, and
across The river full quarter mile OF dis.
lance. Trees were torn TO pieces and black
, ened as though with a Coat of tar, and all
round were evidences OF fearful convul
sion.
f.oI1 "A sc IL. ..lA