Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-03-16
THE MINE HORROR.
Graphic Description OF the Scene-in
Appalling Picture OF Destruc-
lion ami ID 80 lati0n.

Central, Va, March lS.-News of
the frightful explosion at the P0ca-
hontas mines sprea rapidly through
out the surrounding section, and to.
day crowds have bean tiDcking to the
scene of the dlsas er. The arrival of
every train has incre ,ssd the number,
and the constant stream of humanity
indicates the direction of the mine
frAn the village.
A visit to the mines this morning
presented to the gaze spectacle
which battles all attempts at descrip-
ton. From the mountain peak TO
mountain base were evidences OF the
frightful havoc wrought by the ex! To-
sion. Hillsides in every direction were
strewn with debris, blackened with
coal dust, blown with terrific force
from the entrance TO the mines. The
scene,of destruction, annihilation ana
desolation was appalling to the last de-
gree, and when attention Is attracted
to the blackened aud smoking en-
frances to the mines, and one reflects
upon the horrible fate of the hundred
and fifty.four human beings, whose
charred and mangled remains lie
buried and smouldering in that charnel
house, one need not be astonished II
the stoutest hearts quail, and people
shrink from nearer approach TO the
awful scene. Trees on the mountain
side that have withstood the storms of
aras were shriyen, torn and blasted,
and their branches scattered in every
conceivable direction. Portions OF the
wreck were blown clear over the
mountain ride fronting the approaches
~. vi
half a mile distant. Even coal dust
was blown over the mountain and
covers the earth on the opposite sldeto
n denth of half an inch, aud the black
snad and rent oyercoat of dead miner
was picked up in a gulch nearly half
mile away. All the laborers' shanties
in the yiciaity are more or less
wrecked. aud those in the line OF the
mine approaches completely demol-
ished. So terrific was the force 81 The
explosion that the windows in the
house of a farmer two miles of were
sh,vered. * few minutes before the
EXPLOSION. a|train of coal cars had been
hacked into one of the entrances to the
ming. and The locomotive had moved
some distance down the track Many
~ the 4ars were hurled down the
tracks and wrecked, and the debris
thrown a great distance upon the
mountain sides. The heavy axles
were sprung and twisted into al
kinds OF shapes aud wheels cracked crack !,
nnd broken. The enlches In ir9nt Oh
the mines were filled with wreckage
The Poeahontas mines sn.
brace an agea OF twenty-five miles =,
that is to say, person irIyersi9g a.. Az
the chambers aud galleries o. d 1ne
mines would have 10 cover thst u us,
lance. The ,farthest. entry eni ,osa
Yesterday was by Hungarian, WHOSE
SON was buried in the mines. Nearly
craxsd by grief. he could not pc re-
strained and penetrated to a cons.aeiI,s y,
HE distance, but was even ualis
fnreaa TO retire. He reported sseins =
nnmber Of hodies In one cham0er, totn
and maugled beyond the resem lance :
| ~ recognition. One was thAI o. a
youth a1ed thirteen, employee ,s
door how. Who was the pet OF Lhe MN mn,
ing camp. The little fellow had ol lus'
entered the mine when the eApio'i0N
occu rred.