Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-03-20

Terrible Explosion in POcobOntas,
virginia. Mines.


| received hers If t-rribl., -xu,, aim il
the coal mines Of he s. nihves VirRinii
Improvement G npsiy at Pocahsntas
TazAwell oanpty, this state, which 90
Cured t1is morning at
O'Clock. The psrli, ulsrs COO cerning the
accident ara very mesgre. Nothing hal
been learned IS to how 1t occurred, but
100 men are known to have been killed
These mines are worked by a joint
stock company composed mostly o.
northern capitalists. Further intelli.
gence from Pocahontas represents the
work Of destruction at the coal mines az
horrible and complsts. There were 15(
men in the mine at the time Of the explo-
sion not one OF whom is believed tc
have escaped. Those who we're not
killed outright by the terrible force
Of the explosion most likely perished from
the after damp. The cause Of the explo.
sion Is no. yet definitely ascertained, as
the entrances to the mine are full
of bad air, but the presump.
tion is that one of the miners
struck issure filed with gas. Several
parties ventured into the mines this
morning, bat could not long endure the
foul atmosphere, A number of bodies
were discovered horribly mangled, some
of them with the heads torn from the
trunks and others with the Limbs all gone,
presenting an appalling spectacle. The
work of destruction was not confined
entirely to the interior of the mines, but
houses 200 or 800 feet removed from the
mines were overturned and in several
instances entirely demolished.
The large vsntiator Of the south
Western improvement company was blown
TO atoms, and the mines cannot be entered
until another is constructed for the pur-
poee Of freeing the atmosphere of the
suffocatina fumes.
The work ls now progressing speedily.
large force is engaged on the outside Of
the mines constructing oofins and per-
fecting other arrangements for the inter-
ment of the dead miners, most of whom
are foreigners.
The superintendent and others re-
paired to the mines at once, and the scene
presented to their view was indescribable.
Words could not convey the isintest idea
OF the destruction that was wrought in q
few short seconds. Signs of it were
plainly visible on every hand. The en-
tihhCc w thO hlhia uillt W 90 ChtiioiT tOi
out.
The cars were taken up bodily and
torn in part aud their iron wheels bros 81
and shivered. They wsre thrown 300
and 400 iest away. The ridge spd tiul re-
on the ridge opposite this drift was a
blackened picture to the summit.
SIX hundred feet away sesrni. ,,
party found 6 pair of shots that had ~
blown TO the summit OF ths rii.-, ati
muls was found at the ss,De plac, twis 'ei
into an ipdesorib bic shape. The secoud
entrance TO the niue presented similar
appearance to the first. At this point
lived Hungarian family named Glassee,
whose house was shivered almost to
atoms, bat the inmates of the house
escaped without serious injury.
at the entrance OF the fan tunnel
stood the compsny's large ventila'or,
which, with the house around it, wac
swept entirely away, leaving the engine
standing on the foundation shattered
and broken with pipes twisted.
AS indicated, the force of the explosion
WAS terrific, R9eka were thrown through
the workshops, aud every object that
stood in the direct COURSE of the forced air
" a' htlhpiichbis b1Nctal III
the shops were serioualy injured, and the
shops themselves, as well as the loco
motive house, were leveled with the
gtouud.
o. the $50 men who were in the mine
at the t;iue of the explosion, not one has
come to the surface at this hour (mid-
night) to tell the fate Of his companions,
and tlere ia no probability that aipgle
soul of them survive.
Parties who ventured in the mine this
morning discovered several mapgled
bodies, one OF which was identified as
that OF NJ. l.. Hampton, the night fore
msp, who leaves wife aud large
family. The earpenters and laboeers
alter much suffering and sickness sue
oseded this evening In erecting a fan, and
II is hoped thst the removal of the dead
b,diss can begin some time tonight,
though the smell from the mine is still
sickei,ing aud suifOcating. About 35
Huuaprisns are among the victims; the
others are colored men aud white miners
fir IN this state and Pennsylvania.
1t is pretty YELL determined that the
explosion WAS caused by fire damp,
though it ia mex pliosble how the hori
could contain 30 much explosive gas. The
churches and houses at Pocshontas are
draped in mourning AID business is 6n-
ireiy suspended. .....
PocAnoNrAs, VA, March 14.-The
Beiutd correspondent visited the mine
this mornirg, aud the intelligence of
fire la tho uiius was confirmed. No one
dared venture any considerable distance
into any OF the openings. Crowds Of men,
Sith melancholy, blsckened vissges, eur.
ronnded the shops and buildings, dis
Guessing the disaster. Only a few women
we're seen in the vicinity, and these came
more ont of curiosity than in
sesrch OF missing relatives. The
indications of the fiery blast from the
mine on the surface chow that 1t shot
with tremendous velocity from all the
entrances southeast aud north. Heavy
mine cars, weighing more than ton,
standing 600 yards within the entrance
to the mine, were hurled from the mouth
aud smashed to pieces against the oppo-
site eide of the valley, 200 yards away.
The hot blast as it swept forth blsokened
sud scorohed everything it came in contact
with and destroyed numerous buildings
in its conras. Every impedimsnt in its
way, including trees, trucks aud build
ings, was shivered and cleared away.
The locomotive engine shed was blown
| down. The trunks and stumps of trees
are blgckenei aGd chsrred, and hillsides
aud ground are covered nearly all inch
thick with coal dust. The roads inside
| the entries were torn up to the depth OF
two feet.
At the lower or east iutske the blast
| was even more severe. The strong tim
bora, toot square, were driven like
straws across the valley. Every stick OF
timber ia torn away, and the coal fluted
or riff ID sides, roof ard floor, 10 the depth
Of several inches, by the force OF the ont
blast. at the third entrance, a travel
ing way, the same appearances present
themselves though little less
violent. At the return or fan
entrance evsry thing was cleared
away except the fan engine, cylinder and
foundations. All the evidences go tc
show that the blast must have swept the
whole mine and have quickly dealt death
to the unfortunate miners. The ehsri
table snow has partially covered the
blackensd and scorohed trees and cal II
| with its white mantle, but the contrast
| is rendered still more striking where
the disoolored earth and trees can be
seen.
There ia now no immediate prospect o
the recovery of any Of the bodies Of the
dead miners. 1t would be folly to attempt
to obtain even those which were seen II
some Of the entrances soon after the ex
plosion occurred, and before the after
damp had filed every portion Of the mine
| Yasterday the mine WAS discovered I,