The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-14
The Loss of Life Estimated at One Hun
dred and Fifty-Eyery Man in the
Mine Thought 10 Be Killed.
The Disaster the Result of the Care
lessness of Some of the Victims.
A Number of Bodies Recovered Search
Impeded by Lack Of Facilities for
Purifying the Air.
A TERRIBLE DISASTER.
More Than One Hundred Lives Lost by an
Explosion in Coal Mine.

More Than One Hundred Lives Lost by avn
Explosion in Coal Mine.
RICHMOND, Va, March l3-A special from
Pocahontas, this morning, says an explosion oc
CURED in the coal mines there last night at
1890 o'clock, and from 100 TO $50 miners were
killed
Petersburg dispatch says: Intelligence just
received confirms the story of terrible explos-
| sion in the coal mines in southwest Virginia of
the improvement Company, at Pocahontas,
| Tazewell county. Particulars are very meager,
Nothing has been learned as to how it occurred.
Over one hundred men are known to be killed.
These mines are owned by q joint stock com
pany, composed mostly of Northern capitalists"
The mine in which the disaster occurred is
known as the Flat-top NINE and is situated in
the northeast portion Of Tazewen county, at the
base of Flat-top mountain which divides that
| section Of Virginia from West Virginia. The
company working the mine is known as the
Southwest Virginia Improvement Company, but
the mine is really under control of the Norfolk
& Western Railroad Company, who have
branch road-the New river division. running
from New river to Pocahontas about sixty
miles John c. Ilsey, of Pennsylvania, is presi-
a. Lathrope superintendent The mines are
comparatively new, having been in active opera
ton little over a year. From five to six hun
bred hands are employed and large quantity
of coal is being taken out.
Lynchburg telegram says Further in
telligence from Pocahontas represents the work
of destruction at the coal mines as horrible and
complete. There were $50 men in the mine at
the time of the explosion, not one of whom is be-
lieved to have escaped. Those not killed out
right by the terrible force of the explosion most
likely persisted from the after-damp. The
cause of the explosion is not yet definitely ascer-
tanned, the entries to the mine are all full of
bad air, but the presumption is that one miner
struck fissure of gas Several parties ven
tured into the mines this morning, but could
not long endure the foul atmosphere.
"A number of bodies have been discovered
horribly mangled. Some of them have their
heads torn from their trunks; others with the
limbs all gone, presenting appalling spec
tacle The work of destruction was not
confined entirely to the interior of the mines
but houses 200 or 800 feet from the mines were
overturned, and, in several instances entirely
demolished. A large ventilator of the South
atoms, and the mines cannot be entered until
another is constructed for the purpose of freeing
the atmosphere from the sufocatng fumes.
This work is now progressing speedily.
"a large force is engaged on the outside of
the mines in constructing collins and perfecting
other arrangements for the rterment of the
dead miners, most of whom are foreigners.
"The latest intelligence is that an exploring
party entered the mine short distance, and
brought out six bodies in a frightfully mutilated
condition There is no hope that any will be
rescued alive"
LATER.-The latest intelligence is that about
$50 men were killed, The accident was caused
by men going too far with lamps. All the ma
chinery was wrecked. Efforts are making to
recover the bodies but, in consequence Of the
after damp, very little progress has been made.
A relief train, with physicians and explorers,
has gone to the scene of the accident A tele-
gram received here asks that safety lamps be
sent to Pocahontas at once for use in the work Of
recovering the bodies. The scenes in the vicini-
ty of the disaster are heartrending in the ex-
IRENE