The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-16
Valleys of Death.

PocAHoNTAs, Va, April 10.-Aitsr |
working faithfully all night, the
gang OF 75 workmen engaged IN |
making the last preparations tor en-
teripg the mine completed their
task abaut 8 A. NJ. to day. The
fsul air in the Interior, for more than
three days, has been pouring out /
like a blast from q steam whistle |
through the opening drilled from !
the mountain top down to the upper
workings of the mine, and 1t was
thought that the interior had been
sufficiently ventilated to admit OF
men exploring the upper drifts IN
search OF the dead. Headed by
Charles Arlington, the foreman OF
the day shift, the miners and the la
borers this morning at 10 O'Clock
broke down the last barrier around
the entrence. and a rush of terribly
foul air arose from the main gallery.
When the gallery had been partially
ventilated, the men moved slowly
into the mine, and for the first time
since the terrible explosion commen-
ced Il systematic exploration of the
interior. Meanwhile, more than
two hundred men, women and chill
dreE were consregated around the
mouth of the mine, waiting sullenly
for the bringing forth of their dead.
INTO THE DEATH CHAMBER.
Your correspondent having been
given suitable clothing and pass
1 through the line OF policeman around
the opening of the mine, through
I the courtesy OF Superintendent
Lathrop, was enabled to accompany
the rescUing party. AS soon as the
first headlight into the mine had
been traverscd Arlington, who like
all the others was carrying an I'M
/ mense safety lamp, called a halt
while he reconnoitered the surround
lngs. The water was dropping from
4 the root, the blackened sides glsten
4 ed with moisture, and the bottom
I. of the tunnel was covered with three
/ inches of mud which had been left
by the receding waters As the
+ leaders, in hoarse voices, sounding
F harshly in the darkeued interior.
; Were consulting which OF two diver
( ging passages should be examined,
4 one of the younger scaTchers, max
I ing of to the left, cried, excitedly,
Good God look there \ dozen
lights were turned to the point indi-
( Gated, when three bodies were dis
covered half barred in the debris
and mad. After a slight hesi
tation the shattered remnants of
/ humanity were reverently gathered
up and placed on a tramway car,
preparatory te being conveyed TO the
surface. One of them was unrecog-
nizable, having had the head, both
legs and one arm blown off. The
missing members could not be found.
When the bodies had been properly
cared for, one of them being that OF
James Grim, the exploring party
continued the seaceh. As We pro
gressed downward the foul air be-
came 50 stiHing that several of the
explorers were overcome and return
ed to the surface very III.
HORRIBLE SIGHT.
On a lower level, about 200 yards
from the end of the main drift, there
was a general hault because of an
overpoweling stencil, which asserted
itself with terrible force. Here is
where jimmy Dolan and his men
must have been working said Ar
lington, as he waved his lantern to.
ward the chamber. The spectacle
at tie upper end Of the chamber was
revolving in the extreme. Huddled
together in inextricable confusion
were the mangled bodies of about
thirty miners Heads, legs, aims
ana fragments of bodies were scatter
ed around in every direction, and
levidences of the great force of the
explosion were plainly visible in the
shattered walls of coal surrounding
the scene. The odor was so intense,
however, that it was impossible 1or
the men to proceed further and they
were instantly forced to return to the
surface Here the crowd was found
waiting expeetantly. When the
party emerged from the tunnel there
was a hoarse shout from the specta-
tors, who moved forward looking for
the bodies The superintendent,
however, explained to them the diff
ficulty, and at once gave orders for
repairing the immense fan, which
will be used to ventilate the mine
All day to-day the available laborers
of the village haye been busily en-
gagged digging a series of graves for
the dead. A long trench has been
dug about a half mile east Of the
town, where all the unclaimed dead
will be buried. Tomorrow it is
thought the greater part of the bodies
will be brought to the surface.