The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-03-20
Terrible Loss Of Life.

Inc QedGu Ol IAo mlIlefS, uldlly VI tlltu
Hungarians, and the others white men and
colored, from Virginia. 1t was the night
force, and it is presumed that, the explo
sion was caused from firedamp, but this
is doubted as the mine is above the water
level and not subject to gasses found il
mines below the water level. The scene
was too horrible to picture. Several par
ties ventured into the mines next morning
but could not long endure the foul atmos
phere. A number Of bodies were discov.
cred, some of them with their heads tori
from the trunks, and others with the limbs
all gone, presenting an appalling appear
ance There is no hope that any will be
rescued alive.
The mine is known as Flat Top mine
and is situated in the northeast portion OF
Tazewell county, at the base Of the Flat
Top mountains, which divide that section
of Virginia from West Virginia.
A visit to the mines presented to the
gaze spectacle that battles all attempts at
description. From mountain peak to
mountain base could be seen prominent
evidences of the frightful havoc that had
been wrought by the explosion, the hill.
sides in every direction being strewn with
debris, blackened with coal dust, blown with
terrific force from the entrances to the
mines. 1t was scene of destruction, Of
humiliation and of desolatiOn appallin g to
the last degree, and the blackened and
smoking entrances to the mines and the
horrible fate of the hundred and fifty hu.
man beings whose charred and mangled re-
hot
charnel-hOuSe cause the StOuteSt hearts tC
quail and shrink from nearer approach
to the awful scene. The trees on the
mountain-sides were torn and blasted and
their branches scattered in every conceiv
aDlc uiIOotion. SOME particles OF lie
wreck were blown clear over the mountain
ridge fronting the approaches to the ruins
and picked up more than half a mile dis.
tant. Even the coal dust was blown Ovel
the mountain and covers the earth on the
opposite side to the depth of half an inch
and the blackened and rent overcoat of one
of the miners was picked up in a gulch
nearly half a mile away.
All of the labOrers' Shanties in the yicin,
ity were more or less wrecked and those
in the line of the mine approaches com.
pletely demolished. 1t is instanced that
so terrific was the force of the explosion
that the windows in the house of farmer
two miles off were shattered. A few min
uteS before the explosion occurred train
of coal cars had been backed into one of
the entrances of the mines and the lOcomo-
tive had moved a safe distance down the
track. The cars were sent, many of them,
hurting down the track and others were
wrecked and the debris thrown great dis
lance upon the mOuntain-Sides, the heavy
axles being wrung and twisted into all sorts
OF shapes and the wheels cracked and
broken. The gulches in front of the mines
We're filled with car wreckage.
The P0cOh0ntas mines embrace an area
OF twenty-five miles that is to say, a per-
son traversing all the chambers and gal
leries of the mines would have covered
that distance. There are five entrances,
every one of which served as an outlet to
the pent fury within. The entrances are
all filled with foul air, which renders the
recovery of the dead bodies impossible.
Every attempt to enter the mines has been
attended with bad results and in several
instances men have barely escaped dying
from the OverpOwering effects of gas. The
physicians were kept busy ministering to
such cases.
The farthest entry effected was by a
Hungarian, whose son was buried in the
mines. He was nearly crazed by grief. He
could not be constrained, and penetrated
to considerable distance, but was even
tually forced to retire. He reported see
ing number of bodies congregated indis-
crlmlilnately in one chamber, torn and man
gled beyond recognition. One of the lost
is youth Is years old, employed as door
boy, who was the pet of the mining camp
The little fellow had just entered the
mines when the explosion occurred.
Col. George DOddS, of the Midlothian
mines, and other experienced mining en-
glneerS, visited the mines and made care
full examination of the surroundings. At
ter consultation it was decided unsafe to
attempt to use the fan, and orders were
immediately issued to have the mines
closed and sealed as the only means of sup
pressing the fire, which is still burning.
The regular coal drifts are not burning ; it
IS the fine coal at the bottom of the mines
which is on fire. The entrances to the
mines will be tightly sealed so as to cut off
all atmosphere and smother the fire, and
in one of the entrances a tube will be IN
serted to permit the escape of gas.
1t is impossible to get from the officials
OF the mining company the damage en-
tailed, though it must be enormous. Su-
perintendent Lathrop is unable to say
when operations can be resumed at the
mines. They will remain closed for at
least two weeks and perhaps for a longer
period and when opened extensive prepare
lions must be effected before there can be
resumption of work. Fortunately. the
mining company has considerable supply
of coal on hand and will not suffer loss in
the particular of supplying trade.
Most OF the miners killed were unmar-
ried, the night force being mainly COM
posed of the youngest and most vigorous
hout oinhf fn,,,i1ioc of Foe
are bereft and as many more at distance.
Hampton, the night foreman, left an in
valid wife and several helpless children,
and one OF the young men killed was an
only son of a widow, whose husband
persisted in the mines several weeks ago.
The physicians sent up from Lynchburg
have returned and only several mining en-
gineers and press representatives remain
on the ground.
The general accepted explanation of the
explosion is that it was occasiOned by fire.
damp. Some claim, what has always been
contradicted by the mine officials. that
there is gas in the Pocohontas coal, and
the late explosion was caused by miner
striking gas assure. On the contrary,
experienced engineers say that they had
ing gas assures in mine above water level
as is the case with the PocohOntas.
Those who contend for the first men,
TONED theory cite the instance of the re-
rent killing of two men in the Pocohontas
mines, as alleged, from the effects of gas
explosion. The men were blasting and af-
ter the charge had been set off retired be-
hind ledge, where they would be safe
from injury from particles thrown out,
but both were killed. This incident is
now brought forward to sustain the view
that the late disastrous explosion was
caused by striking a gas tissue instead of
by re-damp, as mining officials seem to
believe.
Capt. Thos. j. Burke..is mentioned as a
candidate for Mayor of Huntington, w.
Va.
I'VE are ende5ted to MAJ. N. II. Hotch-
kiss for interesting western papers. He
was at Cleveland, Ohio, when last heard
from.
Twenty-four congressman wore green
ribbons on their coat lappels on st. Pat
rick's day,during the session of the House,
in honor of the Patron Saint.
In the Baltimore Methodist Episcopal
Conference, South, on Monday last, Rey.J.
Asbury Register, son of Rev. Samuel Regis
;er, decd, withdrew from that body and
The membership of the Church. He will