Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-03-19
SuhOcated i'm a Mine.
-t.NEARLY $50 MINERS KILLED.
DREADFUL DISASTER AT p cAHoNTAs

was caused ,bys6re damp, oesnred, and
there is not the faIntest hope that any
will be rescued alive. o. 4 i4G) Il
An exploring party WAS MAJ npp1as
soon as the excitement had somewhat
subs iJed, and an effort was made Ito
reach the place whete the men had
been al work. The party had proceed
ed but a short distance when poisonous
gases drove them back. 3. They. ,how.
ever, succeedpd 10 fadlUg six bodies,
which were horribly msngled. e Latet
in The day fire was seen issuing from
uhe mouth Of the mines. aud no further
auempt was made to enter. A steam
tan " as placed in operation, and IL is
thought entrance Will be Effected by
mofnng. .iini
TIE mine Is TIE property of HE
SouihsE irginla Improvement Company
and is situated at the terminus OF the
llNew River DIVISION of the Norfolk and
Western Railroad, and about l20 miles
from Roanoke. Ii is one OF the largest
soft coal mines IN the State, the OUT
put being about 1000 tons day. The
miuiug is not by pits, but gbYaiunung
Ilevels into the mountain,' and these
levels penetrate a distance OF several
miles, iPe GOAL veins being about twelve
feet in'thlckness. Recently work on a
new level was begun. .-. ..l'-
The miners employed at the mines,
are of almost every natlouallty, Chinese
Swedes, Russians, Germans and Welsh.
IOaly a few native Virglnians are en-
plOyed.
The mine owners are dong all in
their power. and have sent for exper-
fenced men TO ard IN the work OF pene-
trati.g the mines. AS soon as The
ews reached this city special train
was sent to the scene Of disaster, tax
ing physicians and such articles as
would be needed.
! By Associated Press.
RICHMOND, VA, March l3.-Tbe
mine ia which the disaster occurred is
known as the Flat Top mine, and is
situated iu tie northeast portion of
Tazewell county, at the base of the
Flat Top mountains, which divide that
section Of Virginia from West VIrgioia
The company working tue mine is
nominally known as the Southwest
Virginia Improvement Company, but
the mine is really under the control Of
the Norfolk and Western Raliroan Co.,
which has a branch road, known as the
New River Division, runi0g from New
river TO Pocahontas, about sixty miles.
John e. IlseY, Of Pennsylvania, is
president of the improvement Compa-
ny and Wm. A. Lalhrop is superinten-
dent of the mine, which is compare
lively new, haying been in active oper-
alton but lit:le over a year. From i've
to six hun dred hands were employed
and a large quantity OF coal was being
taken out.
LYNCH BURG, VA, March l3.-The
News special says "Intelligeuce has
lust been received here Of terrible ex-
blossom IN the coal mines of the SJuth-
west Virginia Improvement Company,
a, Pocohontas, Tazewell county, this
State, which occurred this morning at
one O'Clock. The particulars concern
ing the accident are very meagre.
Nothing has been learned as 10 how 1t
occurred, but over one hundred men
are known t. be killed. These mines
are worked by joint-stock company.
com posed mostly of Northern capital.
ists."
Intelligence from Pocahontas repre-
scnts the work Of destruction at the
coal mines as horrible and complete.
There were $50 men in the mines, at
the Tine Of The explosion, not one OF
whom is believed 10 have escaped.
Those who were not killed outright by
the terrible force Of the explosion most
likely persisted from The aiter-damp.
TIE cause of the explosion is not yet
definitely ascerlained, as the entrances
to the mlne are all full Of bad air but
the resumption 10 that one Of the mio-
ers struck assure filed with gas.
Several parties ventured iuto the
mines this morning, but could not long
endure the foul atmosphere. A mum
Der Of bodies W ere discovered, horribly
maneled, some OF them with the heads
torn from the trunks and others with
the limbs all gone, presenting an appal
LING spectacle.
The work Of destruction was no.
confined entirely TO the interior of the
:@hes. but houses 200 or 300 feet re-
moved rrom tie mines ere overturned
and ia several iustan ces entirely de-
molsbed. The large yer talator of the
Southwestern improvement Comoauy
wa, blown into atoms, aud tha mines
cannot be entered until anct is cod-
slrccted Tor The purI ose Of fleeing fhe
al mos pleie Ct the stfI' eating fumes.
This v ok is now pl ogressing speedily
A large force is'tngaeed cu'the outside
,of the Riuss constructing coflins AMI
periectng other arrangements for the
interment of the dead miners, most Of
whom are foreigners.
Tie accident, 1t 10 thought, was caus-
ed by the men going too tar into the
mines with their lamps. AlFthe mach
merry Is reported to be II total wreck.
Efforts are icing made to recover tie
bodies. Lut in const quence OF the alter
damp very hi;le progress can be made.