St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-14
DEATH in THE MINE.
A Terrible Mine Explosion at
Pocahontas, Virginia.
One Hundred and Fifty Miners In
stantly Killed.
The Fearful Force of the Explosion Shown
by the Havoc Wrought.
The Victims Mang1ed, Having their Heads
and Limbs Blown Off,

formation cannot be had before evening. 4
special train with surgeons on board, left this
city for the scene of the explosion at ten
fifteen this morning.
The work of destruction at the mines is
horrible and complete. There were hun
dred and fifty in the mine at the time of the
explosion, not one of whom is believed to
have escaped. Those not killed outright by
the terrible force of the explosion, have
most likely persisted from after
damp. The cause of the explosion is not
definitely ascertained, as the entries to the
mine are full of bad air. The presumption
is, one of the miners struck a assure of
gas.
THE AWFUL CALAMITY.
PETERSBURG, March 13.-Several parties
ventured into the mines this morning but
could not long endure the foul atmosphere.
A number of bodies were discovered, horri-
bly, mangled, some of them with their heads
torn from the trunk, others with limbs all
gone, presenting an appalling spectacle.
The work of destruction is not confined en-
entirely of the mines, but houses 200
or 300 feet removed from
the mines were overturned, and in several
instances entirely demolished. The large
ventilator of the Southern improvement Co.
was blown to atoms, and the mines cannot
be entered till another is constructed, for the
purpose of freeing the atmosphere of its
suffocating fumes. This work is now pro-
crossing speedily.
| A large force are engaged on the outside
of the mines constructing cofins, and
| perfeeting other arrangements for the inter
ment of the dead miners, most of whom
were foreigners.
| LATER.
LYNoHBURG, March 13.-Thhe latest intel
| igence is that an exploring party entered
the mine a short distance, and brought out
six bodies in a frightfully mutilated condi-
ton. There is no hope of any being rescued
| alive.
The mine in which the disaster occurred is
known as the Flat Top mine and is situated
in the north east portion of Tazewell county,
at the base of the Flat Top mountains, which
divide that section of Virginia from West
Virginia. The company working the mine
are known as the Southwest Virginia I'm
provement company, butthe mines are really
under the control of the Norfolk d Western
Railroad company, who have a branch road
running from New River to Pocahontas, about
sixty miles. John c. Ilsley, of Pennsylvania,
| if president of the Improvement company,
| and VIM. A Lathrop superintendent. The
| mines are comparatively new, having been
in active operation little over year. From
500 to 900 hands are employed and large
quantity of coal is being taken out.
The latest intelligence from the explosion
at the Pocahontas mines, is, about one hun
dred and fifty men killed. The accident was
| caused by the men going too far with lamps.
All the machinery was wrecked. Efforts are
making to recover the bodies, but in conse-
quence of after damp very little progress is
made. A relief train with physicians and ex-
plorers have gone to the scene of the acct
dent. A telegram received here, asks that
safety lamps be sent to Pocahontas at once to
facilitate the work if recovering the bodies.
The scenes in the vicinity of the disaster are
heart rending in the extreme.
DIFFICULTY IN GETTING INFORMATION.
| LYNoHBURG, Va, March 13.-It is impos-
sible to get detailed account of the ex-
plosion at Pocahontas mines, as everything
there is in the utmost confusion. The tele
graph operator there has been on duty two
nights, and is unable to handle the business
of the office. Pressing kilograms for par
ticulars receive no response. Another OPP
orator was sent there tonight. A telegram
| received at O'Clock tonight, says the whole
east mine is shattered by the ex-
| plosion, and everything in the front main
entrance is demolished. Both mine engines
| are safe, but most of the mine cars are com
pletely wrecked. Fire is now seen at the
mouth of the mine and no one can enter
The fan house and fan are total wrecks, and
as soon as repaired efforts will be made to
go into the mines. Everything possible
| is being done to reach the victims.
A party of experienced miners,
under the charge of Col. George Dodds, from
the coal field mines of Chesterfield county,
| passed through Lynchburg this evening, and
will arrive at Pocahontas at midnight. The
men in the mines are mostly Hungarians,
without families. A number of negroes
from the city and surrounding section is al
so employed there, and the excitement here
is consequently very great. What effect the
disaster will have on the operation of the
mines can only be conjectured, until the full
extent of the damage is known. The mines
were not long open, but the company had
| gotten well under way, and were sup
plying a large section Of country with
coal. The prospect was most encouraging.
! A large coaing station for the supply of
| ocean steamers was in course of construction
| at Norfolk While the accident will have the
| effect of retarding work at the mines, it is
| not believed it will cause a permanent dis
continuance, as a great deal of money has
been expended there by the northern capital
! lists composing the Southwest Improvement
company. Pocahontas in TazeweIl county,
is III miles west Of Lynchburg, at Flat Top
mountains, and is the western terminus of
| the New river branch of the Norfolk 81 West
| ern railroad.
THE SCENE AT THE PIT.
LYNcHBURG, Va, March 49, midnight.-A
telegram from Pocahontas is as follows: The
night relief went into the mines at the usual
| hour last night, one hundred and fifty strong.
A little after midnight, the town was startled
from its sleep by a report that sounded like
the rumbling of an earthquake, followed by a
clap of thunder. Soon a messenger came
| from the mines three-quarters of mile away
| with information to the superintendent that
there had been terrible explosion there.
The superintendent and others went to the
mines at once. The scene presented
was Undesirable. Words could not
convey the faintest idea of the destruction
wrought in few short seconds. The signs
of it were plainly visible on every hand.
The entrance to the main drift was entirely
torn out and scattered pell nell for hundreds
of feet The little train track was torn and
twisted, and shapeless timber and ties were
mixed in confusion all around. The cars
were taken up bodily, torn in twain, and their
iron wheels broken and shivered. They were
thrown three and four hundred feet
away. The ridge, and the timbers on the