Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1884-03-16
EASTERN NEWS.
The Scene of Havoc and
Suffocation.
pESoIATIoN OUTSIDE AND DEATH IN
THE PocAEoNTAs MINES.
The Charred and Mangled Remains
of l54 Miners.
THE DESPERATE EFFORTS or A FATHER
TO RECOVER HIS SON.
A Charnel House Which Beg
CARS Description.
A GRAPHIC SKETCH OF THE
EXPLOSION.
A GRAPHIC SKETCH OF THE
EXPLOSION.
ESPECIAL TO THE SENTINEL.

Mine Eek piOsiOn.
CENTRAL, Va, March 15.-The news of
the frightful explosion of the Pocahontas
coal mine spread rapidly throughout the
surrounding section, and the people have
been fiocking to the scene of the disaster.
The arrival of every train has increased
the number, and a constant stream of hu-
mainly indicates the direction of the
mines from the village. The special train
which left Central at 8 o'clock last night
with the Midlothian relief party and news
paper correspondents, ran into a slide 70
miles east of Pocahontas, and the party
were belated five hours. The track is
still blockaded, making a transfer around
the wreck necessary. A visit to the mines
this morning presented to the gaze a spec
tacle that battles all attempts at descrip-
ton. From the mountain peak to the
mountains base were evidences of the
frightful havoc, which were wrought by
the explosion. The hiiisides In
every direction were strewn with
debris, blackened with coal-dust, blown
with terrific force. From the entrances to
the mines was q scene of destruction, OF
humiliation, and of desolation, appalling
to the last degree, and when attention is
attracted to the blackened and smoking
entrances to the mines, and when one re-
fleets upon the horrible fate of 154 human
beings, whose charred and mangled re-
mains are burned and smouldering in that
charnel house, one need not be astonished
il the stoutest heart quails, and people
shrink from nearer approach to the awful
scene. Very few Of the trees on the noun
tain-sides, that have withstood the storms
of ages, were shriven, torn and blasted,
and their branches scattered in every
direction. Portions OF the wreck
were blown clear over the mountain
ridge fronting the approaches to the
mines, and picked up more than a half
mile distant. Even coal lust was blown
over the mountain, and covers the earth
on the opposite side to the depth OF half
arr inch, and q blackened and rent over
coat Of one of the dead miners was picked
up in q gulch nearly half a mile away. All
the laborers' shanties in the vicinity are
more or less wrecked, and those in the
line of the mine approaches are completely
demolished. So terrific was the force of
the explosion that the windows of the
house Of q farmer two miles off were shiv-
cred. A few minutes before the explosion
q train of coal cars had been backed into
the entrance, and the locomotive removed
. some distance down the track. Many OF
the cars were hurled down the track and
wrecked, and others q great distance
up on the mountain side, their heavy
axles were wrung and twisted into all
sorts of shapes, and the wheels cracked
and broken. The gulches in front of the
| mines are filled with wreckage. The Poca-
hontas mines embrace an area OF 20
miles, that is to say, q person traversing
all the chambers and galleries of the mines
| would have to walk that distance. There
are five entrances, and every one of which
seemed as an exit for the pent up fury with
; in. The entrances are 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
barely escaped dying from the overpower-
ing gas. The physicians were kept busy
. yesterday in ministering to such cases.
The farthest entry effected was by a Hun
garian, whose son was in the mines. Nearly
crazed by grief, he could not be restrained,
and penetrated to a considerable distance,
but was eventually forced to retire. He
reported seeing q number of bodies in one
chamber. torn and mangled beyond resem-
! blsnce or recognition. One was that of a
youth aged Is, employed as door-boy, who
was the pet of the mining camp. The lit
tie fellow had Just entered the mines when
, the explosion occurred. Col. George
Dodds, Of the Midlothian mines. and other
experienced mining engineers, visited the
mines this morning and made q careful ex-
animation. After consultation, it was de-
, cided unsafe to attempt to use the fan, and
orders were Immediately issued to have the
4 .nsna ~afaoa4 an1 caofaA 90 tho nnfu unQapa
of suppressing the fire, which is still burn
ing. The regular coal drifts are not
burning. 1t is the fine coal at
the bottom of the mines which
is on fire. The entrance will be tightly
: sealed, so as to smother the fire. In one
of the entrances q tube will be inserted to
permit the escape of gas. 1t is impossible
to get from the officials of the mining COM
pany the amount Of damage, which must
be enormous. The mines will remain
sealed for at least two weeks. and perhaps
longer, and when opened there must be
extensive repairs before the resumption OF
work. Most of the miners killed were
unmarried. The night force was mainly
composed OF the youngest and most vigor-
Gus men. Hampton. the night foreman,
leaves an invalid wife and several helpless
children. One Of the young men killed
was the only son of q widow, whose hus-
band persisted in the mines several weeks
ago. The physicians sent up from Lynch
burg have returned, and only the mining
engineers n the press representatives
remain on the ground.
Congressional Proceedings.
WASHINGTON, March 15.-The House
went into Committee of the Whole, Blount
in the chair, on the Postoffice and Appro-
priation bill, the pending question being
on the motion of Hoar to strike ont the
p~roviso limiting the compensation paid
for mail transportation to land grant
roads to 80 per cent of that allowed the
other roads. Holman offered ss q substi-