Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-09-19
TERRIBLE DEArA.
An Explosion Of Fire Damp in the
Benwood Mines
Causes the Death Of Two Miners and Sc
riOus Injury to the Nine Boss
The Bodies Of the Dead
Not Yet Recovered,

Yesterday afternoon q horrible casually
occurred in the ecal mine Of the Benwooa
mill, at Benwood, which resulted in serious
injury to one man and the death Of two
others.
1t appears that since the shut down of the
Benwood mill the mine has not been work
ed and q quantity Of FIRE damp collected in
certain parts Of the mine. Yesterday after
noon WiIlism Honey and Chris. Winnicke,
two miners, in company with the mine boss,
Vim. Huey, entered the mine for the pur-
pose of making repairs and bsiling out
water which had collected during its non
use.
AT about 2:3O o'clock the people in the
neighborhocd were startled BY q rumbling
report
RESEMBLING DISTANT THUSDKR,
and in q short time thereafter they were
made aware of the accident by the appear
anee of Nj. Huey. BE was terribly burned
about the head, face and shoulders. All the
hair Was burned OF his head and the flesh
on his face ard haLds was cooked to q
crisp he was Immediately conveyed "a
his home in South Wheeling, where DR.
Ford was called and applied healing rene
dies and made the injured man IS comtorta
bic as possible.
From his story Of the accident it wa:
learned that the three had gone in the mine
in Q water car, to which wss attached the
best mule owned By the company. They
had begun the work Of baihng out water il
the left main entrance, where work hac
been previously begun to made an sil
course. The gas had collected here, and
when the miners lamps came in contact the
RESULT WAS TERRIFIC.
The mine is so constructed that the air
passes from the entrance clear back the
whole length of the mine and returns to the
vent near the mouth. So when the gas wa
ignited the damp was forced against the ex
treme end Of the mine, and returned with 8
rush that scattered everything il its path
pei nell. Luckily for Mr.. Huey he wal
some distance from the other untortunstes
when the explosion took place, and thus
escaped death. As soon as he had par
TALLY recovered Mr.. Huey picked himself
up, and although he was almost unable tt
walk CT talk, he called as loud as his weak
ened state would admit, to the other men
but hearing no response, he managed BY
walking and crawling to rearh the mouth o
the bank.
Messrs. Andy Riddle and Pete Joyce i'm
medistely vent into the mine, but wheI
they arrived within probably one hundred
yards Of
THE SCENE OF THE EXPLOSION
the air was 20 hot that they were unable t.
proceed further. They were 1ined by an
other party, consisting o. Harry Rid Re,
Henry West, Frank DoWnell, Henry Ns'de
meyer and John Dressler, the latter Of
whom succeeded in approaching within
about fifty feet of the scene. The names o
he unfortunate men were called but no re
spopse came, and the party was compelled
TO retire. Mr.. Dressler says be saw tn,
car which they had in use, and it wa
torn to fragments and other article,
we're scattered around promiscuously
Later q party composed Of the same mel
headed by Mr.. Neidemeyer went init
the mine equipped with tools and ssvers
carloads Of lamber, which will be used in
CLOSING UP ALL The AIR COURSES
so that the air may have a clean swseI
through the main shaft. They expected t
remain in the mine all night, and at a lat
hour no news had been heard from them, q
the place where the explosion occurred i
about a mile and a halt from the mouth o
the mine.
The two unfortunate men are dead be
yond all possibility of doubt as it is tn
opir ion Of experienced miners that it /
simply impossible to live above fifteen O.
twenty minutes, surrounded by FIRE damp a
hey are. Honey is about twenty 6v'
FEARS of age and lives in Benwood ant
WiDnicke, is aged about twenty years snC
lives on the South Side.