Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-01-23
ALL IN ONE TOMB.
Between Thirty and Forty Brave Men
Blown to Miuce Meat by an Awful
Mine Explosion.
Children, fatherless; Wives, widows
Parents, Childless; All In the
Twinkling OF an Eye.
Hopeless, Helpless Crowds Hang About
tho Dark plrs Mouth Discussing
Chances Of Life ana Denth.
ANornnn MINE pIsAsrrn.

mine. immediately following the sound
OF the explosion, flames OF fire arose far
above the mouth OF the shaft, aud timber
and debris OF oil kinds were strewn
around. crowd of people hurried to
the spot The shaft in which the explO.
sion occurred is $50 feet deep from the base
of the shaft. The main heading runs out
about half mile from where narrow
rooms diyerge from either side. The
cause " the explosion is that ilre-damp
had accumulated in one uf these rooms
and was accidentally ignited by minors
lamp, Int nothing positive yet has been
learned The force OF the explosion
blocked the air shaft so close that no one
cared TO venture In the main heading to
ascertain the fate Of the imprisoned :pen
until an air passage could be establish ed.
This work is being pushed vigorously.
Up TO midnight no bodies had been re-
covered IL IL supposed that thirty-ono
men are imprisoned. The prevailing
opinion Is that all are dead although
few express hope that some OF them may
have been able 10 reach place free from
the fatal back damp which always follows
an explosion. The scenes at the shaft are
heartrending. Fathers, mothers, wives
and children llnger in groups with pallid
faces, anxiously waiting some tidings
from their loved ones, which will either
bring them hope or end their suspense.
Every effort Is making to rescue the un-
fortunate ones, but IL Is thought that
there Is no prospect Of reaching them
this morning.
THE TALE GROWS WORSE.
WHEELING, w. VA, Jan. ~. Addl-
tlonal particulars OF Yesterdays coal
mine explosion at Newburg have been
received From present appearance at
/ least thrty-hve lives, aud, in oil pr1ba-
| bllity, ten more have been sacrificed,
many OF the dead being the most re-
! spected citizens AZ the hour named,
While the day shift Of miners were NJ
work In the mine, which is located near
the outskirts Of tho town, the air was
! suddenly rent with most tremendous
I explosion. From the deep Shaft OF the
4 collIery dense cloud Of mingled smoke
aud vapor arose 200 feet IN the air A
rush was NJ once made for the mouth OF
| the mlne, In moment hum
dreds Of citizens had congregated
about the shaft, their faces tilled
I with CONSERVATION and alarm.
/ The shock was heard ten miles away. II
is now supposed that thirty.seyen men
were imprisoned and the prevailing
| opinion is that all are dead, although a
! few miners express hope that some
| OF them may have escaped the effects OF
4 the explosion. The slope whore the accl-
dent occurred is but two years old ana Is
| about mile from the other outlets 10 the
! mine. For five years the company has
averaged $50 tons Of coal per day and IL
was the principal industry Of this place,
I affordlng employment 10 about $50 men
RECOVERING THE DEAD.
! WHEELING, w. VA, jan. 20 "A special
dispatch says Literally Newburg, w.
| Va, stands IN the sh idow OF great
! gliei, aud her sorrow has invaded homes
ffor fifty miles along the Baltimore s. Onio
railway, for many little communities are
represented at the bottom Of the pit. The
1 east-bound train brought a great number
! from Clarksyille, Paramount, Grafton
and Immediate points. Sympathiz-
/ ing friends came from as
I far east as Piedmont. They sHellcd the
| hopeless, helpless crowd that hung about
| the pits month Men, women aud chill
/ dren were gathered there, pale, trembling,
weeping, staring at the shaft, almost
| dumb with CONSERVATION. Few words
| were exchanged aud these In low tones,
| for the people there knew they stood
/ above the tomb Of the thirty-nine men
who went down to death.
| AT o'clock this morning the men were
| still at work repairing the shattered thu
| beers of the shaft ana other men were In
\ the bucket going down the black hole
| into the black deep below Returning
| they brought no tldines for the anxious
crowd, but soon the rumor spread that
the searching party had found at the bot.
| tom Of the shat Dan Miller, the eager, and
/ 1t. oil Nttr. a
| young simmons, trapper, and young
CLARK, q driver. One Of the party was
quoted as saying that they found the head
OF a mule blown sixty feet out OF the
stables with his halter on.
The searchers themselves would say
nothing. IL was thought better 10 keep
the dreadful secrets that the lamps re-
vealed below until wider search brought
more definite knowledge. There could
| be no certainty as TO tine identity Of the
| blackened reInaius.
! The bucket went down and up, the men
repairing the breaks In the air shaft az
| they found them, the crowd growing
larger and larger aud pressing harder Oh
1 tine ropes stretched about the shaft, so
eager were the people " get even a look
down that terrible hole temporary
fence OF rough boards was hurrriedly pnb
up TO make an Enclosure in when
the work might go on without
interference. Ar soon IN the shaft was
sufficiently repaired the cage was put
iUto use 10 take down a larger working
J force IN hope OF bringing up some bodies
aud beginning the Inquest. Coroner
Jones Of Terra Alto summoned jury TO
be- present az the works az o'clock, but
I the progress was slower than
the coroner expected, and, there
! being little PROBABILITY 81 any
bodies being brought up to-nigat, the
inquest was adjourned til O'Clock to-
4 morrow. Work Ia the mine viii be con-
tinued through the night ny reliet parties
I composed la part Of men who nave
/ fathers and brothers beiow.
Al inldnlghf the crowd II etill standing
about discussing the chances % life and
death Ihere are Gro sds Oi people from
alopg the railway aud farmers flOm miles
back 10 the countfy, eager 70 % sOnle-
7 thing, bat there Is nothing Tor them 10 90.
Tie origin Of the disaster
y yariou4ly stated. The gers
orally accepted theory, which
ii tbat ~ the cpmpang's representative,
IL that Nick Williams, nho VAS cnitns q