Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-02-01
THE NINE.
A Description of the Orref Mine With
Diagram,
SpecLaI 10 The Sunday Register.

A Description OF the Orf6f hAlho Win
Diagram.
SpeciaI 10 the Sunday Register.
NEwBURG, January 30.-The vein Of
coal mined at this place BIZ the 0rrel Coal
C~ompany,in which occurred the late horri-
bic accident, is what ia commonly known
as the Upper Freeport. The shaft by
which the coal is brought up is three
hundred and sixty feet deep. Your reporter
visited the mine to-day and saw what may
literally be called o blown up coal
mine. One on the cage as it is lowered is
introduced to additional streams OF water
until it reaches the bottom when he is led
TO believe he has run under the falls OF Nj.
asars by mistake. Add 10 this incessant
pour of water black darkness, which is lit.
lie overcome By the small safety lamp
used, together with the unearthly noise of
HUGE PUMP
that has a capacity of throwing s~even.hun-
dred and fifty gallons Of water out OF the
mine per minute, and one cal gain On
idea of how the bottom Of the shaft appears
not only before but after the explosion
Stepping off the cage the first thing a half
scared pedestrian observes is that the bot
tom is too far below high water mark to
make gum boots deserving Of praise. Just
here it will be well to state that the water
pours into the mine at tie rate of three
hundred gallons per minute. Going into
the main entry but a short distance the
effects Of the explosion is to be seen in
abundant What is termed BY miners
a "falI' obstructs the passage.
Quite q number of these
PALS"
were produced by the explosion. In many
cases it is not simply the Earring down OF
the overbanging slate, but the solid sand
stone has met with the same fate, Great
holes torn out of solid layers of rock are
some of the few effects Of the ignited gas.
Passing on timbers, doors, brattices, cars
and everything in the mine is found
thrown and jumbled together in heaps.
Not ~untrequently q pile OF debris con-
tanned the body Of n Of the unfortunate
miners. 1t is said by some familiar with
the mine that where the largest falls" are
found there were formerly indentstions in
the roof that furnished q reservoir for the
gas, as the result Of which more was pres
ent at the time OF the explosion and the
effect greater.
The main heading extends over ont
thousand feet from the bottom of the shat
toward the south. No. l butt-hesding il
about two hundred feet 10 length anc
leaves the main return heading about thu
same distance from the bottom Of the shat
going to the east. 1t contains four rooms
No. 2 leaves the main entry about fvt
hundred feet from the chat and extend
toward the east six hundred and fifty feet
and contains tWeGty.seven rooms No.
butt head ng leaves the main entry at ii
head and is parallel with the others.
twenty-five men were killed
on THE SECOND BUTT HEADING,
where the work had for some time bee
principally carried on, At the mouth
the first right.hand room of this headin
vas located the door near which Newt
isms and. Hornby we're known 10 be q
work at the time Ct the explosion. Thes
Two men, though krown to be to2ethe
we're thrown in opposite DIRECTIONS by II
explosion, and lay about seyenty.ive te'
apart. Three bodies were found at th
heads of the main parallel entries. Mn
! we're in the room Of No 3 belt hesdin.
The fre-boss, luminous. lay between Il
third and fourth cross-cu's in the 7
turn airwsy. Joseph johnson W
$ Jus. above between the fourth 81
and fifth cross cuts Horribly was fcuf
at the the mouth of No 2 east butt he's
ing, while his companion, MCMILLAN
was found covered with debris in the hE
left hand room o. No. 2. east b1tt headin
The remsining three we're az the bottom
the shaft snd their bodies were by far I
70 most horribly mrtlAtsd Of any in I
" mine
col THE ACCUMULATION OF GAS
10 the mine is doubtless accelerated
three "fsul9," One runs parallel with I
M main entries while the other two are abe
50 at right sDgles to it. They are Fled vi
% @ mud and admit Of the passage Of E
60 much more readily than solid rock
slate.
~ About twenty Eve feet above this nj
90 is q vein two feet thick Of q coal that
% 9 noted for It's gaseous qualities. 1t has I
% uuently been noticed By miners that
90 gas came in from the roof Is vel q tn
~ the floor. In the former case it is thoui
90 to originate with the coal above.
"a AN ExPERT
g g to day told your reporter tha! anot
~ thing aitributing 10 the fast accumulat