The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-01-25
ExHuMED FROM THE MINES.
Three Bodies Taken from the New
burg, w. Va, Mine.
The Presence of Fire Damp Prevents
Further Explorations.

NEwBURG, w. Va, Jan. 23.-Accumula-
tions ofgas in the mine have greatly retarded
the work of exploration Since last evening
the men have not been able to go so far
along the main shaft as they went yesterday.
During the latter part of the night men pene-
trated through the side drifts to the stables,
where the mules were found dead The
animals were lying against the breast of the
coal opposite the stable, and had evidently
been blown from their stalls by the force Of
the explosion.
AT 9.22 o'clock the first body was brought
to the surface. 1t proved to be that Of Isaiah
Timmons, the fire boss, whose business it
was to inspect the mine with a safety lamp
before the men were put to work. He was
found about 300 feet from the foot of the
shaft, lying on his face, with his arms ex-
tended at full length The body presented a
horrible sight. The arms, limbs and ribs
were broken in many places, and the flesh
over the naked breast and arms was black as
charred log. The features were deeply in
dented with coal dirt and were distorted out
State Senator John Jones, had his jury view
the remains. They were Identified, and then
the undertaken placed them in rough box
and removed them to his place of business,
where they were prepared for burial.
The cage was at once sent down the shaft
again, and in few minutes it returned with
another body Mr.. Evans identified the re-
mains as those of David Miller. -cage-man at
the mines. His business was to attend to
the running of the cars from the main entry
track on to, the cage. His station was inl-
mediately at the foot of the shaft. He was
found about O'Clock last evening, after the
cage had been lo0sened and sent out, lying
partly on the base of the cage. His appear
ance and injuries c0rrespOnded generally
with those of Fire Boss Timmons. Ten
minutes later Isaiah Timmons' son William,
aged about Is years, was brought out. He
was the door-trapper of the mine, and his
business was to tend the door opening from
the space about the foot of the shaft into the
main entry or drift He was found lying on
his face about six feet away from the cage
His bones were broken in innumerable
places, and his heavy cloth trousers almost
entirely torn from his limbs One more
body, headleSs, was found by the explorers,
but was not identified. At9.45 O'Clock it
was announced that no more bodies could be
brought up for some hours.
AT noon four expert miners went down
the shaft for the purpose of investigating the
Sles aetga G9ndITaa ut Us bess 20 be done After
an absence of two hours they returned.
Superintendent Richardson said: The
mine is full of gas, and it is highly danger
Gus to work there under the present condi-
tions. The first thing to be done is to inn
prove the circulation of the air so as to
drive this gas out. This will be slow pro-
cess, and may require week or more. The
pump must also be attended to. 1t has for
tunately been working all right, but the
timbers surrounding it are badly strained by
the weight of earth and rock pressing
against them, and should they break the
pump will necessarily have to stop. A flood
ing of the mine will result. Another ex-
plOSion may occur at any moment
The scene about the foot of the shaft an ID
along the main drift is terrible, and shows
plainly the fearful force of the explosion.
Cars are broken, the track torn up, bulk
heads blown to fragments, and in several
places great masses of earth and rock have
fallen from the roof, almost blocking up the
drift. The effect farther back in the mine
must be much greater, and fear the bodies,
did not penetrate through the cross cuts into
the air passage, for fear of the gas.
The female relatives of the dead men are
suffering untold tortures, and several are
losing their minds Mrs. John Byers, whose
husband, Son-in-law and three other rela-
others are liable to soon be in her sad con-
dition.
WHEELING, w. Va, Jan. PA Newburg
special says local relief committee has been
formed with Mayor Ellis as treasurer, assist
ed by prominent citizens and clergymen, and
dDouI S4uO WAS TdiSeu III tne I0Wn. Inc
families are all poor and needy, all the men
having been in debt. The coal company is
issuing provisions from its store, and will
also bury all the dead. Those bodies already
found have been identified. The bodies were
found in various positions, some with arms
extended as if about to pursue their usual
work, and others with arms and limbs con-
tracted, as if in awful agony. All were ter
ribly burned and gave evidence of having
suffered great agony. 1t is thought all the
bodies will be recovered by tomorrow
evening.