Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-07-24
STATE NEWS.

The West Virginia Press Asso-
citation meets in Wheeling on Aug
ust 81. 1t is contemplated to make
an excursion to Niagara Falls.
Shocking and fearful tragedy oc-
Cured at an early hour Sunday
morning at the Union Coal Works,
OH the Ohio side of the river. OPP
posite Moundsyille, by which Bruce
Ramage, merchant who kept the
one store in the village, lost his life,
and the building in which his store
was located was literally demolished
and the fragments burned to ashes.
Before cheese explosions one or two
neighbors who were running toward
the building saw that the proprietor,
Mr.. Ramage, who slept in the store,
had broken pane of glass out,
had placed his face againt the open
ing in vain and insensative effort to
reach the open air. The succeeding
explosions made 1T an easy job to
reach his charred and disfgured
body, in which life fingered in spite
of the horrible shock, and Ramage
was removed to place of safety.
He suffered horrible agony. His
face was blackened. and his eyeballs
burned in their sockets. From head
to foot he was literally cooked. there
being scarcely place on his body
as large as dollar where the skin
was not scorched.
He lived in semi-cOnscious con-
dition for about four hours, death
ending his sufferings shortly before
Z o'clock in the morning.
The shattered building was mass
of flames before people realized the
situation. The blaze was prevented
from spreading to surrounding build
ings, however, by hard work. Elk
animation of the premises after the
flames subsidized sufficiently to allow
showed that the explosive which had
wrought the terrible work had been
placed beneath the building.
The store was light frame struc-
ture of one large room, and was bnilt
up on posts at some height from the
ground at one end. 1t was in the
openspace thus left that some person,
evidently with devililsh design, had
placed three dynamite cartridges,
such as are used in blasting coal in
the mine, and they were discharged
by means of fuse. The fiendish cal
culation Of the author of the wreck
had been too sure. The first explo.
sion partially destroyed the house
and set it on fire, and the succeeding
ones completed the destruction.
Ramage has been sleeping in his
store since he came to the place about
six months ago. He left family, a
wife and six children, who are said
to be i'll provided for-at his former
home in Washington county, Pa, be-
tween West Alexander and Clays.
vile. He was about 10 years of age
and quite well liked at the coal
works. He went into business when
he came there with Henry Campbell,
WHO came from the neighborhood of
st. Clairsville about the same time.
They continued in business, keeping
general store, from that time until
in June about three weeks ago when
they dissolved partnership, Campbell
leaving the firm reluctantly and
Ramage continuing the business.
Campbell's family lived with him
near the store. 1t is the common I'M
Outstanding among the neighbors
that the reason for the dissolution
was Campbell's lack of capital.
The separation caused bad blood,
Campbell getting very angry when
forced to retire from the business,
and, it is said, making threats against
Ramage. In view of these facts
and the testimony given at the cor
oner's inquest, Campbell was arrest
ed.