The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-01-28

body lies at the improvised morgue.
The only evidence that he attended to
his duties is two certificates which he
sent To General Superintendent Lynch
this morning, stating that he had exam.
ined the mine and found 1t In safe con-
dition. The miners knew these certif'
Gates had been filed out and went to
work. They never returned.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
Superintendent Keighly was at the
mine when the explosion took place.
He Immediately called for volunteers,
and gathering few about him descended
the shaft. Before doing 80 he notified
General Superintendent Lynch, and that
gentleman ordered all mine superinten-
dents in the region to the scene. When
the volunteers entered fhe mine sight
impossible to picture met them. Bank
cars, mules, and, more terrible than
all, men were piled in a compact mass
against the ribs, or walls Of coal, and not
a living thing was in the wreckage. 1t
was almost as solid as the coal itself, 30
terrific was the force Of the explosion.
This obstruction was removed with diff
Guilty, and the rescuers went on. They
entered chamber Of horrors.
CHAMBER OF HORRORS.
The first object they discovered after
leaving the main entry was gum boot.
In 1t was the leg OF a man. Farther on
on they found a head-a human head
but nowhere in sight was the trunk that
had borne it but a few minutes before.
After walking a distance, surrounded
by dangers unseen, but mora terrible |
than eau be- imagined, they found
the trunk. Working their way
in the band found bodies strewn
along the gapgway. One unfortunate
met death while on his knees in prayer,
with his hands Clasped and eyes mp.
turned to the Great Judge. His body
was found in this position. 1t was pa.
thetic picture. While all this was oc-
curing the people Of the region were
at the scene OF the great
On every lip was the ques.
ton: "Can we save any 2"
ALL WE'RE DEAD.
Among the first to arrive from dis
lance were General Superintendent
Lynch, Chief Engineer Paddock, Robert
Morris Ramsey, Superintendent Lsird,
Captain Schoonmaker and other ofiicials
Of the FriCk company. Following them
came physicians and uudertakers from
Mt. Pleasant and Greensburg,
and after them the digniLied form OF
Father Lambing, OF sCottdaIe. came in
sight and soon he was circulating among
the bereaved with words OF sympathy
and coincidence. Dead bodies were
brought up every few minutes, and the
crowd at the shalt mouth simply fell
back to allow the men carrying the
stretcher room to pass. Every corpse
was covered and no one even ventured
% inquire whose body it-was, for they
Knew every one in that part OF the mine
1t the time OF the explosion was dead.
STUMBLED OVER THE DEAD.
Superintendent Keighly was sorely
distressed man. He said: "No man
living knows the cause OF the accident
md 1t will never be known for certain
". As soon US l learned that something
Unusual had happened, l secured volun:
eers and went down into the shaft.
oratticed all thd entries and forced the
air to flats 9, 8 and 4 where the
1amage was done. About 200 feet from
he bottom Of the shaft We encountered
! fall OF rock in the g4ngwGy which was
caused by the explosion. Empty cars,
wrecked, were piled up /
against It. We cut our way through
md l, got down into the dip
where the men were working,
and then we were constantly
ialling over dead bodies. Not SO many
we're killed by the explosion, bat the
dreaded after damp came on the poor
fellows ami they sucCumbsd to it, This
Is evident from tho fact that only a
mall proportion oil the dead taken out
we're bruised in any way. The mine is
al right. The pumps are working and
there is NO further danger"