Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-02-24
DEATH IN THE PIT.
FRlGHTFUL LOSS OF LIF2 At TEE SPRING
HILL MINES.
One Hundred and Twenty WOrkmsn Killed by the
Explosion in the Nova Scotia Mine-Fifty-
one Widows aud Over a Hundred
Children in Need Of Bid.

SPRING HILL MINES, n. b, feOruary
23.-The mine explosion at this place,
Saturday afternoon, was more dlsas-
trouS to life than any other In the MS
tory Of coal mining on this continent.
Ii is a singular coincidence that the
loss of life EQUALS that of both the Ford
pit and the Drummond colliery eXplo-
sions. The number Of lives lost at the
Ford pit was 80 and at the Drummond
"a. The loss here So far as can be
learned, is now placed at Il. Oi these
81 were married men, who leave los
children unproyided for.
The relief fund of the miners, which
had a balance of =, 900 at the beginning
oi the year, is unable TO meet the ciai ms
that will be made. The relief from this
source at best can only be temporary.
This il so keeniy felt that meeting OF
the Mayor, Town Council and clergy
men was held in the company's Office
Yesterday, aud it was decided TO issue
an appeal for aid to the public. Thus
far "a bodies have been recovered. a
largely attended public meeting was
held last evenig, and arrangements for
public funeral, tomorrow, were com
pleted.
The following appeal to the public
was issued to-day by Mayor Hall:
A mining disaster, attended with Ia
tai results unparalleled in the history
of Canadian miners, has fallen upon the
town and people OF Spring Hill, Nova
Scotia. The loss OF life is probably aS
great as the combined appalling losses
at the Drummond Ford pit. About III
lives are lost, tifty-onc widows have
been left behind, aud l57 children have
been made fatherlesS. The widows
and fatherless children will need abund-
ant assistance, and that prompt, from
a public shocked aud Mortified by this
terrible calamity. Seventy thousand
dollars will be required to meet the de-
mands and alleviate the suffering OF the
bereaved aud distressed during the
most pressing period OF their dire mis-
fortune. The residents OF Spring Hill,
in meeting assembled. have appointed It
committee. consisting OF the Mayor
Town Council and all the resident
clergy, to solicit and acknowledge sub
scriptions to the Spring Hill relief fund
and they confidently aud earnestly ask
for an Immediate response from persons
Of all denominations, societies, trades,
guilds and nationalities.
This appeal for immediate assistance
is being telegraphed 10 all cities and
towns of Canada and the United States.
II is felt that something must be done
Immediately for the relief of The suffer
ing and destitute From many families
all means Of support has been Snatched
away. To-day there Is mourning IN the
houses, and il is evident that suffering
will ensue unless the response 10 the ap-
peal is hearty aud prompt.
Chief Inspector Gilpin arrived yester-
day morning, and, accompanied 10y Mr.
Madden, went down into the miae. Mr
Gilpin says that 50 far rs the evidence
shows, the explosion occurred on either
No. or balances, and that the lorce
Of the explosion in these balances was
very great, breaking boxes and mutt
lating men and horses. Two small lres
were smOuldering in the debris, but
were cxtinguished at once without any
difficulty by th, searching party The
explosion, Inspector Gilpin says, did
very little damage to property In No. =
slope. having extended but short dlS-
tance beyond the tunnel and all the
deaths in that slope were from suifoca-
tion 10y after damp.
Manager Swift was at the bottom OF
No. | slope about - minutes before The
explosion occurred, and intmatsd io|
one of the men that he was going into
the place where the explosion occurred.
He has has not been seen since. III i
probable that his body will be recovered
when some Of the debris Is cleared up.
A boy named Beaton heard the eN-
plosiou and rushed 10 the place where
he knew his brother was at work, aud
succeeded in carrying him of badly in
iured. His heroiSm is one Of the ehiei
topics OF conversation. There are
plenty OF volunteers TO search Tor bod
les. Men who came to the pit aS Spect-
tators divested themselves OF their coats
and unheSitatingly went Ia the rescue
OF their fellow workmen. Many ghaStly
scenes are to be seen both on the surface
and under ground. Several of the bod
les were so fearfuily mutilated that
they were placed in bags and brought
up to the surface.
A dispatch from Montreal says: Sen
ator George A. Drummond, Of this city,
is one of the directors of the Spring
Hill mines. He showed an official re-
port OF the manager Of the mines, winch
tells a remarkable story. 1t is dated
February Is, and in it Underground Su-
perintendent Swift says that much un-
easiness has been caused among the
miners by "Old Mrs. Coo known in the
neighborhood as the "Pictou Prophet,
foretelling an explosion which was to
take place in the Spring Hill mine.
In consequence of the old woman's
story. and the uneasineSS OF the men,
committee of the miners themselves was
appointed by the company, and, WIN
Manager cowan at their head, they be-
gan nm examination of the mines on
February 49, The West mine was eX-
amined. and on Tuesday last the North
mine was gone through, and the most
complete examination made of all seams,
drifts, slopes and leadings. Everything
was found in good shape, with absolute
ly no appearance of danger.
The fears of the miners caused by
''Mother Coo" were dispelled by the per
feet condition of the mines. except
among very few, who Stoutly main
tanned that the old woman never proph-
sizes wrong. The awful fuiilment oil her
prophecy came Saturday.
The work of recovering bodies has
been carried ON through the day most
successfully. A revision of the list
shows the number Of dead 10. or these
"A were married and 80 single men and
- boys.
The scene Of the explosion is about
three fourths sf mile from the bot
tom of No. slope. In all the boreS ID
that district the men were killed. The
bodies are being recovered quite rapid
ly A searching party is now under
ground and it Is expected that
an the bodies will be brought
ont to-day. There are several
now in sight, and these will be taken
nm Immediately. Relations are arriving
and claiming their dead and taxing
them awav. There are now 100 or
nhans on the list. Subscriptions TO the
relief fund are flowing IN. Frepara-
tions for the funeral OF the dead are
now being made. carload OF coihns
arrived LAST night aud more are eN-
pected to-day. The funerals begin this
afternoon. A large force Of men are
now busily employed digging graves IN
the cemetery. All the flags in town are
at half-masl. All OF the dead VIII oe
buried III separate graves which VIII
be distinctly marked. Searching par
ties are continually descending the pits
and returning with bodies. There is
not a sign Of the body Of Manager