Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-24
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN DEAD
Extent of the Disaster at the Nova Scotia
Mines.
rBy telegraph to the Dispatch.l

rBy telegraph TO the Dispatchl
SPRING HILL MINES, N s., February o.
At midnight ninety-four bodies had been
recovered, and the total number Of dead is
thought TO be III. A largely-attended
public meeting was held last evening and
arrangements for public funeral Tuesday
were completed. Chief-lnspectOr GIpin
arrived yesterday morning, and, accompa-
MED by Mr. Madden, went down into the
mine. Mr.. Gilpin says so far as the evil
dence shows the explosion occurred in
either No. Z or No. 6 balance, and that the
force of the explosion in these balances
was very great, most of the timber being
knocked out, allowing the roof TO fall,
breaking the boxes and mutllatlng men
and horses. Two small fires were shoulder
ing in the debris, but were put out at once
without any difficulty by the searching
party.
little damage TO the property In No.
slope, having extended buta short distance
beyond the tunnel. and all the deaths IN
that slope were from suffocatiOn by after
damp.
Manager Swift was at the bottom of No.
! slope about fifteen minutes before the eX.
ulosion occurred, and intlmated to one OF
the roadsmen tina. he was going into the
place where the explosion occurred. he
has not been seen since. 1t is probablethat
his body will be recovered when some OF
the debris is cleared up.
HRBoIsM OF A BOY.
A boy named Beaton heard the explosion
and rushed off to the place where he knew
his brother was at work and succeeded IN
carving him out, badly injured. His hero
ism is one of the chief topics of converse
tion. There were plenty of volunteers TO
search for all the bodies, Men who
came TO the pit as spectators divested
themselves Of their coats and unhesltatlng-
ly went TO the rescue Of their fellow-work-
men. Many ghastly scenes were to be
seen both on the surface and underground.
Several of the bodies were so feartully mu;
tilated that they were placed In bags and
brought up to the surface. -,
The explosion was more disastrous to life
than any other in the history of coal-mln-
ing on this continent. 1t is singular CO
Incidence that the loss Of life equals that
of both Ford pit and Drummond colliery
exnIosions. The number of lives lost at
Ford Pit was fifty-three, and at Drummond
sixtv-four. The loss here, so far as can be
learned, is now placed at III. Of these
fifty-one are married men, who leave l5l
children unprovided for. The relief fund
of the miners, which had balance OF 81
600 at the beginning of the year, Is unable
TO meet the claims that will be made. The
relief from this source, at best, can only be
Temporary. This is keenly felt. A meet
;Dg 1e,i Of the mavor. Town Council and clergy
men was held in the company's office
Yesterday, and it was decided to issue an
appeal for aid to the public.
ONE HUNDRED AND sIxTY-oNE CHILDREN Or
PHANED.
The list Of dead now reaches 49, OF
whom 81 were married, 40 single, and 25
boys. Ninety-seyen bodies have been
taEen out. One hundred and sixty-one
children were orphaned. Great distress
prevails. No explanation of the accident
can be given. The mine Is being put IN
order to resume operations Wednesday.
The damage TO the property is compare
lively small.
APPEAL FOR AID.
The following appeal has been issued TO
the public; .,.
mining disaster, attended with fatal re-
snlts unparalleled in the history OF Cana
dian miners, has fallen on the town and
neople of Spring Hill, Nova Scotia. The
ioss OF life is probably as great as the COM
bined appalling losses at the Drummond
and Fort Pitt explosions. About li9 liVes
are lost, 81 widows have been left behind,
and 16i children made fatherless. The
S1idows and the fatherless will need abun-
dant assistance, and that promptly, from a
public shocked and horrihed by this teri
rible calamity.
SEVENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS NEEDED.
Seyenty thousand dollars will be re-
onired 10 meet the demands and to allevi;;
ate the sufferings of the bereayed and
distressed during the most pressing period
of their dire misfortune. The residents OF
Spring Hill in meeting assembled have ap-
nninted a committee consisting of the
Mayor. Town Council, and oil the resident
clergy to solicit and acknowledge sueoscrlp;;
tionSt to the Spring Hill relief fund, and
tbev Confidently and earnestly ask for an
Immediate response from persons OF all
denominations, societies, trades, guilds,
and nationalities. -,