Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-01-28

not tell thc tale. His mangled
body lies at the imprOyiSed
morgue. The only evidence that
he attended TO his duties, is two certid-
Gates which he sent 10 General Superin-
teudent Lynch this morning, stating
that he had examined the mine and
found 10 in safe condition. The
miners knew these certificates had been
filed out and went 20 work. They never
returned.
Superintendent Heighly was at the
mine when the explosion took place
lie Immediately called for volunteers,
and gathering few about him descend
ed the shaft Before doing so be- nOti-
ICED General Superintendent Lynch, and
that gentleman ordered all mime super
tutcudeutS in the region 10 the scene.
When the volunteers entered the mine
sight impossible 90 picture met them
Bank cars, mules, and more terrible than
ali, men We're piled iu a compact mass
against the ribs or walls Of coal. and
not living thing was in the wreckage.
10 was almCst as solid aS the coal itself,
So terrific was the force of the eXplos-
ion. This obstruction was removed,
" NAl AllINN NNN UlAM NAlN AAfA MNAAA NAts
The first object they discovered after
leaving the main entry was a gum boot.
lu 10 was the leg OF a man. Further on
they found "a head, a human head, but
nowhere in sight was the trunk that had
borne 10 but few minutes before. After
walking distance, surrounded by dan
gers unseen. but, more terrible than
can bee imagined, they found
the trunk. Working their way In, the
band found bodies strewn along the
gangway. One unfortunate met death
while on his knees in prayer with his
hades clasped and ewes upturned 10 the
Great Judge. His body was found in
this position. Ii was pathetic picture.
While all this was occurring the people
of the region were concentrating al the
scene OF the great disaster, On every
lip was the question, Can We save
any?' Among the iirSt TO arrive from
30 distance were General Superintendent
Lynch. Chief Engineer Paddock, Robt.
Morris Ramsey, superintendent Laird,
Captain SchoOnmaker and other
officials OF the frick Company. Follow
ing them came physicians and under
takers from ScOttdale, Mt Pleasant and
aud after them the digni-
fled form Of Father Lambing, Of Scott
dale. came iu sight. and soon hc was
among the bercaved with
word, OF sympathy and confidence
Dead bodies were brought up every few
minutes. and the crowd at the shafts
simply fen back 20 allow the men ear
ryiug the >tretcher room to pass.
Every corpse was covered, aud no one
even yenturcd 90 inquire whose body IL
was. for they knew every one in
that part of the mine 40 the
Q line of the explosion was dead. super
iutendent kcighly was a sorely distress
ed man. He said: "No man living
knows the cause Of the accident and IL
viii never Dee known for a certainty.
As soon as ] learned that something un-
usual had happened, / secured vOluu-
tsers and went down into the shaft. l
bratticed all the entries and forced the
air 90 flats %, and 4, where the damage
was done AbOut 800 feet from the bot
tom of the shaft We encountered tallot
rock in the gangway which was caused
by the explosion Empty cars con-
uletely wrecked. We're piled up against
it. We cut our way through and | got
down into the dip where the men were
working and then We were constantly
falling over dead bodies. Not so many
were killed by the explosion but the
dreaded after damp came on the poor
fellows and they succumbed tOit. This
i~ evident from the fact that only a
small proportion of the dead taken out
were bruised iu amy way. The mine
D., 800 right The pumps are work and
th,r,. is uu further danger"