The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-26


the number or widows aud orphans, left gricving
for dear ones, would have becu great. indeed NJ
mostly married men operated In the day shifts.
Work in this mine was suspended for a long
time. and the only coal mined was from No. or
west MINI.
l, Was matter of impossiblity to remove tho
bodies III oncs, ~ the undertaking woald have
been attended with great risk to the lives of those
attempting IL. . he interior. after short time.
was krown To be on fire irou the force oil the
plosion. Alter mature dclibcratiou by those in
tcrcstcd 1t was determined to Hood the workings
with water, so II force or competent hands were
detailed to Theoretically zeal the openings and air
courses.
An experienced drill man was brought from
the Gil regions of Pennsylvania a der lex was
ragged oui ON the top OF the bridge over one o.
terror. 80 well and carefully was this piece of
engineering executed that the point OF the drill
niinc one nall an inch. Large pipes Toc laid
from this dritl hole to Blucstonc river across tho
ridge, ana boilers. engines and pumps located
the ridge into the mine. After tho mine had re.
maincO
SEALED FOR MORE THAN A MONTH
it was opsncd and the work of removing the
bodies of the dead men and mules begun under
the supervision of William Moody, Esq, OF
Wilkcsbsrrc, Pa, assisted by competent force
ef experienced men from the same place. After
this was ccoiuplishcd and the men all removed
and their bodies deposited in the cemetery pre-
pared for them northwest of the town on gentle
rising slope, where they will rest undisturhcd
until tho last trump shall sound"
1t is unnecessary TO enter into the details of
this sad catastrophe, which all OF sudden
brought Pocahontis into notoricty, the papers
North, South, East and West being filled to over
flowing with trac and untrue accounts of the af-
fair; therefore, will not weary the reader witha
long and detailed rehearsal or the facts in the
case.
the importune time that it cid. almost worked
financial disaster to tho corporate body inter
company become, that it was compelled to bor-
row s25p,O0O, to keep its head above water, but
eventually tided over the loss, and was again
soon on the road to prosperity.
AT this time, or rather Immediately after the
RESTORATION OF the mine workings, Mr., Ilsey,
president, and Mr. aathr0T r.
Lathrop accepted position ut once with the
Lchigh Coal anu Navigation. Company, and now
family.
In the winter of lsss-1Ss4 the Legislature OF
Virginia made the town
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT,
and on the fourth Thursday In May, ISL an cleo.
tion was held for the purpose of cccting the OIL
mayor being p p. Dillon aud John w SPOTS.
Mr.. SPOTS WAS clcc'ci by large majority. Mr.
Dillon has since thar election been elected three
times to his in "iiant oiicc. being defeated the
last time by The present mayor, X. W. Wttcn.
nc iy!i ,wiag 60 Mr; Bascomb llancy as
SIS ant pot gent was elected. lie shortly after
hic election rcsi.ici on account OF Other AID
marc iInpnttant Gutr-. md MIR. IL. j. Recs was
appointed To Ill the vacancy. Prof Hodge sue
Hodge.
lmmeiia,cly upon Inc resignation Of Mr.
slcy, president NJ. II. Wickham was selected
ny ne boGr' or directors of thu company TO sue
Gee sir. lltlcy. he ONCE Mir. Wickham con-
tinWcd to hold until the summer OF this year, lS92
when he resigned for the purpose OF taking trip
To Europe, and was succeeded by Mr.. Brock, or
Philadclphia.
M Wickham brought with him as successor 10
Lathrop Que Mr.. John |. Munson. who had hccn
for some time connected with the H. G. =. Ok
Company. of Connellsvillc. Pa. Mr. Munso,'s
m fhp
was vcr5 short-livcd, the men claiming, that his
COMMENCING traits were very pronounced ami
very obnoxious u them and by anonymous notes
posted TO him notified him that his resignation
was In order Mt once.
Wcare now in tho month of August, SOP. with
ont super ntendent The question now natUr-
ally presented itself, "Who will succeed Mun-
SOM" The president put in an appearance, II
scmblc nj tho Union Church, whc c the answer of
this question was left to the men. This III, ctiu Z
resulted in the employees requesti g that w. q.
Davies, who then had charge OF the store, be up-
pointed rs Munsons successor, and he was nc
cordngly appointed to this important pt sit:on.
was al that time Que OF the force OF clerks in the
store. Mr.. GbhOn is now one OF the members OF
the hrmof Gibbon ~ Poindcxtcr, retail mcr-
chants i'll this busy town, and | understand IL
building up lucrative trade.
The operations of the company were again be-
ginning to bud and blossom, and recover from
the recent catastrophe. Coal and coke shipments
increased rapidly. Mr.. Floyd French was APP
pointed supSrintendent OF the coking depart
]
Was placed In charge OF the shipping, having pre-.
coded Mr.. French us supcIintend, mt of the coke
oven force. Mr. Geo. A. Shirley represented the
| pocahontns Coal Co. as shipping clerk, and to-day
holds very important position with the same
company at the T. wn of Bnefcld, w Va.
The railroad company was now in receipt daily
or more convenient cars for carrying the coal and
coke to market. Ihc products OF the mines and
ovens was being shipped to extreme Southern
and We-tcrn points, end the reputation OF the
fuel becoming well cs ablishcd throughout the
East and some section OF the North.
nf n end annlr
| II may he said. in l'ocahOntas; other and numer
Gus branches If industries sprung up, and old
more Openings made to the interior OF the coal
| vein that great quantity OF fuel might he
brought to the surface. Preparation was made
| for
THE ERECTION OF MORE OVENS.
! The Blucstone branch OF the railroad was
extended down the river TO Mill Creek a,d SIM
mons Greek. The town OF Bramwell sprung ifTI
life, mines opened on Mill and Simmot Creed
| John Cooper N Go. leased on Mill Creek aud
Booth. Bowen " Co. and Freeman Il Sons on
simmons Creek. These firms went to operating
at once on their respective leases. which they
had secured from the Fiat Top Coal Company
| pres ident and j. I'll. Bramwcll general mana ,cr
| with headquarters Tor long Tine Mt Pocahont Is
but aftcrward removed to Bramwcll.
| Through tho ndcfatgablc enere y of Rev. Will
so1, OF Giles county, the fr.t Baptist Church was
reared on the north side of Water street. A school
house was built for the use of the colorcd people,
NJ the west end OF Water street A primitive
! csi@hoosc for the confinement OF unruly members
OF society Went up on the south side of Water
street. and EcGr the cast end there OF; its site
now stances d large and commodous school house
credit TO any town OF mach greater prctcnsions
The Episcopal Church was planned, and its
construction started. Our Methodist brethren
also bcgnn their beautiful church on The W, 81
| side II Center st Get, and the same was flni he'd
and furnished early In the spring of the yra,
1856 and itov Z. Illcy regularly Installed as Its
pastor Mr. Tiley Is now missionary in Brazil,
and hns been for several years
Rector BeDj Dennis held the fort regularly now
| in the Episcopal Church, situated in the same en-
| closure with the Clark school house. Divine
| worship was held In orc or the other OF the
| churches every Sunday, and the citizens did moi
feel that they were near Us hcathcnsh az the ont
side world accused them OF being, and they real