The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1892-03-18
FEARFUL Loss OF LIFE.
TWO HUNDRED MINERS PERISH FROM
THE RESULT OF FrRE-DAMP.
Terrible Disaster Negr Chnrleroi. Beig ium,
Many Burned Bodies Taken From the
Ruins-He artrending Scenes at the
Mouth of the Collisry.

Ruins-He artrending Scenes at the
Mouth of the Collicry.
BRussELs, BELsIUA, March lI.--Fire
damp exploded to-day in the Anderluis
colliery. near Charleroi, in pit where
nearly 800 men were at work. The cage
and yentilator were shattered, increasing
the danger of death by choke-damp.
The explosion occurred in gallery 400
feet below the surface. Here were work.
ing 27O men. The explosion. occurred at
) o'clock this morning. 1t was very heavy
and the shock caused by it resembled an
earthquake. The ground for large area
in the vicinity of the coliery rocked and
trembled for several seconds from the i'm
mense force exerted
BY THE EXPLODING GASES.
Houses were shaken to their FONDA
tons, windows were loudly ratified and
smashed, and crockcry and other articles
of the household were thrown about and
broken.
Residents of the place were distrausht
with fear while these disturbances lasted.
but they soon realized what the nature of
the trouble was, their experience with
similar visitations telling them that an
other Of those heart-rending fatalities
which every mining town sooner or later
experiences had occurred in their midst.
Almost before the tremblings caused by
the explosion had entirely died away the
inhabitants began to rush from their
dwellings,, and crowds of excited men,
women and children, the faces NIL blanch-
ed with the horror which possessed them,
aocked to the mouth Of the fatal
pit, down which but few hours before
the miners had been lowered to begin
their work.
Almost every family IN the whole place
had relative or friend among the men
employed in the mine. The scene around
the pit soon became one of
GREAT EXCITEMENT AND ANGUISH.
Pteous shireks and cries resoundcd on
every side, as it was at first thought that
every one in the mine had been killed.
The women in the surging crowd were
especially loud in their lamentations, rs
they realized that the awful explosion
would likely bereave them of husbands,
sons, fathers, brothers, brothers or sweet
hearts.
AS soon as the overpowering and dead
ly fumes, which had been rushing up the
shafting stihing volumes, had been dssi-
pated, and it was thought that the pit
ho foc MT .
safety, hundreds of men volunteered to
descend into the abyss and commence the
work of rescuing those of their fellows, if
any, who might have survived the disas-
ter, or of bearing the bodies Of the killed
TO the surface.
Arrangements were quickly completed
for making thorough search Of all the
chambers and galleries in the mines, and
the first batch Of rescuers were lowered
down the shaft amid q chorus of prayers
from the bewailing women that their gall
liant efforts might result in restoring tho
imprisoned men safe to
THE ARMS OF THEIR FAMILIES.
The searchers were obliged to proceed
with much caution, as, their own lives
were always menaced by the possible fall
of immense masses Of coal from the roof
and walls, which had been considerably
weakened by the terrific force Of the ex-
plosion.
There was long interval of weary,
painful suspense before signal was re-
ceived from below by the watchers at tho
mouth Of the pit that the rescuers had
reached some of the miners and were
ready to have them hoisted up.
The cries, prayers and shrieks Of the
anguished crowd were redoubled and died
away to hush as the men ut the wind
lasses at length brought to the surface
the limp and black forms of from thirty
10 forty or the unfortunatcs.
All the victims were either dead or bad
ly injured, and the face Of each was fear
fully disfgured. Their countenances
were covered with blood and were black
from the volumes of smoke and dust
which followed the explosion, and were
swollen out of all proportions.
A great sheet Of fame must have swept
through the mine, as the hair, beard and
evelashes of all the unfortunate men had
been completely burned off, and in addi-
ton to the cruel cuts and bruises they
had received their
BODIES WERE HORRIBLY BURNED.
Kind hands bore the victims from the
place, and the wounded men, grooming
pitifuly at every step taken by their
carriers, and followed by their sorrowing
friends, were tendcrly conveyed to the In
Urinary, which had been got in readiness
for the reception of the large number Of
patients which it was known would soon
take all the resources Of the institution.
A large staff of doctors and nurses had
already arrived at the infrmary when the
first batch of blackened and disfgured
humanity was carried into the place, and
all necessary medicine and instruments
were lying at hand ready to be used for
the alienation of the wounded mems suf-
ferings. Everything possible was done
for the relief of the victims, doctors and
attendants yieing in their attentions to
the patients.
The crowd surrounding the mouth Of
the pit had constantly increased in num-
hers as the day wore on and the news of
the catastrophe sped throughout the sur
rounding country.
People Aocked from every direction, and
soon the place was packed with mass Of
men and women, all endeavoring to get
nearer the pits mouth and catch glimpse
of the mutilated forms rs they were slowly
pulled up the shaft. All were desperately
anxious to gain the slightest information
in regard to the safety of relatives and
friends, but in the great confusion and ex-
element which existed, no definite or
reliable
NEWS COULD BE OBTAINED.