The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-21
THE NORTH CAROLINA HORROR
Further Particulars of the Fear-.
full Mine Explosion.
Thirty.two Dead Bodies Rsoovored-Of
tho Forty-two Men In the nIine Only
Five Eseapad-The First Explosion
Believed TO Have Been Coal Gas. Thor
tho Dynamite. Followed by tho Deadly
"After-Damp."

"After-Damp."
RALEIGH, N. O., Eec. 20.--The Asso-
dated Press correspondent has lust re-
turned from Comniok the scene OF the
terrible explosion in the Egypt mines,
The work of rescue began late yester-
day afternoon. All the bodies were
brought TO the bottom OF the main shaft,
bue none was brought TO the surface I'm.
I'LL early thts'morning when swenty-four
bodies were brought TO the surface by
the rescuera. Eight bodies were found
after wards.
Reports as to the amount OF dyus.
mite in the mine conflict Some OF the
miners say there were five cases. or two
hundred and fifty pounds, In the mine,
while the superintendent says there was
only htt5 pounds OF the explosive there.
The theory OF the cause of the oatss.s
trophe generally heldis that.the first ex-
piosion was of coal gas, that then the
dynamite exploded and afser this came
tne s:ihing"after.damp" thas suffocated
all who remained silva.
Superintendent Cant said: s,The
cause OF the explosion Is not known.
SIN Investigating the matter thor
oughly and trying to ascertain from
every possible source how it occurred.
On the morning Of the accidene the.
fire boss made his usual round with tho
test lamp and reported to the foreman
OF the mine that everything was all
right and in excellent working order.
This was at 7.45 O'Clock. Twenty
minutes afterwards the explosion oos
CURED. All the air shafts have been
keps in the best order. The mine Ia
one OF the best ventilated in the
country, aud the company has receusly
expended great deal of money In
improving the mine and making Ii as
secure as possible. IL seemed to be
perfectly safe sn hour before the acci-
don't occurred"
IL was said among the people gathered
near the mine that the night before the
accident slight explosion Of fire damp
had occurred but that 1t was soon pub
OUT though night man ia said to have
been badly burned. 1t was also said
that, on account OF the gas in the mine
That morning. the minors were ordered
to "fan" fifteen minutes before going
to work. According to tho report they
famed only four or five minutes, and
then went to work. They are paid by
| the ton.
While the work of reacue was going
on the mouth OF the shaft WAS sur
rounded by large crowd of people. On
band and sons were buried In the bowels
OF the earth. Near by stood young
| wife with baby In her arms. Brosbers,
skaters and relatives from far and near.
stood around weeping and Willing. This
400 ming when the bodies were brought
to the surface seversl were unreccgniz-
able.
The negroes could not be- distin-
guished from tho white miners, oil
hni ,,,;k
| coal and many hsving their faces dio-
figured aud eyes burned out. DR..
Moore, the principal physician on the
scene, thinks most Of them died from
sutfocatoU by fire damp; but tho old
| miners think nearly sll were killed by
| the explosion. Four-fifths Of the dead
were married men, and their families
are left helpless and destitute. All
work has been suspended in that region,
and the people hang around the shaft
awed by the very horror Of it all.
pathetic inoidens occurred this,
morning when the bodiea were brought
to the surface. A wife and he- two
brothers-in-laws came to inspect the
bodies. The woman identified one Of
| the bodies as that of her husband.
When they csme to shroud him he was
found to be negro.
The miners who escaped alive tell
thrilling tales. One man, Joe Smith
had reached the foot of tho main hafe,
when he thought OF his con who WAS In
the division whore the explosion 90
Cured. he rushed back into the dark
ness to where the gas was burning
snatched up his son who had fallen into
q ssupor and carried him TO the foot of
the shaft. Both were bsdly burned but
they will live.
Those known to be dead are: Council.
Roe. VIM. Tyson. John Toby, A. T.
Andrews, G. Morrison, Geo. Monroe. q
son of George Monroe, Michael Bentley.
son OF Michael Bently, H. Morrison.
son of q. Morrison, John Gunter, Mr,
Quinn, Avison SmAles, VIM. Mcdonald.
Lucian Holland, Frank MoKsy, John
Smith, John Schmidt. Charles Stsrke
and four Poles who could not spealr
English and whose names are unknoyn.
All the above are white.
There were also thirteen negroes
killed in addition to the aboye-
named whites. There was forty.two
men at work In the mines at the
time. Five OF the miners escaped.
This leaves three in the mines whose
n MI