Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-27
CAUGHT In THE NINE.
Two Men Lose Their Lives 10 The Pit
at WinterpOck.
CRUSHED by GAZING FINDERS.
The Four Members of Rcscuing
Party Painfully burned by IN En-
pIosfon I'm the Shnft-Thc Names
md Full Details.
md Full Details.

A dreadful accident by which two men
lost their lives and several others were
injured. occurred Wednesday in the
Glover Hill coal-pits, at Winterpock,
station on the Farmville and Powhatan
railroad, nineteen miles from chester;
but the news of the occurrence was not
received here until yesterday.
The accident occurred between $50 and
6 O'Clock in the morning, and was in
Cox's shaft. an old pit, which has been
in disuse for over fifty years. Recently
it was determined by Mr.. +. c. Dininny'
Jr., proprietor Of the Glover Hill mines.
to reopen this shaft, and. according
~ a gang OF Iaborers started down the
pit wednesday morning at the hour
named. Two Of them-a white man
named Holt Robinson. and negro, Dan
lei Finn-reached the bottom. and had
been there only a few moments when
the timbers supporting the sides OF the
sbaft gave way. and a mass of dirt and
coal crashed down upon them, crushing
the life out of them and burying them
out Of sight.
The other men FASTENED to their rescue,
hut were unable to reach them, as
shortly after the crash there occurred a
terrific explosion. a sheet of flame shot
up the shaft. and the rescuers-George
Garhert and -- Alvie (white). and Ben
Jackson. -- Choice Dick Hawkins, and
-- Lee (coloreA)-were so badly burned
that they were fortunate in escaping WIN
their lives.
Cox's shaft is double one-that Is.
there are two shafts, twenty feet apart
running down into the earth distance
of $50 feet TO level which connects
them. one is used for entrance TO the
pit. and Though it the air is pumped into
the mine. The other is simply an out
let for foul air.
When the timbers gave way ana pre-
cipltated the dirt and coal down into the
principsl shaft. the gas and fire-damp
which had for years been accumuiatlng
within the mine vas forced into the TWO
shafts and when the rescuing party, win
lighted lamps reached the level OF the
gas. the explosion took place. II was
terrific. and Jared houses for miles
around.
MAJOR MERRIWETHERJ JONES hOhl
Major Nerriweth"r Jones. OF this city
u.ho is connected with the mining ope-
rations as manager for Mr.. Dinnny, was
at the mouth OF the shaft holdlhB the
hammer-line when the explosion occurred
The timbers on which ne was lying were
blown into the air and he was down
some feet one of the timbers struck
hin, on the head and Knocked him sense
less but a telegram received from MN
Yesterday says ne Is not seriously hurt
T,bis onpears TO be a true statement OF
no q
renorts reached the city yesterday. one
renort had IL that there were two ex-
p,osions-one Tuesday morning at
n,cIock and the other Wednesday evening
about 7:30 o'clock.
Ths account here given was obtained
from a gentlemen who resides at VIII
terpock.' and reached the mine shortly
after the explosion, and the main Iacts
as given by him were corroborated by
the officials OF the Farmville and PoWha-
tan railroad.
THE BODIES RECOVERED.
4, noon Yesterday a telegram was re-
ceived by Mr.. James r. Werth, OF this
road saving that the bodies Of Robin
son and the negro Finn had not been
recovered. \ telephone message from
Chesterfield Courthouse. received AT the
Dispatch office late in the afternoon, said
intelligence had reached there that the
bodies had been gotten out
Mr.. Dininny. the proprietor of the
mines. was in New York at the time
of the accident, and he has not yet come
down.
Holt Robinson. the white man VINO lost
his life. was about Il years OF age
and unmarried The injuries OF the men
burned by the explosion are painful. but
II is not thought that in any case are
they at all serious.