Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-20
A FEARFUL DISASTER
Terrible Gas Explosion In North Caro-
lima Coal Minis.
SOME FORTY LIVES LUST.
Rescue Parties Driven Back by Fire
Damp.
DETAILS OF THE DISASTER
DETAILS OF THE En-
seventeen bodies Recovered so '"r'
The Brave Twelve - Distressi"s
s,.r.s nj the Mouth of the FIT.
The Death-Rcii.

p.rrIGu n c.. December 1s.-(Spe-
c,al)-By far the greatest disaster Oh ''s
class ever recorded in North Caronha
occnrred from an explosion OF gas apou'
sls O'Clock this morning at the S"'"-
mock bituminous coal-mines. at
mock. Chatham county. about iorty n'''09
from here. In II nearly forty persons
los, their lives. These mines were opened
about fifty years ago as the EsSp' MINES
and lust before the civil war a ooi',''''
sion OF experts reported In favor -
,ohushine there great gun plant as
,ron-ore of good quality is quite near
During the war the coal was useu az ~"
FAYETTEVILLE arsenal to which me piah'
,ror, t,arner's Ferry had been removed
roR BLOCKADE RUNNERS.
Some OF the coal was also useu ="
blockade running steamers, leaving '"s
mort OF wilmington, but as IL niaue
.ooa aeal of smoke several OF the YES
so,s we've thereby betrayed and were
cantured. A year before the war 'here
was an explosion in the mines "h'eh
oaussa n few deaths. After the war
49, mines were virtually abandoned, but
about fifteen years ago were pumped out
and some running done, but the out
put was small. 49,.
Five or six years ago company 0On
posed of Pennsylvanians was FORMED
which bought the mines ana Two Years
ago the company expended ~co'VV on
new machinery.
CHANGE OF NAME.
This company changed the name TINS
wear from Egypt" to "Cumnock' aiter
noted mine in Scotland. and contract
was made to furnish the Seaboard AIT
Line with 800 tons of coal daily. TWO
r,aslxs ago Governor Carr and Stete-Ge-
oIoqist Holmes visited the mine and went
"a lis lowest level which Is at about
A5O feet depth. the shaft being about
fftv feet deeper. The output they
found TO be about 80 tons daily There
had not until to-day been any special
trouble with gas in he mine. Inc
force of miners numbered about seven
ty-fve. all save very few OF these
being from the surrounding country.
rrhsss COW were Pennsylvanians. brought
there by Langdon & Henszey. the prln-
cinal owners of the mine. As this is
the only coal-mine In the state, inter-
est in its work has naturally been
great. ,,,,-c
The noise of the explosion this morn
ing was heard distinctly at points twenty
miles away There were quick calls
for physicians to go 10 Cumnock. All
day there were efforts to get dehnite
news but these were unavailing until
night. when "A telegram came. saying
that forty-three persons were caught In
the mine and there was no hope or
saving any Of them Later news IS that
thirtv-eight were killed. and about twen-
ty-fye escaped The deadly fire-camp
checked the work Of rescue. and several
OF the members OF working parties
nearly lost their lives
Twice some OF the workers were IN
SIGHT Of bodies of the dead. but were
driven back. People poured IN ron ,ne
surrounding country. and from the ham
lets OF Sanford Colon. Luckville, and
Moncure and the scenes at the pit
mouth were agoniZing.
DETAILS OF THE DISASTER.
The regular day force Of sixty-six men
went into the mine at o'clock this morn
ing. and 80 per cent. never came out i've.
The exact number of the dead is not yet
known. but from the best Information II
il believed thirty-eight &c above stated
were killed. though some say forty-one.
The explosion occurred AT Si5 Its cause
is not known and will not be until after
the removal Of the dead. The hre boss
made the usual examination early this
morning and reported the Atmosphere all
right AS late as o'clock the mine fore
man made the same report. The explo-
sion tore away very little earth. both
shafts being free and open. All. save two
men in the chambers except in Chamber
No. /. escaped TO the shafts.
THE SHOCK SLIGHT.
Every miner in Chamber No. was
killed. Those who escaped say the shocl
was slight II is thought many deaths
resulted from after damp. There was {
quantity OF dynamite in the mines ant
this exploded. Seventeen of the dea'
were piled up at the shaft tonight. Nom
were brought 10 the surface. AT o'clocl
twelve men entered the mines TO renew
the search. Hundreds Of men stoo
around and refused to enter. Superin
tendent Cant pleaded with them TO assis
IN the rescue, but only twelve would g
down.
HEART-sTRICKEN WOMEN.
The heart-stricken mothers. wives, an
children have been crowding around IN
shaft utterlng pitiful cries for their dead
The searching party which entered IN
mine tonight Will bring up the oea
early tomorrow morning The debri
killed part OF those in Chamber l. tn
bodies OF the seventeen so far recovere
are burned almost beyond recognition
Five physicians are attending the IN
jured The clothes OF the latter in som
cases were almost entirely burned OF
The injured are: John Williams, fac
hands, ard arms burned: William Smith
cuts on head and face, and burned
Dempsey Halsey tcolored). hands, fac
and body burned; Jack Johnson, terribl
burned Most OF the dead are natiy
North Carolinians. One third are Penn
sylvanians. seven OF whom expected
return home tomorrow.
THE DEATH-ROLL.
The dead as Tar as known, are Geors
Andrews. william Baldwin, John Obi
John Gunter. George Monroe and sol
Thomas, Henry Morris and son Ran
dolph. Wright Tyson. Lucian Holling
Counsel l.. Poe. William Mcdonald ar
son, Michael Bently anu son, Edwar
Frank McKoy. Ivensen Smells. u
Hite (colored) Lewis White. and Arth'
White brothers, Joe Thompson tcoloreo
William Jenkins. (colored). Charles Po
Jerry Lambert and CASTOR. LambeI
brothers tcolored). John Shemburg.
German. name unknown. Fisher Reev
(colored), Clay Harris (coiored) All q
above save one were married and lea
dependent families. The otner dead, vi
were single men. are: Walter Hort'
tcolored). Lewis Shenkle tcolored), Jol
McIyer. Jim Reeves (colored), John Nc
wood. and four Germans. who had late
arrived; names unknown.
Weldon Waits.