The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-19
NEARLY 20 LIVES IN PERIL,
GroVe Shaft Near Midlothian Burning,
With. Miners Below.
LITTLE HOPE FOR THEIR RESCUE.
The Second Disaster which Has Occurree
at This Mine-The Majority of the I'm
pirsoned Workmen Are Negroes
Work ofRescue to Begin To-Day

Glove shaft, near Midlothian. caught
fro from some unknown cause at i:S9
o'clock this morning. aud the shaft-house
and machinery over tho mouth of the
pit were destroyed. the famas being
distinctly visible from the top windows
Of The Times office.
TWENTY LIVES IN PERIL.
The hight shift went 10 work as usual
and there were fifteen or twenty men
at work in the mine when the accident
occurred, and their fate IS unknown and
cannot be ascertained until the timbcrs
in the shaft are extlnguished.
The shaft OF the mine Is ssx hundred feet
deep, and shored up with heavy tir'bers.
AT the bottom OF this deep hole an In
cline starts and runs at gentle slope for
two thousand feet.
FIRST WARNING.
1t was in this incline that the unfortu-
nate men were at work. and. perhaps.
received the first warning OF the threat
ening danger when the burning timbers
commenced 10 strike the bottom Of the
shaft, or, perhaps. when sitting smoke
warned them that death stared them In
the face. Nearly all the men at work In
the mine are colored. Maybe as many
as three are white, and one OF these is
the son-in-iaw of the superintendent OF
the mine.
GREAT EXCITEMENT.
Grove Shaft is two miles from Mldlo-
THAN Station, on the Southern Railway.
and details were impossible to get al the
early hour this morning when the catas-
trophe happened. Great excitement pre-
walls at the shops. and the
superintendent, who was the only
man competent to give information. was
so distracted with the horror Of the
situation that few particulars could be
obtained from him.
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
A watchman is employed at the mouth
| OF the shaft all night, and he could not
account FOR the fire. When he discover
ed it. the flames were beyond his control.
| it is said, however. that IL those who
assembled at the mouth OF the shaft had
| had the presence OF mind. the pit could
| have been covered over In two minutes
in such manner that the men below
would have been in no df ager, but In
the excitement such precantion was not
thought Of, and when 1t was suggested
| the heat was then TOO great.
! HOPE OF RESCUE,
| The hope is that the men learned their
| danger in time to place dam across the
| incline TO keep cut the heat and smoke,
| in which event it Is thought the air In
| the incline will sustain Iite until the fire
can be put out and means adopted for
| their rescue.
| FAMOUS FOR IT'S HORRORS.
Grove shaft is one Of the Oldest mines
In the United States, and has been made
famous by its horrors.
| Fifteen or twenty years ago a terrible
explosion rent the bowels OF the earth.
pierced by the deep shafts Of this mine.
and thirty-two men working in its lower
levels never again saw the light OF day.
On an incline deeper yet than the one
| recently in use lie the bones OF fifteen CT
| more OF the souls lost that day.
HALF a MILLION FOR RESCUE.
1t IS said that Burruss * CO., who then
worked the mine. spent nearly half mill
lion of dollars In trying to rescue the
miners alive and then recover their bodies
when It was certain that they were dead.
| The expense broke the firm. and the fatal
lower incline has TO this day been sealed
to human eyes.
THE OWNERS.
Grove shaft has for some time been
worked by the Virginia coke and Coal
Company, Of which John G.. Haddock. No.
Broadway. New York, is president and
ware y. Gay, Of Boston. OF the firm Of
Gay q Lorraine. OF this city. Is vice
president.
| II is said this firm handles much Of the
product Of the mines.
Owing to the lateness of the hour none
OF the members OF the firm were COM
municated with, though they were noti-
fled OF the Joss.
A BRIGHT BLAZE.
The mine is about twenty-five miles
from Richmond. In Chesterfield county,
and the flames were so bright that those
who first Lw the fire thought II was
Major Dooleys residence burning, his
home being just In line with the fire from