The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-09-29
AN EXPLOSION IN A MINE.
Eight Miners Were Killed. Twenty Seven
Made Their E,cape and Nineteen
Were Rescued.

BROWNSVILLE, Pa, sept "a Fifty
four men were entombed in the TN.
pire mine of Snowden, Gould & Co.
one-fourth mile below Brownsville. by
an explosion of gas at s O'clock Friday
morning. Two dead bodies have so
far been taken out The dead are
James Hall and John Bcnuct.
Searching parties are making fran
tic efforts to reach the entombe,l
miners, but their progress is slow and
there is great danger of another ex-
plosion, which might bury them also
under tons of rock and earth.
Immediately following the explosion
OF gas there was second explosion OF
fire damp. There were l40 men in the
mine at the time Of the explosion,
work having been begun for the day a
short time previous OF these IS were
in Entries Nos and 10.
-Four men. Jacobs, Davis. Whetzell,
and Walker, were near the mouth
of the entries The others were far
in. When the explosion came these
four men made a rush for the main
heading, which they succeeded in
reaching, though all were more or less
injured. They finally crawled out to
the open air. OF the 5S men in entries
9 and 10, these four are the only ones
who are known TO be alive. They say
there is no possible chance for the es-
cape OF the 81 who worked with them.
Intelligence of the disaster soon
spread and crowds gathered around
the mouth Of the mine Terrible
scenes of grief and horror were pre-
sentcd. Wives and children Of the en-
tombed men were frantic with grief,
and their shriels and walls were
frightful to hear. Notwithstanding
the great danger the rescuing parties
are working bravely, but their efforts
have so far been fruitlcss.
At o'clock Friday afternoon five
more bodies were recovered and il was
feared that none of those still en-
tombed would be taken out alive.
The names of the five found were:
Harry IIagar, John Cartwright, VII
liam Prichard, John Iiaistua and 5.
Hastings
Twenty-seycn of tho entombed
,,nipors ratrrpaI 90 +o,,.o bov;v. 40
capped by traversing a mile and half
Of underground passages coming ont
at an opening near Lynn Station, on
the Redstoc branch of the Pennsyl.
vania railroad. This point is four
miles from the opening Of the mine on
the Monongahela river.
Another body, that of Robert Davis,
has been recovered, making eight dead.
John Baker and his son George, who
escaued the back way, are terribly |
burned about the face, but will likely |
recover. Nearly all who escaped are
injured or burned, either slightly or
seriously. The dead are unrccogniza-
ble, being burned and mutlated A
hasty improyised morgue was ar
ranged at the entrance to the mine
The explosion is said 70 have been |
caused by the loosening of n large
block of coal, which opened a pocket
Of gas.
The entry where the explosion oc-
Cured is located about n mile and a
half from the nit mouth. The mine is
m old one and pretty we'll worked
put The men wore open lamps. such
rs are used in all the Mongahcla river
mines
or the number entombed all escaped
or were taken out by rcscuing parties
Except eight, who were killed outright
and three more or less hurt.