Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-06-17

Dominion Coal Company, to-day, when
two explosions occurred, causing the
death of more than a score of men, in
Guiding Thomas Johnson, the under
ground manager of the works, and
brother of the assistant manager of the
Dominion Coal Company. Up to noon
Is bodies had been recovered. The
names of the victims found up to that
hour follow:
Thomas Johnson, underground man
ager.
Neil Mcdonald, of Pictou.
John Dolye, ST..
John Doyle, Jr.
Roy McDougall.
Arthur Grant.
Stephen Mccormick, of Sydney
Alex. Mcdonald, Cape North.
Donald Martin.
VIM. Simpson.
Malcolm McAuley.
Two men named ellis, father and
son.
The explosions occurred in the West
pit, at depth of about three quarters
Of mile, and were caused by gas
which had accumulated in the old
workings. The full force of men en-
ployed in the mine at night is about
$50, but the night shift had just stop
ped work and all but about 60 had left
the mine. There was scarcely an in
PERMISSION between the conclusions.
The first was dull boom. Then there
was a rumbling noise like an earth
quake, succeeded by a deafening, pro-
longed and awful roar, which rever-
berated among the hills for miles, and
the shock of which shattered glass in
every direction in the immediate vi
entity of the disaster. The meaning of
the sound was well understood through
out the mining district and anxious
people flocked to the mine entrance.
Before they arrived 5uffocating vol
umes of coal smoke began to pour out,
showing that fire had followed the ex-
plosion
The officials of the mine were among
the first to reach the shaft A tale of
the men showed that some three score
were missing, but a moment later a
number of the miners appeared, having
escaped by a slope. There were about
25 in the company who were able TO
report their presence to the anxious
friends at the shaft, but several others
who had managed to get out of the
slope had fallen, overcome by exhaus-
ton or the fumes which they had in
hailed. When these had been numbered
it was evident that at least 20 men, and
possibly 80. had been cut off by the
explosion and persisted. Any who sur
vived the explosion would quickly have
persisted from suffocation.
Of the incidents attending the ex-
plosion, the survivors were for a long
time too confused to give an intelligent
account. There was no apparent dan
ger at midnight nor up to o'clock,
when the underground manager, Thos.
Johnson, now missing, last reported.
Shortly after o'clock the Waterman
smelled gas and burning wood and
Manager Thomas Brown was notified.
He opened the shaft just as the expio-
sion occurred. The work of rescue was
promptly undertaken by Assistant Cen
eral Manager Johnson and Daniel Mer-
lin, underground manager OF the Hub
colliery, with large number of miners.
The party was confronted with many
hung about the opening of the slope
weeping and distracted. Down below
a pitchy dark prevailed, lighted by oc-
casional brilliant bursts of the con-
fagration raging through the pit The
lamps OF the rescuing party shed feeble
CLEANS, and the volunteers CROPPED their
way down intp the mine. the poisonous
gas almost choking them. After a
brief time body was brought up. then
another and another until thirteen had
come TO the surface. None of them
were mangled, but all were blackened
The bodies were laid side by side in
the large room in the Office building
Men and women crowded into the place
and the identifcations were accompa-
MED by most pitiful scenes.
In the midst of the excitement at the
mouth of the shaft the unconscious
form OF Manager Brown was brought
to th,, surface. The opening OF door
in ore of the passages was followed
by az explosion and Mr. Brown fell
down. having been made senseIess By
the stock.
In 3pite of the eoffrts OF the rescuing
party the proportions Of the FIRE in
the pit soon forced them to give all at
tentidn to that. The flames seemed to-
gain headway despite the utmost e.