The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-09

SIcdlSSt HllHIlS uOIIO III tIt We" TSlN-
er regien occurred. at Red Ash, about
S o'cloek this morning by an explosion
in the Drift mine Of the Red Ash Coal
Company. The mine was full of men
n the explosion occurred near the
entrance, which was closed by falling
slate. A relief crew was quickly at
work. The working capacity is IT'S
men. and it was being worked to its
full capacity TO fill rush orders. 1t is
believed over 100 men were at work.
Already fifty bodies have beer taken
out aad the work of rescue is still CO.
ing on. State lii Inspector Pickney
IS ON the ground with a corps of ex-
perts lending all assistance possible.
The explosion made but little noise,
and the accident was first discovered
by a laborer al the entrance. The in
1ured are being cared for as we'll as
possible under the circumstances, and
every nerve is being strained to res
cue those still in the mine The scene
of the accident is three miles above
ThurmOnd, on the Chesapeake and
Ohio road.
1t is believed that four-fifths of the
men in the miles were killed.
The mines are on the side
abos'e water and the coal Is similar to
that r,.und in the Pocahontas district.
On this account, it is a here that
the accident cannot be caused by fire
damp nor by gas, as supposed, but
from dust, as was the case In n or
the tragedies some years ago IN a Po-
cahontas mine.
The news of his disaster swept
through the town like an electric shock
and within a few minutes hundreds of
men, women and children, relatives of
the unfortunate miners, were crowded
upon the scene of the disaster. AS the
conviction that the rescue of the en-
tombed men alive was hopeless forced
itself on the grief-stricken crowds they
beoame frantic in their endeavors to
reach their dead and dying in the
wrecked shaft, and the work of at
tempted rescue was organized with eX-
treme difficulty.
OF the first twelve men brought to
the surface five were dead or died
within a few minutes and several of
the others were horribly burned or
bruised.
As the work proceeded and the dead
bodies were brought up one by one the
scenes at the mouth of the shaft be-
came distressing to the extreme.
Shrfe+dng, frantic women and children
impeded the reScuerS and added to the
horror Of the wreck.
Fire Creek, w. Va, March 6.-The
Red Ash mine explosion is the most
disastrous ever known in this dis
trict. Although the most heroic work
of the rescuing party has been going
on necessarily all day it is Impossible
tonight to estimate the full extent or
the loss of life and property. More
than fifty dead bodies have already
been X out and the number of the
dead may reach s~eventy-fiye or more.
1t is thought tonight that at cas- for
ty-five miners are yet entombed In the
wrecked mine.
Every assistance possible was rem
dered By the railway company n by
the adjoining mining towns Rellet
parties from great distance arrived as
soon as possible.
The mine officials had all the men
available at work in trying to clear
away III debris and rescue the en-
tombed men. The managers and boss
eS OF all the mines in this district came
to the scene as soon as possible ana
Joined in the work of rescue. 1t Is i'm
possible to describe the amount OF
work done by this concentrated army
of men, but they were greatly mpeded
because of the extent OF the enormous
blockade at the entrance to the DRIFT
The large heavy side tires OF the en-
trance were blown out to some dis
lance, together with a lot of heavy
Even mules were blown out
some distance. The force OF Such an
explosion caused an immense talline
of the slate, and other debris so ina
the entrance was filled up for a Srea
distance and the difficulties in digging
through it caused delay in the worl
of rescue. AS many men as couiG
work at one time were digging away
with all their might and were relieved
in short relays by other men, so as Z
expedite the work of rescuing as muci
as possible.
The first successful strike of the res
cuers was about 10 o'clock a. m. whel
ten bodies were recovered. seven o
them were already dead and the otne
three were dying. AS the miners wer
located at different places IN the oril
and the explosion caused Ine Ialllnl
slate to blockade the rooms In dl1eren
narts of the mine the work of rescu
met with one great obstruction. ate
another. .,
The mine is one of the largest l
West Virgins and was heavily timber
cd ia the different drifts 1t was 10
this reason feared tnat tnose VINO na
not been killed by falling debris at IN
time of he explosion would be pinione
nv these timbers and suffer death froI
s~ufocation.
Air was forced into the mine by er
zines on the surface which We're keI
S-nrLine after the explosion, but it wa
fosnd hat air could be pumped int
the drift for only a short distance a
the coal. stone and earth shut on a
possibility of reaching the lnterlo
The pumps and all other macnlner
in the mine were demolished so thu
everything had to be lone threug
Temporary arrangements on the srfac
kilograms were sent 10 go Ne,
Charleston and other places LOT pm.
siniens. nurses and caskets, but durin
the greater part of the day there va
only use for the caskets: All work W.
stopped in the surrounding mines an
the people within a radius % 4 :,
miles assembled on the GROUNDS Oh q
Red Ash Company.
Had the accident occurred an no.
later many more would nave oeeh g
tombed in the mines. - =,
The estimates Of the NUMBER III =
mines when the explosion occurreu d
based ON the number who entered
! o'clock. The manager stated that
S o'clock or $50 a. m, there "ouu
have been twice as many men IN l
~~snAS