The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-08
RED ASH MINE HORROR
NUMBER OF VICTIMS CONSERVA-
lively ESTIMATED At 81.
Thirty-FOur Bodies Recovered Up to
Late Hour Last Night-SOme of
the Miners Taken Out Alive.

FIRE CREEK, w. Va, March 1.-THE
rescuing parties continued working hard
at the Red Ash mine to-day in removing
debris and securing the bodies of victims
of the explosion of yesterday. 1t is still i'm
possible to give the exact number of vic
tins or to identify all the bodies that have
been recovered. The most conservative es-
Inmates of some of those connected with
the mine place the number of killed at
fifty-two, and there are others who insist
the number of victims will be found to
reach sixty Six more bodies were recov-
cred early this morning, all being dead.
A report was made at the mine during the
afternoon that the total number removed
was twenty-one. of whom fifteen are dead.
one fatally injured and five others seri-
ously hurt.
A report from the rescuers at the mine
after o'clock tonight, was that thirty
four bodies had been rescued, twenty-nine
being dead and five seriously injured.
Those rescued alive are Carl Downey, John
l.. Day. Joseph Elliott. John Kane and
Harry Dawson. While the surviving miners
and others estimate that there are at least
thirty-nine miners still entombed, General
Manager Howell says there are still in the
mine only thirty-six. The estimate of the
latter would indicate that there were sew
enty killed and five injured. as 1t is con-
coded that all of those still in the mine are
dead.
None of the mines I'm this district are yet
working and thousands of people visited
the scene of the Red Ash disaster to-day.
Some of the dead bodies have been shipped
former homes n
eral funerals were held here to-day and
many will be held tomorrow.
No definite cause for the explosion as
yet, has been learned by Governor Atkin-
son. the state and district mine inspectors
and others who are investigating the case.
In addition to the theories of dust, fire.
damp, etc. ii was claimed to-day that nat
ural gas had escaped into the mine and
that 1t fgnited when the miners entered
yesterday morning with their lighted
lamps. The work of the rescuing party is
retarded by hot air, and it is thought the
mine Is on fire. Air is being pumped into
the mine by compression IT will probably
be several days before all the bodies can
be recovered. as they are scattered along
Tor almost mile under the ground and it
Will require much time to clear the debris
from this long subterranean course
The following bodies, victims of the Red
Ash disaster, were removed from the mine
to-day: Simon Fitz. Neville Ramsey Ed
Hamrick. - White, aged twelve, Vol!ey
Agry. John Stone, Bob Hall. Smith Frank
lin. HOLSTER NOEL, Isaac Morris and n.
Dews. coloFed. The body of white man.
as yet not identified. was also rescued II
Is discovered that there were three more
men In the mine than were known of yes
terday. Isaac Morris. Walter Dennis and a
man whose name is not known all colored.
Through the whole of last night and ali
of to-day the relief force was worked i'm
relay crews. They labored increasingly to
reach the coal facing I'm the Red Ash mine
and thus reveal the full extent OF the dis
aster OF yesterday. The result is that at II
O'Clock tonight they are within one thou
sand or twelve hundred feet of their goal
while eleven more dead bodies have been
added TO the roster OF dead
Following Is a revised partial list of dead
and injured taken from Red Ash mine:
Dead-Charles Foutz, William Day. ST.
mon Fftz, Ed Hamrick John Day. Mat
thew Quaries, Neville Ramsey. one not
identified. all white; Valley Agery. Bob
Hall. HOLSTER NOEL. ~. Dewes. James
Washington. John Stone. Smith Franklin,
Isaac Morris, James Hackney, Sam Jack
son. all coloreds
Injured-William Robinson. Elisha Bruce
and boy named Tom. all colored.