The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-03-10
HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE.
Explosion of Dust in a West Vir-
GINA Colliery.
Ten Dcnd Bodies Are Taken Out of the
Mine-FOrty or More Men Still En-
tombed and Thought to
lie Dead.

Fire Creek, w. Va, March THE
most disastrous mine explosion ever
known in the New River district oc-
CURED at the Red Ash mine shortly
after the miners went to work early
Tuesday morning. Although the most
heroic work of the rescuing party has
been going on necessarily all day it
is impossible yet TO estimate the full
extent of the loss of life and property.
The latest reports since midnight are
that there are so miners cntombcd.
Ten bodies have been taken out so far,
but it is believed that all of the 40 who
are still in the mine will never be found
alive. The explosion happened as the
men were going into the mine, in
groupsand in couples in some instances.
and they were strung along in this
manner for ovcra mile, so that the work
OF rescue will require u long time.
There were more men near the en-
trance who escaped than were lost.
| Scene Of the Disaster.
The Red Ash mine is Il large drift
and the explosion occurred near the
entrance, which WAS thus closed by
the falling slate. cntombing Il large
number of miners. The scene of the
disaster is between this place and
Thurmond, on the south branch of
the Chesapeake & Ohio railway. and
every assistance possible WAS rem
dcrcd by the railway company and by
the adjoining mining towns. Relief
parties from great distances arrived
rs soon as possible.
1t is impossible TO describe the
amount of work done by the army of
rcscucrS. but they were greatly inn
pcdcd because of the extent Of the
enormous blockade at the entrance to
the drift. The largo side tires of the
entrance were blown out to some dis
tnncc, together with Il lot of heavy
timbers. Even mules were blown
out some distance. The force of such
an explosion caused an immense fall
ing OF the slate and other debris. so
that the entrance WAS filled up for
Il great distance. and the difficulties in
digging through it caused delay in
the work Of rcscuing AS many men
as could work nj one inc were dig
ging away With all their nigh, and
relieved in short relays by other men
so as to expedite he work of rcsrung
Il much as possible The first SUCCESS
full strike of the rcscucrs WAS about
ten Il. H.. when ten bodies were re-
covered.
| A Distressing Scene.
| At the mouth OF the mine the scene
| 1,ny Il
children and the nrighbors OF those
who were known to be cntombcd were
there in full force and their anXiet,
and distress WIS most intense. While
they were all seeking to help those who
were rescued and to get the mine re-
opened, yet these hrrcavcd people
were for the most part in the way OF
the rescuers and had to be held back
from the entrance.
Those who were but Il short dis
lance inside the mine almost all
escaped alive. but all were throw,
down and rolled along towards the
mouth OF the entry or picked up and
blown clear ont of the mine Sin
were together AZ the motor house 70
feet inside the mine and one of the
number WAS killed. the others cScnp-
| ing with in. iures. The first attrmpt
to enter he shaft after the rxplo-
sion developed tho Fact that the
after damp WAS so strong as to
render the rescue extremely slow and
1 hazardous. Up To midn"ht work had
progressed about 1000 feet from the
mouth.
Caused by Dust ;:sr!nsinn.
The general belief is that the rN-
plosiom occurred us contact wit dls,
| when the miners entered with their
| lights and lliat il MAS not due to lire
| damp, as has been currently reported.
| Nearly all the men employed in the
mine were white, only about onc-Gf,h
being colorvd and most of HE men
were married and bad families in the
little cottages near he tippIr OF the
great mine.
Experience of the Mine Hoss.
| John Long, mine boss. agrees in the
opinion that The explosion WAS due
to dust accumulation. lie SAYS the
ventilation of the mine was perfect,
and that the explosion can be ac-
counted for in no other way. Mr.
Long WAS on his way into The mine
when the disaster took place. lie had
gotten about so feet from he mouth.
lie was blown about 40 feet and
iammed up against some woodwork
with such force as to cripple him.
A large number OF cars that were
strung out from the mouth of the mine
inwardly were BLOWN clear out of The
opening and clear down he hill. One
man was blown out Of the mine clear
down the incline Tim Crumpton.
| blacksmith, WAS shooting Il mule out
side of side opening. lie was thrown
to the ground with great violence
Three hundred feet up the river from
the mouth Of the mine the force from
within threw up the dirt and made an
opening from the outside.
Cost of Philippine War.
Washington, March 7.-Acting Sec
rotary Meililcjohn sent to the house of
representatives II statement of ex-
pcnditurcs by the war department COW
ering the military operations in the
Philippines, including outstanding
1 liabilities, from May /, 1898, to Novcm-
Der /, 1899. The total is given at Sls,-
92S, 0GO.
Seed Corn for the Nile Valleys.
New York, March 7.-Egyptian in
terests have purchased in Philadelphia
10000 bushels Of seed corn, which thew