The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-24
6 OR 7 LAMPS MISSING
Bodies of Eight Whites and Twelve
Negroes Recovered.
CORPSE OF SIM MCINTYRE NOT YET FOUND
Jim Seymour's Story Of the Explosion. Victor
Rudd of PENN, the First Man to
Descend Into the Mine H.er
the Disaster.
Especial to News and Observer.)

Especial to News and Observer.)
Sanford, \. G., May 23.-The latest
news received here from Cumnock
today is that there are SIX or seven
miners lamps missing. and it is feared
that more men are in the mine.
Further investigation at Cumnock
mines this morning develops the
fact that there were killed in the ex-
plosion yesterday afternoon only
eight white men, and thirteen ne
groes.
All the bodies have been recovered
except that of Sim Mcintyre, ne
GRO. which so far has not been found.
Jim Seymour, mulatto. was brought
up last night in an exhausted condi-
ton. and it was with the utmost diff
ficulty that he was resuscitated. This
morning he states that he was in the
east heading and heard a report which
he took to be the explosion of dN-
Mantle cartridge which was fired in
driving through rock and the next
instant the fire damp exploded. He
remembers nothing from this time
until today.
The bodies of John Connolly, mine
superintendent. and Jim Mccarthy
we're found within fifty feet of each
other, and were badly bruised by the
force of the explosion. Connolly came
TO Cumnock in February 1898. from.
the PENNSYLVANIA coal fields. where
he had worked his way up from the
position of a mule driver to mine
foreman. After working in the mines
all day. he took q course in mine en-
gneerng at night. and was consider
cd an expert in his vocation. He was
supposed to have been making Il sur
vcy in the east heading for new open
ings when death overlook him. He
leaves wife and three small children.
His remains will be taken with those
of Mccarthy to Taylor, Pa, for inter
ment.
FIRST TO THE RESCUE.
The first man to go down the shaft
to rescue the bodies Of the victims
was Victor Rudd. white miner from
Pennsylvania. Owing to the panic
that ensued the work Of looking for
the bodies did not begin until about
an hour and Il half after the eXplos-
iou
The case of young William Tysor
is particularly pathetic. He was a
bright. manly fellow. of very good
education. and stated to his father
only last week that he was fearful
of gas i'm the mine and that he would
give up the work Saturday next. the
pay dav of the mines company. He is
the only son of Mr. Jordan Tysor, of
Chatham county.
In Il small wash house near the
mines gate were laid out the dead
bodies of twelve negro miners. and
the eight whites were placed in the
slope engine house. a gruesome
spectacle-one the horror of which
has never been -equaled in this State.
except during the explosion of 1896
when forty-one men were killed.
CAUSE OF EXPLOSION UNKNOWN.
AS to the cause there are many
theories. but the real cause can never
he known. Some hold to the opin-
ion that the ire damp was ignited
by safety lamp, the gauze of which
had been broken: others claim that
the explosion of dynamite in OPEN
ing the new works caused the trouble.
A HEARTRENDING SCENE.
Too much cannot be said i'm praise
of the men who went into the mine
10 rescue the bodies. The scene at
the mouth of the shaft was heart
rending. Wives, mothers and chill
dren of the dead miners were waiting
all the evening. and it was not until
nearly midnight when all save one
had been carried TO the top. There
were a number of men working IN
the west heading at the time, but all
escaped unhurt.
From what could be gathered it is
the intention of the management to
furnish decent burial for all the men,
Indertakers from Sanford and neigh
boring towns are on the scene. and
by tonight it is expected that every
thing necessary to interment will
have been completed
The mines people were exceedingly
courteous in regard TO giving infor-
mation-a contrast decidedly to the
manner in which newspaper men
were treated in 1896 at that place.
Mrs. Connolly. with the remains Of
her husband and of Jim Mccarthy
will leave for Taylor tomorrow. the
Masonic lodge of Gulf. of which Mr..
Connolly was member. acting as es-
cort to the depot
This property has been unfortunate.