The Savannah morning news., 1900-11-04
MANY WERE KILLED
FATAL EXPLOSION II a WEST Vln-
GINA COAL NINE.
TWELVE KNOWN TO BE DEAD.
SEVERAL OTHERS SAID 10 M "a
TALLY INJURED.

Explosion Was 80 severe That some
Of thr victims Were blown to
Pfercs-uorribie sights Witnessed
nt the Mine shnft-Nsny searching
Tor Rcinttvc--Inauest Win tie
ueId aud Prosecutions Way FOL
low
PaH.pp vs. va. Nov. 3.-0nc % ihc
greatest cnlam.lcr IN tnc hIstors 90 Hl--
bour county occurred this morning 90 :
O'Clock ut the mines Of the southern Doai
and transportation Company az Hlrrlf-
burg sN miles from this place As 70
result these are dead
ollie Marks pic boss Andrew Black
well Albert Brown. Lawrence Duncan.
Pack Adams. and seven others whose
names are not ohta.nahio
The injured are. Wiu Marks and Jamea
jackson. both u wnom VIII dic.
The explosion was 80 sr.at that mule
were killed az me mouth ~ me mime ana
cars were blown forty feet from Tho track
One man was blown n two a. the loius
lumber az tho mouth of the mine.
The night f1iG went on duty A. e
O'Clock Everything went on smoothly un-
eli ahou, midnight. when tae explosion
occurred The dead were mutuatei beyond
description. and the scene WAS calculat-
I'd 70 make the strongest heart faint
The explosion was probably the result
Of an accidental discharge ~ dynamite.
caused. perhaps by the conclusion of Il
blast The property loss Is light No blame
can be attached 20 the oficials OF the
company.
A coroner's inquest will he held ,o-mor-
row 81 which thno additional facts A. 20
the cause Of tho explosion NAV be- ob-
tanned Operations VIII be resumed &C the
mines a. usual Monday.
Was Horrible sight.
The report Of tho explosion was %
great that two men were found sixty feet
from the mouth Of the mine An hour
after the explosion hundreds had visited
the mine. Tho call for relief brought
every physician IN Philirpi to the scene.
The sight was most horrible one
strewed along the main channel ana
about the opening We're the arms. leg.
hands and other portions Of the bodies o.
the dead miners.
Father and mothers were franucally
hunting Cor sons. and az fast a. holy
was recovered they would glance 81 Il
and recognizing IL would give hysteriral
ts.f.
hospital and those stln alive when
brought out were taken there.
There Is great deal 81 comment about
the cause OF the explosion Tho author
tiles refuse 60 discuss the matter further
than 20 say u was caused by an excessive
charge Of powder being used The mners
insist that &; was caused by IRE damp.
The mine was rocenaiy inspected and
pronounced 60 hc in good condition.
John " Green. who was In the mine
az the time OF the explosion and as aped
injury. gives The following account Of d.;
Il went into the mine az 7.0 O'Clock and
went 90 Room No. ]. I had been at work
an hour or 80 when smelled black damp
] noticed my lamp would flicker I went
10 the mine boss and told him about g.
lie laughed aud said IL was al right
went back 20 work and about midnight
heard a terrific noise. which knocked me
down and pu, out my lamp ] was stun
ned for a moment and then realized what
had happened I was close 10 che en-
trance and crawlcd over the bodies OF two
men,"
Bodies BADLY MutlIatcd.
A. the work Of removing the dead goes
on things look worse. -Four men have been
brought out during the last hour and the
soarchers report that "a dozen are vet in
the mine Most Of those brought out are
mutilatcd beyond description. The mines
OF Borrysburg have only been operated a
short time They have had q great deaf
OF trouble FIRST. the mines were flooded
and then the men struck Last week the
stables we're set on FIRE and twenty-siN
horses burned. Now GENES tho explosion
Col. r. +. Berry the millionaire mine
owner. arrived here this morning. hut re-
fused 20 discuss the AFFAIR Most 81 the
miners have been here but few weeks
and as they were almost unknown 90 each
other 81 IS hard 90 recognize a man when
he Is found Most OF the men came from
North Carolina and the District Of Column
bla
Ugiy rumors have been afoat an day
long about the cause Of the disaster. Tho
most charitable construction to place ON
The matter S. that It was due 10 the in-
experience o. the mine boss. Ollie Marks.
who wns killed.
Prosecuting Attorney c NJ Murphy ana
Justice ". q Keys Loft tonight for
Barrysburg 90 hold an inquest
a messenger ipst returned from the
mines. states that tho bodies % twelve
men have been brought out. eight OF
whom were recognized.
-Four men arv IN rhe hospital no, ok.
pected 10 1--we until morning TWENTY
men arc unaccountcd Tor. The men wcr,
mostly negroes ana slavs.