New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-07
PRICE THREE CENTS.
PERHAPS 125 DEAD.
TERRIBLE NINE EXPLOSION
IN WEST VIRGINIA.
OVER FIFTY BODIES ALREADY RECOv.
ERED-HARD WORK OF RESCUE.

ERED-HARD WORK OF RESCUE.
Fire Creek. w. Va. March 6.-The most
disastrous mine explosion ever known in the
New River district occurred at the Red Ash
mine shortly after the miners went 20 work
early this morning. Although the work of the
rescuing party has been going incessantly all
day it is impossible tonight to estimate the full
extent of the loss of life and property. More
than fifty dead bodies have already been taken
out At late hour tonight the most trust
worthy estimate obtainabIe puts the number Of
The victims at 125 The capacity of the mine
is 1I5. but there have only been 13O on the
payrolls so far this month"; and it is stated that
nearly all of these were in the mine az the time
OF the explosion.
The Red Ash mine is a large drift. and the
explosion occurred near the entrance. which was
closed by the falling slate. entombing large
number of miners. The scene Of the disaster
is between this place and Thurmond on the
south branch of the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail-
way. and every assistance possible was rendered
by the railway company and by the adjoining
mining towns. Relief parties from great dis
tances arrived as soon as possible. State Mine
Inspector Pinckney, with a corps Of experts and
many workmen, has been on the ground all day
rendering every assistace possible, and devotins
his attention more to relief than to official
investigation as 10 the cause of the disaster
]. Fred Efinger of Staunton. Va. the prin-
cipal owner of the mines. spared no efforts
in the work of rescue and relief. and his man
ager Ferdinand Howell had all the men avail
able set at work trying to clear away the
debris and rescue the entombed men, The
managers and bosses of all the mines in this
district came to the scene soon as possible
and Joined in the work Of rescue. 1t Is I'M
possible to describe the amount OF work done by
this army of men. but they were greatly I'M
peded because of the extent Of the enormous
blockade at the entrance to the drift The
large and heavy side timbers at the entrance
were blown out to some distance. together with
lot of other heavy timbers. Even mules we're
blown out some distance.
The force of the explosion caused immense
falling of slate and other debris that the
entrance filled up for a great distance. and
the difficulty in digging through II caused
delay in the work of rescue. AS many men as
could work at one time were digging away with
all their might, and We're relieved in short
lays by other men. to expedite the work OF
rescuing much as possible. The first
cess of the rescuers was about 10 a m- when
the bodies of ter men were recovered Seven
of them already dead. and The three others
were dying. AS the miners were at work at
different places in the drift and the explosion
caused the falling slate to blockade the rooms
in different parts of the mine. the rescuers met
with obstruction after another.
AT the mouth of the mine the scene was be-
yond description. The wives and children and the
neighbors of those who were known TO be en-
tombed were there in full force and their anx-
iety and distress were most intense. While they
were all seeking to help those who were res
cued and to get the mine reopened. yet they
were for the most part in the way OF the res
cuers, and had to be held back from the en-
trance
The mine is one of the largest in West vir-
ginia. and heavily timbered in the different
drifts. 1t was for this reason feared that those
who had not been killed by falling debris ar the
time of the explosion would be pinioned by the
timberS and suffer death from suffocation. Air
was forced into the mine by engines on the sur
plosion, but it was found that air could only be
pumped into the drift a short distance. The
pumps and all other machinery in the mine were
demolished, so that everything had 10 be done
through temporary arrangements on the surface.
After the men got under headway in the work
of rescue they reached the first party in less
than an hour. but they met greater difficulties
after that time. 1t was then that kilograms
were sent 10 Montgomery. Charleston and
other places for physicians. nurses and coffins.
but for the greater part OF the day there
use only for the collins. All work was stopped
in the surrounding mines of the district. and
the men within radius of many miles assem-
bled in the grounds Of the Red Ash Company.
The estimates of the number in the mine when
the explosion occurred. are based the
stated that by or $50 o'clock a. m. there
would have been twice as many men in the
mine.
The population of this mining village is only
five hundred. All are miners. and the calamity
None of the residents here have been at their
homes in the course OF the day, but they
manned around the mine Some did not eat all
day. Food was literally supplied TO the relays
of workmen in the rescuing party, but many Of
the women who could get word of comfort
refused to eat TO go 10 their homes.