Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1900-03-09

Charleston, ". Va, March 6.-The
greatest mining horror in the New
River region occurred at Red Ashe,
about o'clock this morning by an ex-
pIcsion in the drift mine Of the Red
Aghe Coal Company. The mine was full
of men and the explosion occurred near
the entrance, which was closed by fall
ing slate. 4 relief crew was quickly at
work The working capacity Of the
mine is IFS men and i was being work.
ed to its full capacity to fill rush or
ders. It is believed over 100 men were
at work. Il
Already fifty bodies have been taken
out and the work OF rescue is still going
on. /
State Mine Inspector Pinkney is on
the ground with a corps of experts
lending all assistance possible. Il
The explosion made but little noise,
and the accident was first discovered
by a labOrer at the entrance The in
jured are being cared for as well as
possible under the circumstances and
every nerve is being strained to rescue
those still in the mine. The scene OK
the accident is three miles above Thur
mond on the Chesapeake and Ohio
road. The principal owner Of the mine
is J. Fred Effnger, of Staunton, Va.
The manager IS Ferdinand Howell. It
is believed that four-ffths Of the men
in the mines were killed.
The mines are on the mountain side
above water and the coal is similar 10
that found in the pCCahOntaS district.
On this account, it is said here that the
accident cannot be caused by fire damp
nor by gas as supposed, but from dust,
as was the case in one Of the tragedies
some years ago in a POCahOntas mine.
The district is a wild one on Rush Run,
which is a south branch Of New River,
having it's mouth at ThurmOnd. 1t is
about siXty-five miles from this city.
The miners occupied the dwellings in
the vicinity of the mines.
The neWsOf the disaster Weptthrough
the town like an electric shock and
within a few minutes hundreds of men,
= women ana children, relatives Of the
unfortunate miners, were crowded upon
the scene of the disaster AS the con-
viction that the rescue Of the en-
tombed men alive was hopeless forced
itself on the grief stricken crowds they
became frantic in their endeaVOrs to
reach their dead and dying in the
wrecked shaft, and the work Of at
tempted rescue was organized with eX-
IRENE difficulty. Of the first twelve
men brought to the surface five were
dead or died within q few minutes, and
several Of the others were horribly
burned or bruised.
AS the work proceeded and the dead
bodies were brought UP one by one the
scenes at the mouth of the shaft be-
came distressing to the extreme. Shrek
ing, frantic women and children i'm
hn md = Cd to a
horror Of the wreck.
Fire Greek, W. Va, March 6.-After
twelve hours work at the wrecked
mine for relief, it is stated tonight
that there are at least fOrtyfVe miners
still entOmbed.
At late hour tonight the most relia,
BILE estimate obtainable puts the number
of the victims at 125. So far as could be
learned there were. thirty-seven dead
bodies in the village tonight that have
been raken cut OF the mine during the
day, and there are also parts Of human
bodies at different places, manGled beyond
recognition. Most Of the bodies that can
not be identified or recognized have been
placed in the large blacksmith shop. Civ
ing the shop the appearance Of a horrible
lnorgue.
The general belief is that the explosion
occurred by contact with dust when the
miners entered with their lights, ans
: that it was not due to fire damp, as has
been currently reported all day. Near
all the men employed in the mine a
white, only about One-fifth being cOlorCG
and most Of the men were married anC
had families in the little cottages near
the tipple Of the great mine.
y special train arrived tonight from,
montgomery filed with reporters, physi-
clans nurses and others, and one cal
contained thirty caskcts.
After the arrival OF the train an order
was sent back to Montgomery for fiji
more caskets. Another train arrived fror !
Charleston with physicians, baskets an.
Illlef supplies. Stin another train came
n from Hinton, but there is no need OF
Physicians and nurses, as the victims ar
dead. There is great need Of undertakes
and expert mine workers. The work 81
rescue IS being continued during the night
and VIII be kept UP until the mine is
clear.
Latcr.-Tha latest report since midnight
is that there are only fifty miners en-
tombea, instead Of 1z5. Only ten bodies
have keen taken out so far, instead Of
thirty-seven, as previously reported, but
it is believed that all Of the forty still in
the n1in2 will never he found alive