The age-herald., 1900-03-07
MINE WRECKED BY AN EXPLOSION
 CAUSING FR|CHTFUL LOSS OF LIFE
Several Muiahd Bodies Have Been Brought to the Surface
 and Many More Are Buried in the OebTb'
in less than an hour but they met greater difficulties after that time
 Physic' ans Sent For


 difficulties after that time.
 Physic ans Sent For
 1t was then that telegrams were sent to Montgomery, Charleston and ether places for physicians, nurses and caskets, but dur ing the greater part of the day there was use only for the caskets All work was stopped in the surrounding mines of the district and the people within radius oi many miles assembled on the grounds ot the Red Ash company. Had the accident occurred am hour later many more would have been entomibed in the mines. The estimates on the number tn the mines when the explosion occurred are based on the number who went in at o'clock. The manager stated that by o'clock Tlhere would have been twice as many in the mines. As seven were brought to the sur face and carried away on the hastily con- structed stretchers, it was frequently mo- tbced that many met their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons among the res cuers when they thought these men were in the mines. These meetings between the men who had net yet entered the mines and their families were very touching. All ahose who could not find their friends in
 
 enclosed mines.
 The population of this mining village is only 800. All are miners and very many of them are related, and they all knew each other. There was great distress all day among those who could not find their friends or hear from any one that they had seen them since the explosion. As Thur mon is only three miles from the scene of the disaster. there were some few in the mine who lived at that place, but for the most part, the victims resided here, and the calamity will reach almost every little house in the community. The people have remained around the Red Ash mine all day. Some have not entered during the day. Food was literally supplied to the relays of workmen in the rescuing party, but many of the women who could get no word of comfort refused to eat or to go to their homes.
 Chief Mine Inspector J. W. Paul, Gov ernor Atkinson and his private secretary, Colonel Boggs and others left Charleston, W. Va., tonight for the scene of the disas- ter to make an investigation. MT. Paul stated that the mine had been in excellent condition, and if the explosion was caused by fire damp, as reported, he was at a loss to account for it's presence As soon as the news reached him he wired to District Mine Inspector Edward Pinckney, of Montgom- cry, to begin an Investigation
 The mine was last inspected on October 24, 1899, when it was found to be perfectly safe.
 The Victims Number 125
 At a late hour tonight the most reliable obtainable informa ton put the number of victims at 125 The capacity of the mine is 175, but there have been only 19O on the pay roll so far this month, and 1t is stated that nearly all of these were in the mine at the time of the explosion. The manager, superintendent, bosses, bookkeepers, and others are very busy with the force of res- cuers, but at the same time they are all very reticent as to the extent of the casual aster. So far as could be learned there are 37 dead bodies in the village tonight, in- cluding parts of bodies collected by the rescuers. The following is partial list of the names of the dead obtainable last to- night:
 B. B. Long, fire boss; Bret Long, work man; Tom Long, trapper; Dodo Long, two boys named Long, James Sanders, Charles Pouch, machine runner; Novelle Dews, Sam Shoup, Charley Downey, Carl Downey, An drew J. Prett John Clair, two Hambrick brothers, N. c. Ramsey, Cricks Stuart,