Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-03-07

IRENE olfhculty. Or the first twelve
men brought 10 the surface five were
dead or died within 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 in the extreme.
Shrieking. frantic women and children
impeded the rescuers and added to the
horror of the wreck
WORST EXPLOSION EVER KNOWN
Fire Creek, w. Va, March 6.-The
Red Ash mine explosion is the most
disastrous ever known in this dis
trict.
Although the most heroic work OF the
rescuing party has been going on in
cessantly all day, it is impossible to-
night to estimate the full extent OF the
loss OF life and property. More than
iltty dead bodies have already been
taken cut, and the number of the dead
may reach seventy-nve or more. 1t
Is thought tonight that at least forty
five miners are yet entombed in the
wrecked mine.
ASSISTANCE RENDERED.
Every assistance possible was rem
dered by the railway company and by
The adjoining mining towns. Relief
parties from great distances arrived
as soon as possible. State Mine Iu-
spector Pinckney with a corps of en-
perts and many workmen has been on
the ground during the day rendering
all assistance possible and dcvoting his
attention more toward relief than an
official investigation as to the cause
of the disaster.
The mine officials had all the men
available at work in trying to clear
away the debris and rescue the en-
tomoed men. The managers and bosses
of all the mines in this district came
10 the scene as soon as possible and
Joined I'm the work of rescue. 1t Is i'm
possible to describe the amount Of
work done by this concentrated army
of men, but they were greatly Inn
peded because of the extent OF the
enormous blockade ut the entrance to
the drift. The large heavy side tires
OF the entrance were blown out to
some distance. together with a lot of
heavy timhers. Even mules were
blown out some distance.
ENTRANCE BLOCKADED.
The force of such an explosion caused
an immense falling of the slate and
other debris, so that the entrance was
filled up for great distance, and the
difficulties In digging through 1t caused
delay III the work of rescue. As many
men as could work at one time were
diesins away with all their might, and
NN'N 'N'iGNCN III "IEi0ySA ny OlIlC.
mon. so as to expedite the work OF res
cuing MS much us possible.
FIRST BODIES RECOVERED.
The first successful strike of the res
cucrs was about 10 O'Clock a. m, when
ten bodies were recovered. Seven OF
them were already dead. and the other
three were dying. AS the mners were
located at different places In the drift,
and the explosion caused the falling
slate tn hlnnlSpdn In, 81
tcrcnt parts OF the mine, the work OF
rescue met with one great obstruction
after another
At the mouth of the mine the scene
was beyond description. the wives and
children and the neishbors OF those who
were known TO be entombed were there
in full force. and their anxiety and dis
I tress were most intense. While they
were all seeking to help those who We're
rescued, and To get the mine re-opencd,
yet these bcreaved people were for the
most part in the way OF the rescuers,
and had to be held back from the en-
trance.
The mine is one of the largest in West
Virginia, and was very heavily timber
ell i'll the different drifts. 1t was for
this reason feared that those who had
rot been killed by falling debris at the
time of the explosion would be pinioi,el
by these connected tlmbcrS and suffer
death from suffocation.
MACHINERY DEMOLISHED.
Air was forced into the mine by
engines on the surface. which We're
kept working after the explosion, but
IL was found that air could be pumped
into the drift for only Il short distance,
as the coal. stone and earth shut off
all possibility of reaching the interior.
The pumps and all other machinery in
the mine were demolished so that
g va -yrt N iflo HAI Ia hA ~,
temporary arrangements on the sur
face.
kilograms were sent TO Montgomery,
Charleston and other places for physi-
clans, nurses and Baskets. but during
the greater part of the day there was
only use for the caskets All work was
stopped in the surrounding mines, and
the people within radius OF many
mics assembled on the grounds of the
Red Ash Company.
Had the accident occurred an hour
later many more would have been en-
tombed in the mines.
The estimates OF the number In the
mines when the explosion occurred are
based on the number who entered at
O'Clock. The manager stated that by
S o'clock or $3.50 a. m. there would have
been twice as many men in the mines.
CALAMITY REACHES ALL.
The population of this mining village
is only 800 All are miners. and the ca
lamity will reach almost every little
house in the mining town. Food was
literally supplied to the relays OF work
men in the rescuing party, but many
of the women who could get no word
of comfort refused to eat or to so TO
their homes.
AN INVESTIGATION.
Charleston. w. Va. March 6.-Chief
Mine Inspector j. w Paul Governor
Atkinson and others left here tonight
for the scene OF the disaster to make
an investigation. Mr.. Paul stated that
MIN. Md hnn., In, xn,llnrt 1,.,.,