The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-07
Most of Them So Mangled that
Friends Have Been Unable 10
Identify the Remains.
ENTRANCE TO PIT BLOCKED
RESCUERS MAKING SLOW PROGRESS
IN REACHING THE VICTIMS.
Usual Pathetic Scenes at the Mouth
of the Mfne-GOvernor and Ply
sicians Rendering Assistance.

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 to work early this morning. Although
heroic work of the rescuing party has been
going on necessarily all day 1t is impossible
tonight to definitely state the number that
perished. The first reports were greatly
exaggerated. The latest news is that there
were only fifty miners entombed instead of
125 Only ten bodies have been taken out
so far, instead of thirty-seven, as stated at
one time during the evening. but it is be-
lieved the forty still in the mine are dead
The explosion happened when the men
were going into the mine in groups and
couples. and they were strung along in
this manner for over a mile that the
work Of rescue will require long time.
There were more men near the entrance
who escaped than were lost. The bodies
so far recovered are mangled beyond rec
ognition. Several portions of bodies have
been taken out.
Some of the miners near the mouth of
the pit were blown clear out by the force
of the explosion. Six were together at the
motor house, seventy feet inside the mine,
and one of the number was killed, the 9TH
ers escaping with injuries. Up to midnight
the work of rescue had progressed about
two thousand feet from the mouth.
LIST OF VICTIMS.
The following dead bodies have been re-
covered:
JOHN DAY, white.
WILL DAY, white.
MAT QUARLES. white.
JAMES WASHINGTON, colored.
JAMES HACKNEY, colored.
SAMUEL JACKSON, colored.
The following are not yet dead, but there
is small hope for recovery: VIII Robinson.
colored; Elisha Bruce, colored, and COL
ored boy named Tom.
There are known to be in the mine, with
out chance of rescue alive, the following:
B. B. Long, fire boss. and two sons, Joe,
aged fourteen. and Tom, aged twelve; c. C.
Stuart, Charles Perfader, Andrew Pritt, j.
A. Saner, Samuel Schupp, Charles Downey,
Carl Downey, Will Hamrick, aged sixteen.
Eddie Hamriek. aged fourteen, Neville
Ramsey, Ernest Long, Simon Fitch, Berry
Tucker, Lewis Dodson and his helper, name
not known; two boys, employed by Mr.
Speak, a miner, whose names are not
known. (All the foregoing are Whitley n.
Dewes and five or six men employed by
him. Granville Holmes. John Stone, Bill
Sledd. Bob Ball, Tom Johnson, voley
Agery. Hollister. NOEL, Smith, Franklin.
all colored.
No one knows how the accident occurred
and opinions given by men expert in the
mining business are various. John Laing,
superintendent, believes it was a combina-
tion of gas and dust, that some miner went
in ahead of the fire boss and found ac-
cumulating gas. which famed up and
caused the dust to ignite. John Long. mine
boss, agrees with Mr.. Laing in attributing
the explosion to dust accumulation. He
says the ventilation of the mine was per-
feet, and that the explosion can be ac-
counted for in no other way. Mr.. Long was
on his way to the mine when the disaster
took place. He had got about fifty feet
from the mouth. He was blown about forty
feet and jammed up against some wood
work with such force as to cripple him.
MOUTH OF THE PIT CLOSED.
The Red Ash mine is large drift and
the explosion occurred near the entrance,
which was thus closed by the falling slate,
entombing a large number of men. The
scene of the disaster is between this place
and Thurmond. on the south branch Of
the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, and every
assistance possible was rendered by the
railway company and by the adjoining
mining towns. Relief parties from great
distances arrived as soon as possible. State
Mine Inspector Pinckney and corps Of
experts and many workmen were on the
ground during the day rendering all as
sistance possible and devoting his atten-
tion more toward relief than to an official
investigation as to the cause of the disas-
| ter.
principal owner of the mines. spared no ef-
| fort in the work of rescue and relief, and
his manager. Ferdinand Howell. had all
| the men available at work in trying to
clear away the debris and rescue the en-
| tombed men. The managers and bosses of
all the mines in this district came to the
scene as soon as possible and joined in the
work OF rescue. 1t is impossible TO describe
| the amount of work done by this concen-
| trated army of men. but they were greatly
| impeded because of the extent of the block
| ade at the entranee TO the drift. The large.
| heavy side timbers at the entrance and
even mules were blown out some distance.
| The force of such an explosion caused an
| immense fall OF slate and other debris. so
| that the entrance filled up for a great
distance and the difficulties in digging
| through IL caused delay in the work of
rescuing AS many men as could work at
| one time were digging away with all their
might and relieved in short relays by other
men so as to expedite the work Of rescuing
as much as possible. About 10 a. m. the