The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-05-09
NINE EXPLOSION.
A Fearful Accident Causes Over
Two Hundred Deaths.
MOURNING IN EVERY HOUSE.
coffins Bought by the Hundreds
and a Special Train Run
to Garry Away the
Dead.

Over two hundred people, perhaps
225, were killed aad over score Of
others were crippled fer life BY aD eS-
plosion in tunnel No. 4 in Pleasant
Valley Mines at Littletown, Utah, on
Wednesday. Sco6eld, a half mile
from the scene Of the accident, is turned
into morgue. People are paralyzed
with horror. Not family escaped the
loss of relative or dear friend. The
work Of rescue is progressing. So far,
POI bodies have been found.
The explosion, which occurred in the
interior portion Of the mine, is attribut-
ed by some to the blowing up of a
number of kegs of powder. As fast as
the bodies are reached they are taken
to the boarding houses and other COM
pany buildings where they are dressed
and prepared for the coroner. In each
building there are from ten to thirty
FIVE bodies. Those identified have tags
attached to them bearing their names.
One hundred cofins have been or
dered from local undertakers to be
sent at once to the scene Of the disas-
ter A special train bearing the seri-
| ously wounded has started from Sco-
field for Salt Lake City.
W. G. Wilson, mine owner, said:
There was rumbliDg noise in the
distance. I said to my partner an ex-
plosion has occurred. We ran to the
tunnel. We were none too soon in
leaving the mine for after that the
damp reached US some three or four
minutes before we reached open air,
almost suffocating US" The damp de-
layed the work of the rescuing party,
but the magnitude Of the disaster sooR
became apparent.
All men on the raise known as
"Pike's Peak STOOD close together.
As the foul air cleared from No. l the
work Of rescue began and it was soon
seen that many Of the miners had suf-
focsted.
Those in the lower level were warned
of the explosion and made their escape
before the gaseous air reached them:
Cars were taken in aud the dead loaded
into them aud brought to the mouth.
AS the bodies were brought out and
recognized by their respective families
the lamentations were most heart rem
dering. The nine has been worked
over twenty years and has the reputs:
ton of being oge of the best ventilated
and protected in the west.
Harry Taylor, one of the Injured,
said: i was repairing some track out
on the dump when | started toward the
mouth of the tanne! to get SO ne tools.
Suddenly there was an awful report and
at the same time black cloud filed
with rocks bore down on me like
streak Of tightening. The next thing I
knew I woke up with a man pouring
some brandy down my throat and l saw
the boys lying all around me mourning
for help" The scene around the mine
is beyond description. Women chill
dren and friends crowded around, weep
ing and walling, excited beyond control,
waiting to see if the next body brought
out was loved enc.
The financial loss to the company
cannot at present be estimated. 1t is
regarded as the worst disaster that has
ever occurred in this part Of the coun-
try. The nearest approach to it was
the Southern Pacific explosion FIVE
years ago when over 100 men we're
killed.