The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-11-06
TWELVE VICTIMS
Of 4 MINE HORROR
A Terrific Explosion in South
ern Coal Mines
The PLACE BERRYSBURG
Accidental Discharge of Dynamite
Accidental Discharge of Dynamite
Caused By Shock of Blast.
MEN WERE BLOWN LITERALLY TO PIECES
Nest OF the Men Working in the Mine From
North Carolina and the District of Co UNI
bia. Ugly Rumors About Cause
Of the Disaster.
CBy the Associated Press.)

Fhilippi, W. Va, Nov. 3.-One Of the
greatest calamities in the history of
Barbour county occurred this morning a.
l O'Clock a. he mines OF the Southern
Coal and Transportation Company. at
Berrysburg, six miles from this place.
As d result these are dead:
Ollie Marks, pitt boss.
Andrew blackwell.
Albert Brown.
Lawrence Duncan.
Pack Adams.
And seven others whose names are not
o~btainable.
The injured arc:
VIII Marks. James Jackson, both of
whom Will die.
The explosion was SO great that mules
were killed at the mouth of the mine and
cars were blown forty feet from the
tracks. One man was blown in two at
the loins and his body thrown against a
pile of lumber at the mouth Of the mine.
The night Shift went on duty at Z
o'clock. Everything went on smoothly
until about midnight, when the explosion
occurred. The dead were mutilated be-
You'd recognition, and the scene w&s cal
cUlated to make the strongest heart faint.
Thu explosion was probably the result
OF an accidental discharge Of dynamite,
caused, perhaps, by the conclusion Of a
blast. The property loss is light. No
blame can be attached to the officials of
the company.
A coroner's inquest will be held tomor-
row, at which time additional facts as TO
the cause Of the explosion may be OBJ
tanned. Operations Will be resumed at
! tho mines as usual Monday.
The report OF the explosion was so grea,
that two men were found sixty feet from
the mouth OF the min An hour after the
explosion hundreds had visited the mine.
The call for relief brought every phvei-
! clan in Phiiippi to the scene. The sight
was a. most horrible one. StreWn along
the main channel and about the opening
were the arms, legs, hands and other
portions Of the bodies of the, dead miners
Fathers and mothers We're frantically
hunting for sons, and as fast as a body
= was found they would glance and, recog.
mixing it, would give hysterical screams
The hotel has been turned into a hospita
and those still alive when brought on
were taken there.
ffTheretis q great deal of comment abOu
the cause of the explosion. The author
tiles refused to discuss the matter, fur
Their than to say that it was caused b,
IN excessive charge OF powder beins
used. The miners insist that it was caused
by fire damp. The mine was recent,
inspected and pronounced to be in goo,
condition..
AS the work Of removing the dead goe!
on things look worse. -Four men hay
been brought out during the last hour
and the searchers are confident a dozen
are in the mine yet. Most OF thos'
brought out are mutilated beyond de
scriDtion. The mines of Berrysburg haV
only been operated a short time. The.
nave had a great deal OF trouble. Frs
the mines were fiOOded and the the mel
struck. Last week the stables were Sc
on fire and twenty-siX horses burned
Now comes the explosion.
Col. B. +. Berry, the millionaire mine
owner, arrived here this morning, but re
fused to discuss the affair. Most OF tn
men came from North Carolina and tn
District of Columbia. Ugly rumors hay
been afloat all day long about the q "a
of the disaster. The most charitable con
struction to place on the matter is tina
it was due to the inexperience Of tn
mine boss, Ollie Marks, who lies a
deaths door. Prosecuting Attorney c. n
Murphy and Justice w. G.. Keys left TO
night for Berrysburg to hold an Inquest
A messenger just returned from tn
mines states that the bodies Of twelv
men have been brought cut, eight c
whom were recognized. Four men are |
the hospital, not expected TO live ii
morning. Twenty men are unaccounte
for. The men were mostly negroes an
SiaVS.