The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-09
LATEST ESTIMATE OF LOSS OF LIFE At
THE MINE DISASTER.
SEVENTY ON THE DEATH ROLL.
Twenty-Five Dead Bodies Recovered.
Thfrty-Nine still in the Mine-State-
ment OF the Only Man I'm the Mine
who Escaped Two Little Boys Killed
with Their Father Panic Among
Workers I'm Other Mines = Cause of
Explosion Not known.

Fire Creek, w. Va, March THE
only person who entered the Red Ash
mine yesterday morning and who is
known to have escaped alive is Elec-
trician Evans, who was near the en-
trance. Mr.. Evans said:
Il heard a low, rumbling sound.
similar TO an earthquake. l realized
in an instant that fire damp had ex-
ploded, and before the force Of the
concussion reached me, 1 threw my
self down on my face. A sheet OF
flame, rock and debris shot over my
head. / managed to creep to the
mouth and into the fresh air. My
God, it was awful, / saw that / was
the only one left. Everyone of the
other fellows was lost, 1 knew
A pathetic feature Of the disaster is
the annihilation Of the family of b. B.
Long, fire boss. His wife died some
time ago, leaving to his sole care two
little boys. Having no one to stay
with in their desolate home, the boys
begged to go with their father into the
mine and spend the day with him. He
consented, and when the search is fin
ished their blackened little bodies will
be found beside that Of their father.
The unexplained cause of the acci-
dent has terrified miners in adjoining
localities. Very many are afraid to go
to work today and it will require the
most searching inspecting by compe-
tent men to remove their fears and in
duce them to return to their places.
The rescuing parties continued work
ing hard at Red Ash mine today in
removing debris and securing the bod
les of the victims Of the explosion of
yesterday. The scenes Of distress
among those hunting their missing
friends are still as appalling as yes
terday. The work at the mine con-
tinues night and day, and it is still i'm
possible to give the exact number of
the victims or to identify all of the
bodies that have been recovered. The
most conservative estimates Of those
connected with the mine places the
number Of killed at fifty-two, and
there are others who insist that the
number of victims will be found to
| reach sixty. Six more bodies were re-
covered early this morning.
A report was made at the mine dur
ing the afternoon, that the total num-
Der removed was twenty-one, of whom
fifteen are dead, one fatally injured and
| five others seriously hurt.
A report from the rescuers at the
mine after s o'clock tonight was that
thirtyfour had been taken out, twen-
| ty-nine being dead and five seriously
| injured. Those rescued alive are: Carl
Downey, John L. Day, Joseph Elliott.
John Kane and Harry Dawson
While the surviving miners and 9TH
ers estimate that there are at least
| tiirty-nine miners still entombed, Gen
| eral Manager Howell says there are
still in the mine only thirtysix. The
| estimate of the latter would indicate
that there were seventy killed and five
| injured, and 1t is conceded that all of
| those still in the mine are dead
| None Of the mines in this district are
yet working, and thousands of people
visited the scene OF the Red Ash dis
aster today. Some of the dead bodies
have been shipped to the former homes
| of the victims.
has yet been learned by Governor At
kinson, the state and district mine in
| spectors and others who are investi-
| eating the case. In addition to the
| theories Of dust, fire damp, etc, it was
| claimed today that natural gas had
| escaped into the mine and that ii ig-
nited when the miners entered yester-
day morning with their lighted lamps.
The work Of the rescuing parties is
| retarded by hot air and ii is thought
| the mine is on fire. Air is being pump
| ed into the mine by compression. II
will probably be several days before all
| the bodies can be recovered, as they
are scattered along for almost a mile
under the ground, and it will require
| much time to clean the debris from
this long subterranean course.
| 1t is discovered that there were
| three more men in the mines than had
! been supposed-Isaac Morris, Walter
| Dennis and a man whose name is not
known, all colored.
| Through the whole of last night and
all today the relief force was working
| in relay crews. They have labored un-
ceasingly to reach the coal facing In
the Red Ash mine and thus reveal the
full extent Of the terrible disaster OF
| yesterday.
The result is that at IL o'clock to.
| night they are within ], 900 or / 200 feet
of their goal, while eleven more dead
bodies have been added to the long
list of dead.
| Rev w E Sitzer w Canton N v