Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-03-06
Terrific Explosion Of Gas in a West
Virginia Nine.
A HUNDRED MEN ENT0MBED
Pew Rescued Ailye-No Hope of Saws
Ing Any OF the Others Remov-
Ing the Bodies.

Charleston. w. Va, March s.-Ths
greatest mine horror IN the history Of
the New River region occurred at Ped
Ash. about o'clock this morning by
an explosion in a drift mine Of the
Red Ash Coal company, It Is feared
that almost a hundred lives were lost.
The mine was full OF men and the ex-
plosion occurred near the entrance.
which was closed by falling slate. A
relief crew was quickly at work. Al
ready fifty dead have been removed
from the shaft The working capacity
Of the mine is 175 men, and It was be-
Ing worked to its full capacity 10 ill
rush orders
II is believed 100 men were al work.
State Mine Inspector plnckney IS on
the ground with corps Of experts
lending all assistance possible. So far
no statement has been made as to the
cause Of the disaster II Is thought gas
ignlted from a miners lamp The ex-
plosion made but little noise, and the
accident was first discovered by a La
borer al the entrance The injured are
beng cared for as well as possible un-
der The circumstances and every nerve
is being strained 10 rescue those still
in the mine The scene Of the arcl-
dent Is three miles above ThurTnond on
the Chesapeake & Ohio road. The prin-
opal owner OF the mine Is J. Fred Eff
finger, Of stanton. Va.
Montgomery, W Va. March 6.-By an
explosion Of gas In the Red Ash mines
this morning 70 men were imprisoned.
Twelve Of the men have been rescued.
Five are dead ard the others in crit
zeal condition.
The others are in the mine with no
hope OF relief
Forty dead have now been taken out.
and the rescuing party Is still hard at
work.
The news OF the disaster swept
through the town like an electric shock,
and within few minutes hundreds OF
men, women and children relatives of
the unfortunate miners were crowded
upon the scene Of the disaster. As the
conviction that the rescue OF the en-
tombed men alive was hopeless forced
itself on the griei-strcken crowds, they
became frantic In their endeayors TO
reach their dead and dying IN the
wrecked shaft, and the work OF at
tempted rescue was organized with ex-
IRENE difficulty, OF the first twelve men
brought 10 the surface five were dead,
or died within a few minutes, and sew
eral OF the others were horribly burned
or bruised. As the dead bodies were
brought up one by one the scenes at
the mouth Of the shaft became Distress
ing 20 the extreme. Shrleking, frantic
women and children lmpeded the rescu-
ers and added 20 the horror Of the
work.
Charleston. w Va. March 6.--The
Red Ash mine Is not In the Montgomery
district, as az first reported but In the
Thurmond district. II belongs TO J.
Fred Efinger Of stanton, Va.
The mines are on the mountain side
above water, and the coal Is similar TO
that found In the pocahontas district.
on this account It Is said here the acci-
dent cannot be caused by fire damp nor
gas but from dust. as was the case In
one OF the tragedies some years ago In
a PCCahOntas mine. The district Is a
wild one on Rush Run. which Is a south
branch OF New River having its mouth
al Thurmond. II Is about slxty-fye
miles from this city.
The miners occupied dwellings IN the
vicinity OF the mines. While the mines
are in very rugged country. yet the
town OF Thurmond is one Of the best
advanced Of the new mining towns In
West Virginia. Through the generosity
OF Mr.. McKell, and other rich land own
ers this town has many improvements
that are not usually found In the mining
districts. II has some pretentious busi-
nses buildings including a fine opera
house and public library as well as
churches and a fine school house.