Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-03-07
OVER FIFTY DEAD.
A Terrible Mine Explosion at
Fire Greek, W. Va.
Over SO Dead Already Recoverable
or More Still Entombed.
Mouth Of Mine Stopped and Work oil Rescue
Is Very Slow.

most disastrous mime explosion ever
known in the New River district occur
red at the Red Ash mine. shortly af-
ter the miners went to work, early
this morning Although the most he
roic work of the rcscuing party has
been going necessarily all day, ii is
impossible. tonight, to estimate the full
extent Of the loss Of life and property.
More than 80 dead bodies have already
been taken out ana the number Of dead
may reach - or more. 1t is thought,
tonight, that at beast a. miners are
yet entombed in the wrecked mine.
The Red Ash mine is large drift and
the explosion occurred near the en-
trance. which was thus closed by the
falling slate. entOmbing a large mum
Der of miners
Tie scene Of the disaster is between
this place and Thurmond on the south
branch of the Chesapeake x Ohio Rail
way.
Relief parties from great distances
arrived as soon as possible. Stat.
Mine Inspector Pinckney. with a corps
If experts ana many Workmcn. have
Eecn on the ground during the day.
rendering all assistance possible and
devoting his attention more toward
relief than to an official investigation
as to the cause Of the disaster. j. Fred
EfIinger of Stauntan, Va, the principal
owner of the mine. spared no effort in
the work of the rescue and relief, ana
his manager. Ferdinand Howell. had
all the men available at work in trying
to clear away the debris and rescue the
entombed men. The managers and
bosses of all the mines in the district
came to the scene and soon as posi-
BE and joined in the work of rescue.
The large. heavy sides Of the en-
trance were blown out to some dis
tancc. together with Il lot IF other
timbers. Even mules were blown out
u some distance. The force Of such an
explosion caused an immense falling
Of the slate ana other debris 50 that
the entrance was filled up for 4 great
distance and the difficulties in digging
through it caused delay in the work
Of rescue. AS many men as could
work at one time were digging with
all their might in short relays by other
men. 50 as Ia expedite the work Of res
cuins as many as possible.
The first successful strike If the res
cuers was about 10 4. NJ. when 10
bodies were recovered. Seven Of them
We're already dead and the other three
We're dying. AS the mines are located
at different places in the drift and the
explosion caused the falling slate to
blockade the rooms in different parts
of the mine. the work of rescue met
with one great obstruction after an
other.
At the mouth Of the mine the scene
was beyond description. The wives
and children and the neighbors of
those who We're known to be entombed
were there in full force and their
anxiety and distress were most in
tense.
The mine is one of the largest in
West Virginia ana was very heavily
timbcred in the different drifts. 1t
was for this reason feared that those
who had not been killed by falling de
bris n the time Of the explosion would
be pinipncd by those connected tim
hers and suffer death from suffocation
Air was forced into the mine by en-
gines on the surface which We're kept
working after the explosion. but ii was
found that air could be pumped into
the drift for only a short distance, as
the coal, stone and earth shut off all
possibility of reaching the interior.
The pumps and all other machinery in
the mine We're demolished, 50 that ev-
erything had to be done with a tenn
porary arrangement on the surface.
After the men got under Roadway in
the work Of rescue they reached the
in, hal lint
they met greater difficulties after that
time. 1t was then that kilograms Were
sent to Montgomery, Charleston and
other places for physicians and nurses
and baskets. but during the greater
part Of the day there was use only for
the caskets. All work was stopped in
the surrounding mines of the district
and the people within radius Of many
miles assembled on the grounds of the
Red Ash GO.
Had the accident occurred an hour
later many more mould have been
antombed in the mine. The estimates
Of the number in the mine when the
explosion occurred are based on the
number who entered at o'clock. The |
managers stated that by or $50 "A. |
NJ. there would have been twice as
MANY men in the mine.
The population of the mining village
is only 500. All are miners and the |
calamity will reach almost every little |
house in the mining town. None of |
the people have been at their homes |
during the day, but they have re
NAMED around the mine. Food was
literally supplied to the relays of work
men in the rescuing party, but many |
IF the women who could get no word |
IF comfort refused to eat or to go to !
heir homes.
At late hour. tonight, the most re-
liable estimate Obtainable puts the
lumber of the victims at l25. The ca
pacitv of the mine is 115, but there
have only been $50 on the pay rolls so
FAR this month and it is stated that
nearly all of these We're in the mine
If the time of the explosion. The |
manager. superintendent, bosses, book ,
Continued on page %