The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-03-14
DEATH IN THE NINE
One Of the Worst Tragedies In
West Virginia Records.
HEARTRENDlNG SCENES.
One Hundred Men Probably Met
tneir Death by the Explo-
sion Of Goa! Dust in
Red Ash Mine.
Red Ash Mine.

Virginia occurred at Red Ash about s
o'clock on Tuesday morning Of last week
by an explosion in the drift mine Of the
Red Ash Coal company. The mine
was full Of men and the explosion &C,
CURED near the entrance which was
closed by falling slate. A relief crew
was quickly at work. The working
capacity of the mine is 175 men aud ii
was being worked to its full capacity to
6ll rush orders. Il is believed over 100
men were at work. The explosion
made but little noise, aud the accident
was first discovered by laborer at the
entrance. The injured are being
cared FIR as we'll as possible under the
circumstances and every nerve is being
straioed to rescue those still in the
mine.
The nevs of the disaster swept
through the town like an electric
shock and within a few minutes hun
dreds 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 entombed men alive was
hopeless forced Itself on the grief
stricken crowds they became frantic in
their endeavors to reach their dead and
dying in the wrecked shaft, and the
work of attempted rescue was organized
with extreme difficulty. Of the first
twelve men brought to the sursace five
we're dead or died within few minutes
and several Of the others were horribly
buried or bruised. AS the work pro.
ceeded and the dead bodies were
brought up one by one the scenes at
the mouth of the shaft became distress
ing to the extreme. Shirekipg, frantic
women and children impeded the res
cuers and added to the horror Of the
wreck.
The mine officials had all the men
available at work in trying to clear
away the debris and rescue the en-
tombed men. The managers and bosses
of all the mines in this district came to
the scene as soon as possible and Joined
in the work of rescue. 1t is simposslble
to describe the amo Int of work done BY
this concentrated army of men, but
they were greatly impeded because OF
the extent Of the enormous blockade at
the entrance to the drift. The large,
heavy side tires Of the entrance were
blown out to some distance, together
with lot Of heavy timber. Even mules
we're b.own cut some distance. The
force of such an explosion caused an
immense fslliog Of the slate and other
debris so that the entrance was filled
up for great distance, and the dltfi-
cultiesip digging through it caused de-
lay in the work of rescue. AS many
men as could work at one time were
digging away with all their might aud
were relieved in short relays by other
men so as 10 expedite the work of res
cuing as much as possible.
The irst successful strike Of the
rescuers vas about 10 o'clock a.. m.,
when ten bodies were recovered. Seven
of them were already dead and the
| other three were dying. AS the miners
we're located at different places In the
drift and the explosion caused the fall
| ing slate to blockade the rooms in diff
ferent paris of the mine, the work Of
rescue met with one great obstruction
after another at the mouth of the mine.
The scene was beyond description,
the wives and children and the neigh.
bors Of these who were known to be
entombed were there in full force, and
their anxiety and distress were most
intense. While they we're all seeking
to help those who were rescued and TO
get the mine 7eopened, yet these be-
reaved people were for the most part in
the way Of the rescuers and had to be
held back from the entrance. The
mine is one of the largest in West
Virginia and was very heavily timbered
in the different drifts. 1t was for
this reason feared that those who had
not been killed by falling debris at the
time Of the explosion, would be pinioned
by those connected timcers and suffer
death from sufocation.
Air wastorced Into the mine by en-
cines on the surface, which were kept
working after the explosion, but it was
found that air could be pumped into the
drift for only short distance, as the
coal, stone and earth shut of all pos
slbllity Of rea;hing the ioterior. The
pumps aad all other machinery IN the
mine were demolished SO that every
thing had to be done through temper
ary arrangements on the surface. Tele-
grams were sent to Montgomery,
Charlestown and other places for ply
sicians, nurses and caskets, but during
the greater part of the day there was
only use for caskets. All work was
stopped in the surrounding mines and
the people within radius Of many
miles assembled on the grounds Of the
Red Ash company. Had the accident
occurred an hour later many more
would have been cniombed in the
mines. The estimates Of the number
in the mines when the explosion oc'
Cured are bassed on the nImber who
entered at o'clock. The manager
stated that by s o'clock or $50 a. IN,
there would have been twice as many
men in the mines. The population OF
this mining village is only $50. All
are miners and the calamity will
reach almost every little house in the
mining town. Food was literally sup
piled 10 the relays Of workmeu in the
rescuiug party but many Of the women
who could get no word Of confer'
refused to eat or to 60 to their homes
At late hour Tuesday night the most
reliable estimate obtainaole put the
number OF the victims at l25. So tal
as could be learned there were 81 dead
bodies in the village tonight that have
loo, +oLap o,t nf he mine 6nriDp the