The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1900-03-17
HALF HUNDRED
MINERS KILLED
Most Disastrous Explosion Ever
Known In Yves tVigrinia.
ENTOMBED WITHOUT WARNING
Relief Parties From Surrounding
rlines of the District Rush
to the Rescue.

A special from Fire Greek, W. Va,
says: The most disastrous mine ex-
plosion ever known in the New River
district occurred at the'Red Ash mine
shortly after the miners went to work
early Tuesday morning.
Although the most heroic work OF
the rescuing party had been going on
necessarily all day II was impossible
at the time to estimate the full ex-
tent Of the loss Of life and property.
More than fifty dead bodies were
soon taken out and the number Of
dead men may reach eighty-fve moro.
1t was thought Tuesday night that at
least forty five were still entombed in
the wrecked mine.
The Red Ash mine is q large drift
and the explosion occurred near the
entrance, which was thus closed by
falling slate, entombing large num-
Der OF miners. The scene OF the dis
aster is between Fire Greek and Thur
mond, on the south branch Of the
Cheseapeak and Ohio railway, and
every assistance possible was rendered
by the railway company and by the
adjoining mining towns. Relief par
ties from great distances arrived as
soon as possible.
State Mine Inspector Pinckney with
a corps OF experts and many workmen
were constantly on the ground render
ing all assistance possible and devoting
his attention more toward relief than
to an official investigation as to the
cause OF the disaster.
j. Fred Efinger, OF Staunton, Va,
the present owner OF the mines, spared
no effort in the work Of rescue and re-
lief, and 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 hurried to the
scene as soon as possible and joined in
the work Of rescuing. The work was
greatly impeded because OF the extent
Of the enormous blockade at the en-.
trance to the drift.
At the mouth Of the mine the scene
was beyond description, the wives and
children and the neighbors Of those
who were known to be entombed were
there in full force and their anxiety
and distress was most intense.
After the men got under Roadway
in the work OF rescue they reached the
first party in less than an hour, but
they met greater difficulties after that
time. IT was then that kilograms were
sent to other towns for physicians,
nurses and caskets. but during the
greater part Of the day there was use
only for the caskets.
All work was stopped in the sur.
rounding mines OF the district and the
people within q radius OF many miles
assembled on the grounds Of the Red
Ash company. Had the accident 90.
Cured an hour later many more would
have been entombed in the mines.
The estimates on the number in the
mines when the explosion occurred
are based on the number who went in
at 7 o'clock. The manager stated that
by 8 o'clock there would have been
twice as many men in the mines.
As victims were brought TO the sur.
face and carried away upon the hastily
constructed stretchers, 1t was frequent
ly noticed that many met their hus.
bands, fathers, brothers and sons
among the rescuers when they thought
these men were in the mines. These
meetings were very affecting.
The population Of the mining vii.
lage is only 500. All are miners and
very many Of them are related and
they all know each other. There was
great distress ell day among those
who could not find their friends or
hear from any one that they had seen
than, Anna tho axpIosion