The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-04
Gas Ignited by a Blast I'm n Pit Of the
Southern Coal Company at
Berrysburg.
AT LEAST TWELVE MEN DEAD
AND THE Loss OF LIFE, 1T is SAID,
MAY REACH TWENTY.
other Miners Fatally Injured-Mules
Killed mt Mouth of the Pit-Cars
Blown Forty Feet.

PHILLIPPI, w. Va. Nov. 3.-The worst
explosion in thsyFfsstcrseof Barbour county
occurred this morning at 1 o'clock at the
mines of the Southern Coal and Transport
tation Company, at Berrysburg, six miles
from this place AS a result these are dead:
OLLIE MARKS. pit boss.
ANDREW j. BLACKWELL.
ALBERT BROWN.
LAWRENCE DUNCAN.
PACK ADAMS.
And seven others whose names are not
obtainable.
The injured are VIII Marks and James
jackson, both of whom will die
The explosion was so great that mules
were killed at the mouth of the mines and
cars were blown forty feet from the track.
One man was blown in two at the loins and
his body thrown against a pile of lumber
at the mouth of the mine. The night shift
went on duty at o'clock. Everything went
on smoothly until about midnight, when
the explosion occurred The dead were mu-
tilated beyond description, and the scene
was calculated to make the strongest heart
faint The explosion was probably the re-
suit Of an accidental discharge of dyna-
mite, caused, perhaps. by the conclusion
of blast. The property loss is light. No
blame can be attached to the officials of
the company. ~ COTOllSl IuQtSl Will NC
held tomorrow, at which time additional
facts as to the cause of the explosion mas
be obtained. Operations will be resumed
at the mines Monday morning.
The report of the explosion was so great
that two men were found fifty feet from the
mouth of the mine. An hour after the ex-
plosion hundreds had visited the mine. The
call for relief brought every physician in
nj.
most horrible one. Strewn along the main
channel and about the opening were the
arms. legs, hands and other portions of the
bodies of the dead miners. Fathers and
mothers were frantically hunting for sons,
and as fast as a body was recovered they
would glance at it, ana, recognizing it,
would give hysterical screams. The hotel
has been turned into 4 hospital and those
still alive when brought out were taken
there. There is a great deal of comment
about the cause of the explosion The au-
thorities refused to discuss the matter fur
ther than to say 1t was caused by an ex-
cessive charge of powder being used. The
miners insist that it was caused by fire
damp. The mine was recently inspected
and pronounced to be in good condition.
John w. Green, who was in the mine at
the time of the explosion and escaped in
jury, gives the following account of it: 81
went into the mine at7:3o and went to room
No. /. had been at work an hour or so
when I smelled black damp. 1 noticed my
lamp would flicker. I went to the mine
boss and told him about it. He laughed
and said it was all right. I went back to
work and about midnight heard a terrific
noise, which knocked me down and put out
my lamp. I was stunned for moment,
| and then realized what had happened. 1
was close to the entrance and crawled over
the bodies of two men,
AS the work of removing the dead goes on
things look worse. Four more have been
brought out during the last hour, and the
searchers report that dozen are vet in
the mine. Most of those brought out are
mutilated beyond description. A most pa
thetic incident was that of James Smith.
He ran away from his home in Preston
county last week, and after Training IT
for a few days applied for work at the
mine yesterday evening. Last night was
his first trip into the mines He was a
young man about twenty years of age,
well educated and highly connected. The
mines of Berrysburg have only been opened
short time. They have had a great deal
of trouble. First the mines were flooded.
and then the men struck. Last week the
stables were set on fire and twenty-six
horses burned. Now comes the explosion.
Colonel b. f. Berry. the mine owner. ar
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