The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-11-08
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION
Accidental Discharge of Dynamite
Caused by Shock of Blast.
fHE PLACE WAS BERRYSBySG
rIost of the Men Working In the r1ine
From North Carolina and the Dis
trict of Columbia.

fnlllppl, w. va, SpeclGl.-Une OF
the greatest calamities in the history
of Barbour county occurred Saturday
| morning at l O'Clock at the mines Of
the Southern Coal and Transportation
Company, at Berrysburg, six miles
from this place. AS result these are
dead:
Ollie Marks, pitt boss.
Andrew blackwell.
Albert Brown.
Lawrence Duncan.
Pack Adams.
And seven others whose names are
not obtainable
The injured are:
Will Marks, James Jackson, both Of
whom will die.
The explosion was so great tha1
| mules were killed at the mouth Of the
mine and cars were blown forty feet
from the tracks. One man was blown
in two at the lo:ns and his body
thrown against pile of lumber at the
mouth OF the mine.
The night shift went on duty at Z
o'clock. Everything went on smooth
ly until about midnight, when the ex-
plosion occurred. The dead were mu-
tilated beyond recognition ,and the
scene was calculated to make the
strongest heart faint.
The explosion was probably the re-
suit Of an accidental discharge OF
dynamite, caused, perhaps, by the con-
cussion of blast. The property loss
is light. No blame can be attached to
the officials Of the company.
The report of the explosion was so
great that two men were found sixty
feet from the mouth OF the mine. An
| hour after the explosion hundreds had
visited the mine. The call for relief
brought every physician in Philipp to
the scene. The sight was most hor'
rible one. Strewn along the main
channel and about the opening were
the arms, legs, hands and other por-
tions OF the bodies Of the dead miners.
Fathers and mothers were frantically
hunting for sons, and as fast as a
body was found they would glance and
recognizing it, woulo give hysterical
screams. The hotel has been turned
into n hospital and lose still alive
when brought out were taken mere.
There is a great deal OF comment
about the cause Of the explosion. The
authorities refused to discuss the mat
ter, further than to say that 1t was
caused by an excessive charge OF pow
der being used. The miners insist thai
it was caused by fire damp. The mina
was recently inspected and pronounc,
ed to be in good condition.
AS the work OF removing the dead
goes on things lcok worse. Four men
have been brought out during the last
hour, and the searchers are confident
a dozen are in the mine yet. Most OF
those brought out are mutilated be,
yond description. The mines OF
Berrysburg have only been operated a
short time. They have had great
deal of trocble First the mines wero
flooded and the men struck. Last week
the stables were set on fire and twen-
ty-six horses burned. Now comes the
explosion.
Col B. F. Berry, the millionaire
nineowner, arrived here but refused
to discuss the affair. Most Of the men
came from North Carolina and the
District OF Columbia. Ugly rUmors
have been aHoat al! day long about the
cause Of the disaster The most char.
liable construction to place on the
matter is that it was cue to the mex
perience of the mine boss. Ollie
Marks, who lies at deaths door. Prose
cutting Attorney C. NJ. Murphy ard
Justice w G.. Keys left at once for
BerrysDurg to hold an inquest. A
messenger just returned from the
mines states that the bodies OF twelve
men have been brought out, eight OF
whom were recognized. Four men are
in the hospital, not expected to live
till morning. Twenty men are unac-
counted for. The men were mostly
neorrnS and S1nVS