The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-07

FIRE CREEK, w. Va, March 6.-The
most disastrous mine explosion ever
known in the New River district. oc-
CURED at the Red Ash mine shortly after
the miners went to work early this morn,
ing. Although the most heroic work of
the rescuing party has been going on in
cessantly, all day, 1t is impossible to-
night to estimate the full extent of the
loss of life and property.
The Red Ash mine is a large drift, and
the explosion occurred near the entrance.
which was thus closed by the falling
slate, entombing a large number Of
miners.
The scene OF the disaster is between this
place and Thurmand, on the south branch
Of the Chesapeake & Ohio railway, and
every assistance possible was rendered by
the railway company and by the adjoin-
ing mining towns. Relief parties from
great distances arrived as soon as pos
sible State Mine Inspector Pinekney,
with corps of experts and many work
men, has been 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.
WORK OF RESCUE.
]. Fred Effinger, of Staunton, Va, the
principal owner of the mines, spared no
effort in the work of rescue and relief,
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 this district came to
the scene as soon as possible and Joined
In the work of rescue.
1t is impossible to describe the amount
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, to-
gether with lot Of heavy timbers. Even
mules were blown out some distance.
The force of such an explosion caused
an immense falling of the slate and other
debris, so that the entrance was filled
up for great distance and the difficulties
in digging through it caused delay in the
work of rescuing. AS many men as
could work at one time were digging
away with all their might. and were re.
lieved in short relays by other men, so
as to expedite the work Of rescuing as
much as possible.
TEN BODIES RECOVERED.
The first successful strike of the rescu-
ers was about 10 a. M, when ten bodies
were recovered. 1t was found that seven
of them were already dead, and the other
three were dying.
AS the miners were 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 resculng the men met with one
great obstruction after another.
Those taken cut about 10 a.. m. were
not far from the entrance, while others
were at much greater distances within
the drift
The exciting scenes around the entrance
to the mines where all these men wers
working extended throughout the entire
region, and the miners of other camps
came IL with their families, and with
greatly exaggerated reports concerning
the calamity.
At the mouth of the mine the scene was
beyond description. The wives and chill.
dren and the neighbors of those who were
known TO be entombcd were there in fun
force, and their anxiety and distress were
most intense. While they were all seek
Ing to help those who were rescued and
to get the mine reopened, yet the bereav-
ed people were for the most part in the
way Of 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 at once feaced that those who had
not been killed by falling debris at the
time Of the explosion would be pinioned
by these connected timbers and suffer
death from suffocation.- Air was forced
into the mine by engines on the surface,
which were kept working after the ex-
plosion, but it was found that air could
be pumped into the drift for only a short
distance, as the COAL stone and earth
shut off ali possibility of pumping into
the mines. The pumps and all other ma
chinery in the mine were demolished, SO
that everything had to be done through
temporary arrangements on the surface.
APPEAL FOR AID
After the men got under headway in the
work of rescue they reached the first
party In less than an hour, but they
met greater difficulties after that time.
1t Was then that kilograms were sent to
~ 49,