Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1900-03-08
FIFTY ARE BURIED.
EXPLOSION IN WEST VIRGINIA MINE
lMPRlSoNS WORKERS.

TISOISN I'm WED VlnOllNIA MINE
lMPRiSONS WORKERS.
From Awf1. Death-Work of Rescue Is
Carried Oh With Difficulty Grief
Stricken Crowds at Mouth of Shaft.
FIRE CREEK, W. Va, March THE
most disastrous mine explosion ever
known in the New river district oc-
Cured at the Red Ash mines shortly
after the miners went to work yesterday.
Although the most heroic work of the
rescuing party has been going on inces-
sanity it is impossible to estimate the
full extent of the loss of life and prop
erty.
The first reports of the explosion were
greatly exaggerated. The latest reports
are that there were only so miners en-
tombed. Ten bodies have been taken
out so far.
The Red Ash mine is large drift
and the explosion occurred near the en-
trance, which was thus closed by the
falling slate, entombing the miners.
The scene of the disaster is between
this place and Thurmond. Relief par
ties from great distances arrived as soon
as possible. It is impossible to de-
scribe 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 ties of the entrance were blown
out to some distance, together with
lot of heavy timbers. Even mules were
blown out some distance. AS many
men as could work at one time were
digging away with all their might and
relieved in short relays by other men
so as to expedite the work as much as
possible.
The first successful strike of the res
cuers was about 10 a. m., when 10
bodies were recovered. It was found
that seven of them were already dead
and the other three were dying. AS the
miners were located in different places
IN the driftand the explosion caused the
falling slate to blockade the rooms in
different parts of the mine, the work of
rescuing the men met with one great
obstruction after another The men
rescued were not far from the entrance,
while others were at much greater dis
tances within the drift
Distressing Scenes at Mouth of Shaft.
At the mouth of the mine the scene
was beyond description. The wives
and children and neighbers of those
who We're known to be entombed were
in there in full force and their anxiety
and distress was most intense While
they We're all seeking to help those who
We're rescued and to get the mine re-
opened, yet these bereaved people were
for the most part in the way of the res
cuers and had to be held back from the
entrance. The mine is one of the
largest i'll West Virginia. Air was
forced into the mine by engines on the
surface, which We're kept working after
the explosion, 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 all possibility of pumping
into the mines.
Those working on the rescue relays
say that the scene becomes more terrible
as they get farther into the mine. The
men became almost faint of heart when
they strike a place filled with dead
bodies, and i'll case the bodies are recog-
nizable they are confronted with the
remains of an old friend. Most of the
bodies that cannot be identified have
been placed in a large blacksmith shop,
and that place presents the appearance
OF a horrible morgue. Although the
bodies are mangled beyond recognition,
they are surrounded by those who are
in distress and hunting their lost friends.
The general belief is that the explo-
sion occurred from contact with dust
when the miners entered with their
lights Nearly all the men employed in
the mine were white and only about
one fifth being colored, and most of
the men were married and had fam
lilies.