The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-09
WORK OF
RESCUE AT
RED ASH.
willing Hands working Bravsiy IN
tie Endeavor to Reach Thoso
CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION
Yet Unknown, but Theories Are ADJ
vanced-Natural Gas the Most
Plausible Theory.

special Dispatch to the Intelligencer.
I CHARLESTON, W. Va, March 81
With unfalteFIng energy the Tescuers
are still at work IN the Inflated RED
Ash mine to recover the bodies still en-
tombed. The work has been dihicult
and slow. The mine has been full Of
gas. Pumps working continuously
force the fresh air into the mine. and
then, the fans being reversed, this and
the foul air Is forced out again. Only
six miners Of experience are allowed to
enter and work at time. No OUT
slider Is allowed inside, The woFlSmen
are allowed in but a short time, the
shifts being frequent.
Outside there are no traces Of the dis
aster. All the debris has been removed.
Down at the tIpple, where the trains
stop, may be seen several bodies
stretched out and covered with white
cloths, awaiting transportation. A
thousand curious and anxious watchers
surge about the mouth Of the mine.
Twenty-Four Bodies Recovered.
Up to this afternoon twenty-four
dead bodies had been recovered. Chief
Mine Inspector Paul telegraphed Gov
ernor Atkinson that the mine was be-
ing put in good condition as rapidly as
possible. The company Is burying the
dead and shipping the renlains to
whatever destination the families de-
sire. They are also looking after the
immediate relief OF the families, and
desire no present help. In the future.
however, such assistance win be neces-
sary. for there are widows left with
families Of four and five children. A
subscription fund has been started,
Governor Atkinson heading 1t with fifty
dollars.
theories as to the Cause.
Opinions still diner as to the cause Of
the disaster Nothing viii be known
certainly IN this respect until later, per-
haps never. There are three theories
propounded by Colonel Joseph Beury,
who has had over forty years. practical
experience in mining. Acpording t9,
theories It may have happened from
faulty brattices. When openings are
made laterally, from the main entrance
and afterwaId abandoned. these are
boarded tightly to keep in the gas that
accumuiates. 1t may have been that
the force Of the accumulated gas
forced open these brattices and q
miners lamp Ignited the gas, with the
inevitable explosion, or It may have
come from another cause. At $50
o'clock the night before the blast Is
made that throws down the coal. When
this is done every man runs out Of the
mine and stays out until the next day,
giving the mine chance to clear from
the gases generated by the explosion
and set free by the fractured coal.
There Is always certain amount OF
gnses generated in this way. but all
miners agree not larger amount than
could have been exhausted by the fol-
lowing morning in order to have rem
dered the mine safe. Consequently It
may have happened that when the
blast was exploded the evening before
n pocket OF natural gas was opened and
this filled the mine and caused the exc
plosion. The peculiarities Of the coal
fields on the south or west side Of the
river. according to Its windings, lends
color to this probability, which up to
the present Is a probability only. on
this side Of the river the Dip Is upward
and the mines are free from gas. On
the opposite side the dip Is toward the
river, and nil the south side mines have
more or less gas. II would, therefore,
NOT be improbable that pocket Of nat
ural gas might have been struck. II
this were so the fact may be dIscov-
cred later on, as there would still be
for days a seepIng of this natural gas
through the seams. Both OF the fore
going theories are based upon gas
explosion. The third theory Is based
upon a dry dust explosion. Just as the
lmpalpable dust that arises in flour
mills will explode sometimes sponta-
neOusly, without even contact with q
flame,
The bodies Of those found in the mine
are badly scorrhed, especially the parts
not protected by clothing. The skin Isl
burnt to n crisp, but the features are
clearly recognizable and show no dis
tortion Of pain or agony. The bodies
are somewhat bruised. as II blown or
hurled some distance, but are not
manEied. The mine is very hot, and
this makes progress slow.