The Saint Paul globe., 1900-03-08

JOf1N S1ONE.
BOB HALL.
SMITH FRANKLIN.
HOLLISTER NOELL.
ISAAC MORRIS.
N. DEWES, colored.
The body of q white man as vet not
identified was also rescued. 1t Is discov-
cred that there We're three more men in
the mine than were known yesterday,
Isaac Morris, Walter Dennis and a man
whose name is not known, all colored.
FIRE CREEK, w. Va. March THE
rescuing parties continued working hard
at Red Ash mine today, in removing
debris and securing the bodies of the
victims of the explosion of yesterday.
The scenes of distress among those
hunting their missing friends is still
as appalling as yesterday. The work of
rescue continues night and day, and it is
still impossible to give the exact number
of victims, or to identify all the bodies
that have. been recovered. The most
conservative estimates Of those con-
nected with the mine places the number
of killed at ffty-two, and there are
others who insist that the number of
victims will be found to reach sixty.
Six more bodies were recovered early
this morning. A report was made at
the mime during the afternoon that the
total number removed was twenty-one,
of whom fifteen are dead, one fatally in
jured and five others seriously hurt.
FIVE LIVES SAVED.
A report from the rescuers at the mine
after s o'clock tonight was that thirty
four bodies had been rescued, twenty
nine being dead and five seriously in
Jured. Those rescued alive are: Carl
Downey, John L. Day, Joseph Elliot,
John Kane and Harry Dawson.
While the surviving miners and others
estimate that there are at least thirty
nine miners still entombed General Man.
ager Howells says there are still In the
mine only thirty-six. The estimate of
the latter would indicate that there were
seventy killed and five injured, as it is
conceded that all of those still in the
mine are dead.
None of the mines in this district are
yet working, and thousands of people
visited the scene of the Red Ash disaster
today. Some of the dead bodies have
been shipped to the former homes of the
y,
and many will be held tomorrow.
CAUSE A MYSTERY.
No definite cause for the explosion has
yet been learned by Gov. Atkinson, the
state and district mine inspectors and
others who are investigating the case.
In addition to the theories of dust, fire.
damp, etc, it was claimed today that
natural gas had escaped into the mine
and that 1t ignited when the miners en-
tered yesterday morning with their
lighted lamps. The work of the rescuing
parties is retarded by hot air. and it is
thought the mine is on fire. Air Is being
pumped into the mine by compression.
1t will probably be several days before
all the bodies can be recovered, as they
are scattered along for almost a mile
underground, and it will require much
time to clear the debris from this long
subterranean course.
PATHETIC INCIDENTS.
The only person who entered the mine
and who is known to have ESCAPED alive
is Electrician Evens, who was near the
mouth of the mine In relating his expe.
rience Mr.. Evans said:
Il heard low, rumbling sound, simi-
lar to an earthquake, and l realized in
an instant that fire damp had exploded
and before the force of the conclusion
reached me 1 threw myself down on nv
face. A sheet of flame, rock and debris
shot over my head. 1 managed to creer
to the mouth and into the fresh air. MY
God, it was awful. I saw that | was the
only one left. Every one of the other
fellows was lost, knew"
pathetic feature of the disaster is
the annihilation of the family of B. B
Long, fire boss. His wife died some time
ago, leaving to his sole care two little
boys. Having no one to stay with them
In their desolate home, the boys begged
to go with their father into the mine to
spend the day with him. He consented
and when the search is finished their
blackened little bodies will be found be.
side that of their father.
The unexplained cause of the accident
has terrified miners in adjoining locali-
ties.
UGLY ALLEGATIONS.
1t is asserted freely in spite of Of
ficial reports showing the mine to be
safe that there has always been gas
in 1t and that miners themselves con,
Sidered IT unsafe. One man asserted
today that he had quit his job there tc
take one where he could not make more
than half as much because he knew Red
Ash was dangerous. 1t has been as.
serted that the ventilating fan has not
been run regularly, some declaring that
it has not been in motion since last
Thursday until after the explosion. Fol.
lowing this report, as nearly as possible
to its source, the only reliable informa-
tion that could be obtained was that the
fan was not in operation on Monday ur
to II o'clock, and that it was not run.
ming on Tuesday when the explosion oc-
Cured.