Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-05-30
1WENTY-ONE KILLED
IN MINE HORROR
Disastrous Explosion Of Coal Dust
in a Tennessee CoIIiery
Near Dayton.
ALL THE VICTIMS ARE WHITE
Tho Accident Due to a "Blown Dlast"-
Explosion Results From ~ Attempt
to Explode q Dynamite Cart.
ridge-List of Victims.

Chattanooga, Tenn, May 29.-l~
Times special from Dayton, Tenn,
says:
AT the Richmond mine of the Dayton
Coal and iron company, two miles from
Dayton, at 1850 o'clock yesterday af.
ternoon, a terrific explosion of coal
dust resulted in the death of twenty
one men, all white, and most of them
married and with families. Nine others
We're terribly burned most of them
fatally, and four escaped with slight
injuries. There were thirty-four men in
the mine at the time.
The dead:
TC.M WRIGHT.
DOCK SMITH.
BAILEY SMITH
TOM WALKER.
GEORGE HOLMES.
j. F. GOTHARD.
TERRY SMITH.
ARE GOTHARD.
SAM BURWICff.
JIM PICKLE.
WASH TARSLF,Y.
OSCAR RODGERS.
LEWIS G. RODGERS.
LoWE12Y HAWKINS.
j. Il. WALKER.
PERRY HOPE.
llGE POOLE.
ANDY MEDLEY.
MILL ROSE.
The injured:
William Burchene, sr.
William Burchene, jr.
Bod Walker.
Rev. Il. M. Cook.
REV. w. NJ. Hale.
Eat Hale.
Arthur Decker
Ed. Craig.
j. T. Burwick.
Duo to blown lslast.''
The explosion was caused by what is
known among miners as a blown
blast" 1t is the custom of the miners
to place the blasts and fire them off at
quitting time each afternoon, leaving
the coal thus thrown down to be loaded
and hauled from the mine the next
morning. The Richland mine is desti-
tute of water, and great volumes of fine
particles of coal dust, invisible to the
naked eye, accumulated at the roof OF
the mine. This dust is subject to ex-
plosion If exposed to flames.
Yesterday afternoon at 4:30 o'clock a
dynamite cartridge was placed in po-
sition in one of the rooms for blast,
and the miners Started for the mouth
OF the mine. The blast did not explode
as expected, but instead a long flame
shot out of the blast hole and ignited
the accumulation OF dust. Instantly a
terrific explosion occurred, and seeth-
ing mass of flames shot to the mouth Of
the mine and rose zoo feet into the open
air. The strength of the explosion
caused great masses of coal and slate
to fall in from the roof of the mine, and
many ill-fated miners We're completely
buried. Word quickly reached Dayton
and rescue forces were at once organ
lied and proce eded to the mine. One
III, Nc.
figured bodies Were taken from the
debris and carried to the mouth of the
mine, where they We're put on loco
motive and taken to Dayton. Scores of
relatives and friends gathered at the
mouth of the mine, and the shrieks of
anguish as the bodies We're removed
We're heartrending.
The two undertaking establishments
of Dayton We're turned into morgues,
where the mangled bodies We're dressed
and prepared for delivery to their fam
lilies All the men employed in this
mine We're residents of Dayton.
The Richland nlne is the property of
the Dayton Coat and Iron company.
composed of Glasgow capitalists. The
company operates an iron furnace at
Dayton and operates coal mines in
connection herewith.
December IS, 1895. a similar explosion
occurred in the Nelson mine, situated q
few hundred feet from where yester-
days explosion occurred, in which
twenty eight miners We're instantly
killed