The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-25
Were Inspecting the COlliery When
Overcome by White Damp, and
Perished Where They Fell.
SOME STRUGGLED FOR LIFE
WHILE OTHERS SEEMED TO HAVE
BEEN SUDDENLY A PHYXIATED.
Pure Air Forced Five Miles Through
Mountain in Order that Res
cuers Might Live.

BLUEFIELDS, w. Va, Nov. 24-The
dead bodies of the lost party of eight we'll
known mining men who entered West Mine
of the Pocahontas Galleries Company on
Friday morning last at IL o'clock were
covered at 12:45 o'clock this afternoon.
At o'clock this morning a rescuing party
numbering forty persons entered at the
main entrance They had reached a dis
tance of $500 feet from the entrance when
they encountered such quantities of white
damp that IT was impossible TO proceed
further. Retracing their steps they de-
cided to make another attempt from the
Tug river entrance. some six miles across
the Flat Top mountain. They went in
this entrance at about $50 a. m. and after
going a distance of some coo feet found
the dead bodies of A s. Hurst, chief in
spector; Robert Oldham. subinspector, and
Frazier G. Bell. mining engineer, all hud-
died together. From their position they
must have met death suddenly and without
pain. All Of them were lying face down,
with no signs of a struggle. Hurst had made
a pillow of his coat on which his head
rested.
The bodies OF the other five members of
the party, Superintendent of Mines Walter
O'Malley, Joseph Cardwell, superintendent
of the Shamokin Coal and Coke Company;
R. E. st. Clair, second assistant Inspector;
State Mine Inspector Price and Maurice
st. Clair, subinspector, were found sew
eral hundred feet back in the mine. three
of the bodies lying little distance
apart. Bob st. Clair and Joseph Cardwell
were lying with arms clasped around each
other cold in death. The bodies of O'Mal-
ley. Maurice St. Clair and Price were dis
r01 md hrlrfc coA bout h..
ing signs OF a struggle. 1t being very plain
TO see they made a desperate attempt at
retracing their steps TO better air. but al
ready had advanced too far into the dead
ly white damp TO escape alive.
1t is said by members of the rescuing
party that Hurst, Bell and Oldham hardly
would have lost their lives but for the
fact that they lost their way, entering a
chamber $50 feet TO the left, or near one
of the passages from the Baby mine in
which the deadly white damp had accumu-
lated in great quantities.
The bodies were brought down from the
mines in four wagons, bedded with straw
and covered with snow. which had been
coming down all day, reaching the Poca-
hontas wholesale grocery house. situated
just in the rear OF the Union Station
about p. m, where they will be prepared
for burial. The bodies are much swollen,
and having been attacked by mine rats
presented a grewsOme spectacle.
The fire is still burning in Baby mine and
the mine officials seem al a loss 10 under
-
The only way. IL is believed. is by flooding
This will be an enormous undertaking. as
the mine Is a drift mine. Mine experts
claim there is great danger of explosions
by flooding the mine, as when water comes
I'm contact with the fire the generation of
gas will be so great aS TO possibly blow
away the whole side of the mountain
The bodies OF the eight men were brought
out at another entrance than that from
which they entered. The men met death
on the West Virginia side. and Mine In
spectOr Paul. OF West Virginia, who arrived
on the scene to-day. gives IL his opinion
that the men were overcome by white
damp. the most deadly known in the coal
mines An investigation of the mine by
Mr. Paul showed that several pockets of
black damp also existed in the mine
Secretary and Treasurer Charles Thorne
OF Philadelphia. who was here when the
men started into the mines last Friday. en-
deavored 10 persuade them from entering.
telling them he regarded the venture a
very perilOus one. Prominent coal men
from Virginia and West Virginia are here
at the request OF the POcahOntas Coal
Company for a consultation, which was
held last night.
The men who formed the rescue party
to-day boarded UP every sideroOm I'm the
mainline shaft for a distance OF two miles.
10 avoid further danger from gas
and the fans, which heretofore had re-
volved thirty-tWo revolutions a minute.
were speeded 10 one hundred revolutions
10 force pure air through the mountain. a
distance OF five miles. NOtwithstan nding
| this. a number OF pockets OF fire damn
were encountered, and some OF the party
TODAY came near falling by the way.